KVD Wins Kentucky

by Don Zaegel on June 17th, 2008

Two legends shake hands as Kevin Vandam (right) led a charging Rick Clunn (left) before the final day. Clunn struggled on day 4 dropping him to 10th.
*photo credited: ESPN/BASS

Kevin VanDam came back with a vengeance this past weekend winning his 4th Elite Series event and 2nd of the season with just under a 1 lb. margin beating out a surging Timmy Horton. KVD led all four days of the event. His 4th win came only one week after being called out by Elite Series pro Jeremy Starks at the Southern Challenge on Wheeler Lake in Alabama.

In a tournament where many of the pros where expressing difficulties and frustrations in dealing with the disrespect of local anglers, KVD managed to save an area for the final day that he had found in practice. All though the area only gave up 16 lbs and KVD’s smallest bag of the tournament , it was enough to walk away with the title. When asked what KVD was throwing he replied, “There’s a whole lot of sexy going on”. KVD used Strike King’s Sexy Shad Series 5 & 6 crankbaits in conjunction with the Sexy Shad spoon. He also resorted to a Strike King Football head jig at times.

The sexy shad arsenal has been KVD’s go to all year long whether it was a red eye shad, crankbait, or spoon. I actually can’t remember seeing him throw a spinnerbait all year long. That tells me one thing and that is that these things are really that good and as versatile as they come.

KVD has retaken the AOY Points lead over Todd Faircloth and has been fishing like a machine in ‘08. He has seemed to be a threat to win in almost every event this year and with the tour ready to direct itself into smallmouth territory, it will be KVD’s to loose.

To view the complete tournaments results click here

To view the AOY points standings click here

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