From a strategic standpoint, Kevin VanDam can't think of anything he would've done differently to move up one more place and into the 12-cut at last week's Mississippi Bassmaster Elite Series in Wisconsin.
"I just wasn't fortunate enough to catch a big fish," said the four-time defending Angler of the Year (AOY). I had a couple get away – one on each of the first 2 days – and that hurt.
"I lost a 4-pounder flipping on the first day that just came off when I got him up to the boat. Then the second day I had the same thing happen with one I hooked on a swim-jig."
He said he learned more about how the fish were moving around in reaction to the rising water as the event wore on, but that didn't help him put them on the end of his line.
"It was hard to get a 3 1/2-pound bite there. Those kind of fish were in the area, but I didn't get them to bite. I just kept fishing, knowing that at any time I could get a 4-pounder."
The Big Bite Lookback, which focuses on the angler who's first out of the final cut at each tour-level event, is brought to you by the great folks at Big Bite Baits.
