The inaugural Kevin VanDam Big Bass Classic was held this past weekend on Table Rock Lake as nearly 300 anglers from nine different states and Canada competed in the tournament. Anglers faced tougher than normal conditions as warmer temps forced anglers to work harder to find fish throughout the two days of the event. Despite the conditions anglers brought a total of 218 fish to the Toyota Tundra Main Stage with an average weight of 3.23 lbs. Big Cedar Lodge provided the incredible backdrop at Bent Hook Marina and tournament anglers were treated to three days of hospitality courtesy of Oakley, Bass Pro Shops, Tracker Marine and Toyota Trucks.
The tournament got of to a fast start on Saturday with over 138 fish brought to the scales and Brent Compton held the day one lead with a 5.45 lb largemouth weighed in the 10-11 hour. The weather conditions improved on Sunday as temps cooled and the wind provided some much needed relief. The quality of the fish brought in on Sunday improved as well and we had a new leader in the 10-11 hour when Kelly Power weighed in a 6.18 lb largemouth. The lead didn’t last long however as the eventual tournament champion Brady Meredith brought in a 6.98 lb monster in the 11-12 hour take the lead. Brady’s big bass held up and earned him the keys to the $43,000 2010 Nitro Z9 with a 250HP Mercury Pro XS. After all was said and done, one in every four anglers were paid as 70 hourly checks were cut and anglers who participated were rewarded with a total cash and prize payback in excess of 190%.
This event could not have happened without the incredible contributions from Oakley, Bass Pro Shops, Tracker Marine, Big Cedar Lodge, Toyota Trucks and Quantum. We would also like to thank Lake Fork Trophy Lures, Mercury, MotorGuide, Lock-n-Haul and Power Pole for all their support. Finally a very special thank you to KVD for making this an unforgettable event for all of those involved. His 5 hour performance on the Rolling O Lab Grill was definitely the highlight of an incredible weekend.
