provided by John Phillips
Mossy Oak Fishing Pro 52-year-old Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Michigan, one of the most successful bass fishermen in the nation (the winner of 5 Bassmaster Classics and the Angler-of- the-Year title 8 times), is a rapid-fire caster, consistent winner, innovative lure designer, family man, friend of the press and master of new technology and electronics. But who is Kevin VanDam really? We wanted to share his backstory with you to help you understand why he was the first professional bass fisherman selected for Mossy Oak’s Fishing Team. To learn more, visit his Facebook Page.
As I’ve mentioned before, I try to embrace new technology as soon as it is introduced to the fishing industry. I also want to help the companies that sponsor me to determine what type of technology bass fishermen need and why. One of the biggest changes in the fishing industry has been electronics. I remember when I first started fishing with a flasher depth finder, and it was the first electronic device that bass fishermen had to locate bass. Today, I have four depth finders on my boat, and they are far more efficient to fish with than the old flasher I once used.
Over the years, I’ve tried to learn as much as I can about electronic technology that aids fishermen in catching bass. Every competitive and recreational bass angler is always looking for a tool that will make his bass fishing experience better. With that being said, I am very fortunate to be sponsored by Humminbird. I enjoy watching new electronics develop, and being a part of Humminbird’s research and development team is a dream come true.
Humminbird was one of the first electronic companies to develop side imaging, and the company also offered better mapping systems of lakes and rivers. Not only is there MEGA side imaging, but I suggested that Humminbird offer 360-degree imaging that would allow me to see bass and structure around my boat by simply turning my trolling motor. I also recommended to Humminbird positioning the 360-imaging transducer on the trolling motor, so that the angler could see the structure and bass in front of him before he arrived where they were. Overall, I’ve gone from trying to learn new technology when it comes to the fishing market to creating new technology that I believe will help all anglers.
I use a MEGA transducer on the back of the boat to see what’s on both sides of my boat when I’m scouting and/or fishing. I have down imaging to enable me to see what’s under my boat and another unit right below that one to allow me to see my LakeMaster Maps, which give me one-foot depth contours of the bottom. So, I'm looking at my down sonar, side sonar, and mapping on all four of my Humminbird consoles. When I move to the front of the boat, I have a split screen where I can have side imaging and down imaging and one unit that I use strictly for 360 scanning around my boat.
