Kevin VanDam's Pattern, Baits & Gear
Worm gear: 7'6" heavy-action Quantum Exo Tour PT casting rod, Quantum Tour KVD PT casting reel (7.3:1 gear ratio), 12-pound XPS fluorocarbon line, 3/4-oz. Mustad Fastach football weight, 6/0 Mustad Grip Pin worm hook, 10" Strike King Rage Tail Thumper worm (plum).
Cranking gear: 7'10" medium-heavy Quantum Tour KVD PT cranking rod, same reel (5.3:1 gear ratio), same line, Strike King 6XD, 8XD, 10 XD crankbaits (green gizzard shad and sexy blueback herring). He upsized the hooks to 1/0 Mustad KVD Triple Grip trebles on the 6XD and 2/0 on the 8 and 10XDs.
Main factor: "It was absolutely my Humminbird electronics. To be able to have that Lakemaster mapping along with the sonar that the Onix units have for Side- and Down-Imaging, it's astounding. I've fished there six times in June and I thought I knew a lot about that lake, but that mapping showed me places I didn't know about."
Performance edge: "You try to do everything you can to get out there quick. I had to run the HydroWave to keep it gong. I know all the offshore guys will sing the praises of the HydroWave because they've seen the difference it makes. I ran mine on a 15-second delay. I normally do a 30 if I'm just fishing. I like the Power pattern and I run the volume pretty low. We didn't have a ton of wind so I liked the Schooling Blitz setting, too, on a 30-second delay."
