Kevin VanDam facts for kids
Kevin VanDam (born October 14, 1967), often called "KVD," is a famous professional bass fisherman from Otsego, Michigan. He has won more money than anyone else in professional bass fishing, earning over $7 million! He has won the important Bassmaster Classic four times (in 2001, 2005, 2010, and 2011). He also won the Toyota Tundra Angler of the Year title seven times and was the FLW Angler of the Year once. VanDam has mostly fished in the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (BASS) tournaments but also helped start Major League Fishing.
Kevin VanDam's Fishing Career
VanDam started his fishing career in 1990 when he was 23 years old. In 1992, at age 25, he became the youngest person ever to win the BASS Angler of the Year award. He and another famous angler, Rick Clunn, are the only two people to have won four Bassmaster Classic titles. Kevin VanDam has won 25 BASS tournaments, which is more than anyone else on the Bassmasters tour. His 25th win was at the Bassmaster Elite tournament at Grand Lake on April 29, 2018. He has also finished in the top 10 many times (111 times!), showing how consistently good he is. In 2002, ESPN gave him the first-ever Outdoorsman of the Year ESPY Award.
Many companies support VanDam in his fishing career. These include Busch Beer, Nitro, Mercury Marine, Toyota, Strike King, Mustad, Plano, MinnKota, Lew's, Bass Pro Shops, Humminbird, Oakley, D&R Sports, Hydrowave, and RMR Industries.
In February 2023, Kevin VanDam announced that he plans to stop fishing in tournaments at the end of the 2023 Bass Pro Tour season.
Amazing Fishing Achievements
Here are some of Kevin VanDam's impressive achievements:
- He won 3 Major League Fishing Cup titles.
- He has 4 Bassmaster Classic Titles.
- He earned 8 Angler of the Year Titles (7 from B.A.S.S. and 1 from FLW).
- His career winnings are more than $6,300,000 from B.A.S.S. and FLW tournaments.
- He has finished in the Top Ten 111 times.
- He competed in the BASSMASTER Classic 26 times.
- He won 25 B.A.S.S. tournaments.
- He finished as the runner-up (second place) 16 times.
Kevin VanDam's Personal Life
Kevin VanDam was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He graduated from Otsego High School. He still lives in Otsego with his wife, Sherry, and their two sons, Jackson and Nicholas.
