FIRST CAST : JOEL SHANGLE
why the GOAT is the GOAT in my book
As you read this issue of Bass Fishing magazine , the internet is buzzing with salutes and celebrations of the GOAT ( greatest of all time ), the Kalamazoo Kid , Kevin VanDam . This issue arrived in readers ’ mailboxes shortly after VanDam ’ s final regular-season , tour-level bass tournament , Bass Pro Tour Stage Seven in Saginaw Bay , Michigan , in early August . Many of you likely watched MLF ’ s salute to VanDam during the MLFNOW ! live stream or read the stories about Kevin that we published on MajorLeagueFishing . com .
Kevin has been rightfully hailed for more than 30 years as a once-in-a-lifetime fishing talent . Ever since he posted his first tour-level win at the 1991 Georgia Invitational on Lake Lanier and followed that up with back-to-back third-place finishes at the 1992 Texas and Alabama Invitationals on Sam Rayburn and Guntersville , it seemed obvious that the lanky Michigander would be a handful for years to come . Over $ 7 million in winnings and eight Angler of the Year titles later , “ a handful ” is putting it mildly . Kevin has spent more time in front of a TV camera , on the internet and interacting with crowds of fans than most NFL superstars . The intimate nature of professional bass fishing , where the competitors shake hands daily with their fan base , has provided the world with a pretty thorough snapshot of Kevin VanDam . However , the things that 99.9 % of you haven ’ t seen from Kevin are what truly make him a unique person and good friend :
• I ’ m standing at the island of a kitchen in a large house in Massena , New York , chopping mushrooms . The house is part of a complex that multiple anglers rent for tournaments on the St . Lawrence River and the place where communal dinners are cooked . Standing adjacent to me at the same island is Kevin VanDam . He ’ s chopping onions as we discuss the merits of Pink Floyd .
One of the other anglers ( I forget who ) passes through the kitchen and jokingly says “ Ooooh , look at this . KVD is in the kitchen chopping onions , I never thought I ’ d see that .” To which Kevin responds ( with a wink ): “ I do it all the time . Gotta be a good husband . Here , c ’ mere , I ’ ll teach you how to chop .” This is Kevin .
• It ’ s 6:55 a . m . on a Saturday and I ’ m about to start the second hour of my radio show on Sports Radio KJR in Seattle . Unfortunately , the two guests who I ’ d lined up for the 7:00 and 7:20 time slots are both in poor wireless service , and I ’ m suddenly faced with 40 minutes of air time to fill on my own . I text Kevin : “ I need some help , are you busy ?” He texts back immediately : “ Have your guy call me .” Within two minutes , we have Kevin live on the air , and he stays with me for the entire 7 o ’ clock hour , cheerfully answering callers ’ questions .
Of the nearly 5,000 live radio / TV interviews I ’ ve done , it ’ s one of my favorites , and it happened only because Kevin surrendered part of his Saturday to answer a call . Here ’ s another thing you probably don ’ t know about Kevin VanDam : He always answers your call or responds straightaway to your text . This is also Kevin . We ’ ll still see plenty of Kevin VanDam as he embraces his post-tournament life as an educator and a champion of conservation . He ’ ll still be a KVD-sized presence in the fishing world . I won ’ t lie , though ; I ’ ll miss seeing him on the tournament trail , and we ’ ll all darn sure miss watching him compete .
There can be only one GOAT . And this , more than anything , is also Kevin .
joel shangle , editor-in-chief
6 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2023