Kevin VanDam, the Team Toyota pro and hands-down the greatest bass angler to ever cast a line, has a trophy case that’d make anyone jealous—four Bassmaster Classics, seven Angler of the Year titles and a legacy that’s etched in the annals of fishing history. But don’t let the shine fool you. Beneath the high-tech gear and TV spotlight, VanDam’s heart beats for the same gritty, dirt-under-the-nails fishing that hooked him as a kid. In a world cluttered with gadgets and YouTube tutorials, he’s preaching a back-to-basics truth: fishing’s soul lies in its simplicity, the raw thrill of the bite and the quiet moments that make you forget the world.
By Walker Smith
A kid, a worm and a smallmouth
VanDam’s fishing story starts not on a gleaming tournament stage but on the weathered planks of a 14-foot aluminum boat, bobbing on a northern Michigan lake.
“My dad took me ice fishing when I was three years old, but I fished constantly after that,” he says, his voice carrying the weight of nostalgia. “Mainly panfish and what not, but my life-changing fishing trip was northern Michigan at 7-years-old. That was the most important fishing trip of my youth. How those smallmouth fought, how they jumped; I was just absolutely hooked.”
His first bass, a smallmouth, came on his grandparents’ lake, wrangled with a live nightcrawler and a spincast reel that probably cost less than a burger combo today.
“That’s something I’ll never forget,” VanDam says. “I remember it like it was yesterday. A 14-foot boat with a small Mercury motor and we would drift and fish reed flats. We tied our own little hand-tied snell rigs and just had an absolute ball.”
No depth finders, no carbon-fiber rods—just a kid with a worm, a hook and a fire in his chest that still burns.
Chasing the unknown on two wheels
Growing up, VanDam wasn’t chasing sponsors or TV deals. He was a kid on a bike, rod slung over his shoulder, pedaling to every pond and creek he could find.
“The excitement and the unknown made me fall in love with fishing,” he says. “I liked to fish for everything growing up, but bass fishing was special to me. The way they fight, jump and how accessible they were for me. I would ride my bike to everyone’s property and ask for permission. I would have a milk run of ‘em.”
That grassroots hustle—knocking on doors, fishing from muddy banks and dodging brush—still shapes how VanDam sees the sport. He meets anglers across the country, from kayak fishermen to bank-beaters in beat-up sneakers, all chasing that same spark.
“Even as I started to become a better angler, you had to have stuff that worked from shore and fish around a bunch of brush,” he says. “I see that same thing with so many people as I travel around the country. Whether it’s a kayak, old johnboat or bank fishing. The unknown, the hope, the anticipation is sacred to me.”
It’s not about the boat you’re in or the rod in your hand—it’s about the tug on the line and the stories you’ll tell around a campfire.
Where you cast beats what you cast
In today’s world of Instagram reels and clickbait videos, it’s easy to get suckered into thinking you need the perfect lure in the perfect color to catch a fish.
VanDam calls bunk on that.
“A lot of people, especially with social media and YouTube, they try to make it out like you have to have a specific bait and color,” he says. “I learned a long time ago that it’s not the color or the bait, it’s about where you put it. Yeah, there’s times where you have to be specific, but more cases than not, location is most important.”
He’s not saying lures don’t matter, of course, but the magic isn’t in some super-expensive lure with a custom paint job.
“So many people are looking for the magic lure, but it’s not always that,” the Team Toyota pro says. “The magic isn’t the gear all the time; it’s the science, biology and seasonal patterns. A lot of people try to make it more complicated than it really needs to be.”
Watch the water, read the seasons and know where bass hide—whether it’s a reed bed, a sunken log or a shady bank. That’s the real secret and it doesn’t cost a dime.
Keep it simple, keep it real
VanDam was a tournament pro for over three decades, so yeah, he’s up-to-date on the latest gear. But he’s not here to snow you.
“There are some people who are gadget people. They want the latest phone or whatever,” he says. “It’s my job to promote that stuff, but I do it authentically. If I look you in the eye and tell you something, you can bet on it. I’ve earned people’s trust through telling the truth. Take the spinnerbait—a lure that’s been overshadowed by flashier newcomers. The spinnerbait has always been a favorite of mine, but these days, they get overlooked,” he says. “But they still catch fish. The bass didn’t stop biting them. Lures are just tools. Just like a golf club or carpenter, you need the right tools but you can get the job done with just a few basic tools in order to have a lot of fun.”
You don’t need a tackle box that looks like a hardware store. A couple of spinnerbaits, a plastic worm and a topwater plug can fill your stringer and your soul just fine. VanDam’s proof: he’s caught more bass than most folks dream of and he’s done it with the same simple tools you’ve got in your garage.
Fishing for the everyday angler
As VanDam’s shifted from tournament trails to TV host and brand ambassador, he’s zeroed in on the heart of fishing: the weekend warrior.
“The weekend angler who isn’t following the tournament trail, that’s the core consumer,” he says. “It’s the majority. Most people aren’t fishing tournaments, and they don’t really aspire to.”
These are the folks fishing for love, not money—dads with kids in tow, buddies in a beat-up jon boat or anglers casting from a weedy bank.
“It’s simply their release and relaxation,” VanDam says. “They’re not trying to be as efficient as a tournament angler. And they don’t need to be. They’re out there to forget about their jobs and enjoy time with their family. It doesn’t have to be complicated or so detail oriented. Just make it fun.”
Forget the pressure of tournament weigh-ins or the latest sonar. Fishing’s about the laugh of a kid hooking their first bluegill, the quiet moments during sunrise over a misty lake or the thrill of a bass exploding on a topwater.
Back to the roots
Kevin VanDam’s built a career that’s the stuff of legend but he’s still that kid pedaling his bike to the next pond, dreaming of the next bite. In a sport that’s gone high-tech—where boats cost more than cars—VanDam’s message is a breath of fresh air: keep it simple.
You don’t need a fancy rig or a tackle shop in your backpack to catch fish and make memories. All it takes is a rod, a few lures and a heart open to the water’s mysteries.
So next time you’re rigging up, ditch the stress. Grab a spinnerbait, find a shady bank and cast like nobody’s watching. As VanDam knows, the best part of fishing isn’t the gear or the glory—it’s the tug on the line, the leap of a smallmouth and the stories you’ll carry home.
That’s the grassroots gospel of fishing and it’s as true today as it was when a young Kevin VanDam first felt that nightcrawler wiggle.
