Posted by Bob on February 24, 2010

KVD mined a large spawning flat in the back of Beeswax Creek for three days and delivered three limits that cumulatively weighed 51 pounds, 6 ounces to outlast Jeff Kriet, Todd Faircloth, Russ Lane and 47 others to take home the trophy to an increasingly crowded mantle.

“Well, this was a challenging week weatherwise. I’ve had a lot of success in Alabama over the years,” VanDam said of his seventh Classic in the state. “It’s always alluded me. I love fishing these lakes.” VanDam was also appreciative of the fishing-savvy fans in the state, saying the throngs of spectators gave him room to win. “In 1992, when I won my first AOY, what I remember about Alabama is the fans,” he said. “One of the main reasons I was able to catch what I did was the fans. I was fishing in the back in Beeswax Creek and the fans were very courteous.”

The victory wasn’t wire to wire: VanDam led after Day 1 but trailed Kriet by 2 ounces after the second day of competition. When they launched Sunday morning, he was only a single ounce ahead of Faircloth. All three fished almost exclusively in Beeswax, but VanDam’s fish proved to be the most reliable, plentiful and sizable over the course of three days.

With this victory, Kevin trails only Rick Clunn (four) on the all-time Classic victory list. Only three other anglers, Bobby Murray, Hank Parker and George Cochran, have won more than once.

VanDam also has five Toyota Tundra Angler of the Year awards, including the past two.

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