KVD PAST | PRESENT | FUTURE
PAST
Q: What were your career goals when
you were starting out 30 years ago?
KVD: I considered professional bass
fishing as a career, but didn’t know
how practical that might be. I just loved
the competition and idolized some of
the greats of that era – Rick Clunn,
Denny Brauer, Hank Parker, Larry
Nixon, Guido Hibdon, Roland Martin,
Bill Dance, Jimmy Houston. I wanted to
find out if I could compete at that level.
After I had some early success, I developed
confidence in my ability and
decided to go after it as a career.
I had saved some money from
working odd jobs and selling boats in
my brother’s dealership. I was living at
home with my parents at that time, and
I knew I could bankroll my first season
even if I didn’t win any money. That
was 1991, but my decision to pursue
professional fishing as a career was a
gradual one that happened over a period
of several years.
Q: What were your biggest obstacles
to getting into the sport back then?
KVD: When I was getting started,
things were so different than they are
today. Back then, it was hard to find the
right people to talk with about sponsorship.
It was all about relationships back
then, which is still true today, but it was
much harder to find the right people, to
meet the right people and to get yourself
in front of them so you could even
talk about opportunities. So, then, just
like now, it was tough to get sponsorship
support, but it was even harder
because we didn’t have all the communication
channels we have today.
Q: What was the best career advice you
ever received, and who gave it to you?
KVD: Very early in my career, I got a
lot of great advice from Tommy Martin,
Larry Nixon and Denny Brauer. They
helped me a lot on the business side of
the sport. We talked a lot about sponsorships,
about the value that a professional
angler can bring to a company,
PHOTO BY JOSH GASSMANN
about working consumer and industry
shows. They warned me against underselling
myself and told me not to wear
a patch for free. This can be tough
advice for a young angler to follow,
especially when there are so many
aspiring pros out there.
Too many young anglers will jump
at any offer that comes along without
considering the true value they bring to
the table. Early on, most of what they
have to offer is their time, but that has
value, too. Because I was able to
bankroll my fishing early on, I didn’t
have to do that. I was able to establish
myself before being approached by
sponsors and didn’t need to take the
first offer that came along. The advice I
got then is still great advice today.
Q: What part of being KVD was easier
30 years ago?
KVD: Well, for starters, there was no
“KVD” 30 years ago. The KVD thing
was started by the late Tim Tucker at a
Bassmaster Classic press conference.
He started calling me KVD, and it
caught on. Before that, no one ever
called me KVD. Today, it’s a big part of
my branding and public identity.
As far as what was easier about
being me in those early days compared
to now, it would have to be the
demands on my time. Back then, I was
just another young angler trying to win
bass tournaments, make some money
on tour and get the attention of some
sponsors. I stayed busy, but it was nothing
like the day-to-day schedule I have
now. I truly appreciate the sponsors and
opportunities I have today. They’re what
makes a career in the sport possible,
but it’s also very demanding.
PRESENT
Q: What part of being KVD is easier
today?
KVD: I don’t have to explain who I am
or what I do. I’ve worked really hard to
build this KVD brand. My wife, Sherry,
has been there every step of the way
and works just as hard as I do. It couldn’t
have happened without her. It’s a
complete team effort, and it’s never
truly easy because it’s a lot of work and
very demanding, but once I got established
and had some success, we saw
opportunities we really never dreamed
of through sponsorships, product
endorsements, television and more.
Q: Did you have any goals 30 years
ago that you haven’t accomplished?
KVD: No, but that’s because I really didn’t
have any particular goals or specific
aspirations back then. Even after I won
my first AOY title (in 1992), I wasn’t sure
that I was on a career path with professional
fishing. There was less money in
the sport back then. I was still working
as the sales manager in the boat department
at my brother’s dealership, and I
thought of that as my job. Big picture,
career-type goals came later for me.
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