Picked Through the Tackle of Van Dams & G-Man's Boats

[fishfordollars]

While they were up doing a seminar at the Texas Bass classic I strolled over to both boats just to see what they had lying around.

Van Dams Nitro: 3/4oz Sexy Shad blade exactly like you purchase in the store. Stanley Titanuim Chartruse/white 1/2oz Wedge. Both were laying in the troling motor recess.

G-Man's Triton: Tons of 3/16, 3/8, 1/2 ball head jigs most W/O skirts. All heads were painted brown. Every jighead that had a skirt was brown with three to ten strands of blue (Without exception). Jig heads w/o skirts were all loaded with brown/green or brown/with blue specs and all i saw were the net baby paca craws in different sizes. What surprised me the most were the size of the hooks built into the jig heads. They had to be home poured as i have never seen a hook that size on a jig head that small. He had a lot of the jig heads w/o a skirt loaded with the paca craws only.

Tag line on all lures was florocarbon. looked to be 10-17lb.

You can definately tell by both boats it was nearing the end of the year. Carpet and designs in the carpet was well worn and frayed. Both will need to go back to Nitro and Triton for a makeover before they go to the next owner.

[sal669]

Interesting info ! Thanx

[OHIO]

That's a cool story right there.

It would be so awesome to talk to some pros and look through their tackle and rods.

Your a lucky man.

[fishfordollars]

I also got to spend a moment talking with Van Dam, G-Man, John Crews, and Gary Klein. They were just walking through the crowd and would stop and talk to anyone. VanDam said he had a 22 hr. drive home. He left the area at 3:30pm.

FYI, they do all of the driving. No one hauls the rigs for them.

O H I O all you have to do is show up at a tournament and you can walk right up and talk. They all seem to have a moment or two for anyone.

[OHIO]

Professional fishing is really unlike any other professional sport.

They don't have private jets or Bentleys that they travel in, just a pickup and a trailer.

They don't act like arrogant ****** either.

[fishfordollars]

Professional fishing is really unlike any other professional sport.

They don't have private jets or Bentleys that they travel in, just a pickup and a trailer.

They don't act like arrogant ****** either.

Most are not. I was at the tank looking at the 9.02 caught Saturday and Shaw Grisby walked up beside me and I asked him who caught it. He said he did and then went into detail how, where, and on what lure it was caught on. Lance Vick is another one that will talk all you want to. I bought a couple of his navigating chips last year that he sells and he gave me some pointers on the best use for them. They are all just everyday guys that have earned the positions they have.

[NorcalBassin]

Cool experiences... kicking myself for not being able to make it out to either of the CA stops this year.

[MMan16]

That's awesome! Wish I could talk to any of those guys for just a second.

[Terry_]

The year before last my brother and I fished the Easter Seals tourney at Lake Eufaula. Alot of the FLW anglers were there prefishing for a tourney the following weekend, many stayed in the same hotel we were in. I have to say I had some very good experiences meeting these guys as well. They were very friendly and always had a moment for a fan of the sport. We bombed in the tourney, but meeting and "hanging out" with these guys made it all worth while. We even had breakfast with Judy Israel and her husband.

http://www.flwoutdoors.com/community/profile/home.cfm?uid=24543

All of the anglers we met reprsented their sponsers and their sport very well, but none of them let us look around in their boats! LOL! That must have been so cool. Thanks for sharing.

[J Francho]

I'd be more interested in what was tied on the LAST rod put away after a tournament over any cut off baits strewn in the boat.  90% of the time, what's lying around the deck isn't what worked, unless its a pile of spent plastics, like one particular bait.  Still, you wouldn't know the rest of the story on where and how to fish that bait.

[Sam]

Fishfordollars,

Super post. Thanks a million for posting the information.

The pros were very friendly at the Bassmaster Universities. Hank Parker, Jimmy Houston, Ike, VanDam, Ivano, Grigsby, Bauer, Daves, etc. were easy to talk to and great guys.

I see Woo Daves every so often and he will talk fishing with you like you are an old friend.

Hank Parker was great to the Boy Scout Jamboree and told some really funny jokes.

KVD autographed one of his books for me at the Richmond Fishing Expo two years ago. He is a very nice guy.

Have not met a total professional bass fisherman jerk but there is one "semi-pro" in my part of the woods that I could take or leave. He thinks he is a pro and he fishes the B.A.S.S. circuit but he has a long way to go to be on the same level as the real pros.

Fishfordollars, remember to yell those famous words that guarantee you will catch at least one keeper when you go fishing:  Geaux Tigers!!!!  ;D   ;D   ;D

[philsoreel]

I'd be more interested in what was tied on the LAST rod put away after a tournament over any cut off baits strewn in the boat. 90% of the time, what's lying around the deck isn't what worked, unless its a pile of spent plastics, like one particular bait. Still, you wouldn't know the rest of the story on where and how to fish that bait.

I'll agree with you about wanting to see the last lures tied on but I found it very informative about G-Man's bait selection. His color selection was obvious and it seems to me that he was targeting fish eating craws. Just my two cents.

[fishfordollars]

Guys i did the best I could without just crawling up in the rig. Got some strange looks while leaning over into the boat and picking up individual lures for inspection. I guarantee the pros could see me but they never said a word from the stage or afterward. No security that I was aware of around the boats but I'm sure there was some. I did everything but crawl behind the steering wheel and not a word was said.

I'll try to pull the rods out of the rod boxes next time, go through the plano boxes, and will report when I bail out of jail.

[SoFlaBassAddict]

Now thats how you do it. Taking one for the team! Way to go FFD!

Btw, if you can grab me a couple of G-Man's jig boxes, I'll pay for part of the bail....

[Long Mike]

Guys i did the best I could without just crawling up in the rig. Got some strange looks while leaning over into the boat and picking up individual lures for inspection. I guarantee the pros could see me but they never said a word from the stage or afterward. No security that I was aware of around the boats but I'm sure there was some. I did everything but crawl behind the steering wheel and not a word was said.

I'll try to pull the rods out of the rod boxes next time, go through the plano boxes, and will report when I bail out of jail.

I don't care who you are, that was funny! 

[Skeet22]

Interesting KVD had a Stanley Wedge on his boat being he pushes SK. Stanley spinnerbaits are one of my favorites.

[K_Mac]

Now thats how you do it. Taking one for the team! Way to go FFD!

Btw, if you can grab me a couple of G-Man's jig boxes, I'll pay for part of the bail....

I like the insider information. Nice post.

I am not kicking in on bail though. You open a lid and you are on your own brother.

[L a r r y]

If you get caught, there will be some more money mysteriously put on your book, but you must come back and give is the 4-1-1

[rubba bubba]

Count me in for $5 on the bail.