How does KVD do it???

[Nick-]

KVD has basically become the old Tiger Woods of bass fishing. You know, the one that won 8 out of every 10 golf tournaments that he entered. Tiger's biggest advantage a couple of years ago was that all the other players & fans all believed that he was unstoppable. This is no longer the case with Tiger after his public struggles on & off the course. The same holds true for KVD. His biggest advantage is that his peers/competitors & world wide ***s also believe he's the best & pretty much unbeatable! I guarantee you that 80% of the other anglers know week in & week out that they are probably fishing for 2nd place! Talk about intimidation! Basically, when you have that much positive energy & belief from everyone you simply can't lose. Even better is that KVD unlike Tiger Woods isn't stupid enough to remove himself from the picture by sleeping around with a bunch of bass groupies. He's a much better man than Tiger. Long live Kevin Van Dam! I too am a believer!

[patbfishing123]

The guy is amazing.... he obviously has all the confidence in the world, not only in himself but in his equipment.  Its one thing to be able to use lures that someone else has created and hope that they'll work the way you want them to. Its another thing for all the equipment that you are using to be designed the way you want it.  The guy has everything from the rod and reel to the lure and sunglasses.  Everything he uses is something that he has helped to design to work exactly how he wants it to.  Now if that doesn't give you confidence I don't know what will.  KVD strikes again!

[lmoore]

I have a friend who knows an elite series guy and, according to him, lots of the bg pros spend almost as much time on the phone as they do fishing when they first try to get an area figured out.  These guys have developed contacts in a lot of locations over the years.  I'm sure none of them cheat or do anything that other anglers would frown upon, it's just another way for them to get pointed in the right direction.

[slonezp]

I have a friend who knows an elite series guy and, according to him, lots of the bg pros spend almost as much time on the phone as they do fishing when they first try to get an area figured out. These guys have developed contacts in a lot of locations over the years. I'm sure none of them cheat or do anything that other anglers would frown upon, it's just another way for them to get pointed in the right direction.

This is true. It also goes on in the PWT

Food For Thought:

How many of you guys think if given the privliged opportunities that many of the pros have had, you could compete? Not to discredit any of these guys as they are all atheletes. If you came from money and were able to afford to fish as a living could you compete? If you had professional fishing contacts could you compete? If you were givin a boat, electronics, rods, reels, baits, could you compete? I don't know KVD's history but he was born and raised around fishing/watersports. He was able to make contacts at a young age. Alot of these things have alot to do with the success these guys have. I have to work a regular job for a living to support my life. In turn I am unable to become "the greatest bass fisherman that ever lived". I cannot fish 40+hours a week and although I love to fish don't know if I would be able to or want to fish that much.

I am good at the job I do and every day I learn more about the job I do. If I fished 40hrs a week I'd be willing to bet that I would learn something new every day which would make me a better fisherman.

I had the opportunity to see Iconelli give a seminar last year. I was amazed at the thinking process that goes on inside his head. Things I never had even thought of. Mike has learned all of what he knows by being on the water all the time. KVD spoke after the classic at the press conference and again, he has learned what he knows by being on the water ALL the time.

KVD is an exceptional fisherman, as Tiger is to golf, as Jordan was to basketball, as I am to being a refrigeration mechanic . 

[salmicropterus]

I get the above post and a lot of good points are made but I don't understand the comment about these guys coming "from money" and having privilege. There are some exceptions but most of these guys come from pretty normal (meaning not privileged or monied) backgrounds  and had to scrimp, save and do without (and their families too) to get to the place they are. Takahiro living in a truck for six months comes to mind and he is not the only one. That is one of the reasons these guys are so relatable becuause they know where they came from and they don't forget it

These guys fish and work fishing related activities much much more than 40 hrs a week. I'd say more like 70-80 hrs. Frankly, most people are not willing to pay the price (even if they got the benefit) to get what they have. I recently had the privilege of pre-fishing for three days prior to a tournament with an Elite-level pro and these are 14-15 hr days between preparation and actual time on the water. We were not the exception and maybe some people actually outworked us.

It is a mistake to think that if I only spent time on the water, I would be like them. Same mistake aspiring golfers make: if I could play every day I'd be a pro. Well, what they don't see is time on the range hitting maybe 500+ balls a day working on one little thing, standing on a practice green rolling three foot putts until you make 100 in a row and if you only make 99 you start all over again.

Time on the water does create knowledge but a lot of knowledge doesn't necessarily translate into success. It's a combination of knowledge, superior preparation, connecting all of the dots all of the time, all under the pressure of knowing you made a $10K bet that week that you would be better than anyone else. Not many people are wired that way even with money and opportunity.

[Skeet22]

I have a friend who knows an elite series guy and, according to him, lots of the bg pros spend almost as much time on the phone as they do fishing when they first try to get an area figured out. These guys have developed contacts in a lot of locations over the years. I'm sure none of them cheat or do anything that other anglers would frown upon, it's just another way for them to get pointed in the right direction.

This is true. It also goes on in the PWT

Food For Thought:

How many of you guys think if given the privliged opportunities that many of the pros have had, you could compete? Not to discredit any of these guys as they are all atheletes. If you came from money and were able to afford to fish as a living could you compete? If you had professional fishing contacts could you compete? If you were givin a boat, electronics, rods, reels, baits, could you compete? I don't know KVD's history but he was born and raised around fishing/watersports. He was able to make contacts at a young age. Alot of these things have alot to do with the success these guys have. I have to work a regular job for a living to support my life. In turn I am unable to become "the greatest bass fisherman that ever lived". I cannot fish 40+hours a week and although I love to fish don't know if I would be able to or want to fish that much.

I am good at the job I do and every day I learn more about the job I do. If I fished 40hrs a week I'd be willing to bet that I would learn something new every day which would make me a better fisherman.

I had the opportunity to see Iconelli give a seminar last year. I was amazed at the thinking process that goes on inside his head. Things I never had even thought of. Mike has learned all of what he knows by being on the water all the time. KVD spoke after the classic at the press conference and again, he has learned what he knows by being on the water ALL the time.

KVD is an exceptional fisherman, as Tiger is to golf, as Jordan was to basketball, as I am to being a refrigeration mechanic .

The Federation guys did a pretty d**n good job of competing while living out of their trucks. One guy in particular Dale Hightower was pulling his boat with an AC/Refrigeration work truck.

So I would say yes..

[Georgia Jeff]

I have also wondered if any of the pros have friends that fish the area for them and give them a detailed scouting report of water temp., water conditions, what the bass seem to be doing and what they are biting.