On day 1 of the FLW Tour event at Lake Okeechobee, Kevin VanDam brought in a limit weighing 12 pounds 5 ounces. That put him in 28th place, though less than a pound out of 20th and fewer than 2 pounds out of 10th. Even so, he's "letting it all hang out" today.
Tough Day Yesterday
"It was a tough day," he said about yesterday. "The fish seemed to change a lot from practice. In practice we had fog in the morning, very little wind and bright sunshine. But today we had no fog, a little front came through -- the wind was blowing about 15 mph -- and we had clouds on and off all day.
"It was plenty warm and everything, but those little fronts affect (Florida bass)," he said. "And with the full moon coming, a lot of fish are locking down on the beds, which makes them less aggressive and tougher to catch."
Hoping for More of the Same
Tough conditions are where champions excel, which probably is why VanDam is hoping for another tough day today. "Hopefully it will change a bunch again and be harder for a lot of the guys to do well," he said.
As far as what he has to do, he said, "All you have to do is make the Top 20. Twentieth is as good as 1st in the beginning."
Today he will "just go out there and fish." He added that he learned a few things yesterday about presentations that he planned to try again.
Not Saving Any Spots
Though some anglers have spots set aside for days 3 and 4, VanDam said he isn't saving anything untouched.
"I have 3 or 4 areas I've been fishing, and I have to let it all hang out now, especially where I am (in the standings). I have to have a really good day just to make the cut.
"I'm catching every one that bites," he said. "I'm going to catch them until I can't catch anymore."
