VanDam kicks way into Classic history, Martens second again
Kevin VanDam's claim to the greatest tournament bass angler in history just got stronger as he won his fourth Bassmaster Classic and second in a row, joining the legendary Rick Clunn as the only pros to post those accomplishments.

Aaron Martens, who grew up fishing in Southern California and is now a resident of Leeds, AL, finished second for the third time in 11 attempts fishing the Bassmaster Classic, more than 10 pounds behind VanDam when the last fish was weighed Sunday evening in New Orleans. VanDam's 69 pounds, 11 ounces is the heaviest weight ever in a Bassmaster Classic competition and his top prize of $500,000 makes him the top money winner ever with a total of over $5 million in bass tournament payouts.

Both VanDam and Martens fished the same area of the Mississippi Delta, often in sight of each other, a part of Lake Cataouatche known as Tank Pond studded with the stumps of cypress and tupelo trees killed when tropical storms pushed saltwater far up the Delta. When freshwater regained hold, the area was stocked with Florida-strain largemouth. A warming trend moved the big bass up into the shallows and VanDam used Strike King spinnerbaits at first to get reaction bites and then switched to a square-billed crankbait from the same company. He told reporters he would often have to make multiple casts to the same target (stump) to draw a strike.

Martens' weight of 59 pounds was also better than the previous Classic record, 56-2 on Lake Toho by Luke Clausen. Martens has never won a Bassmasters Classic, but told Bassmaster.com's Trey Reid that VanDam's huge weight made the loss easy to take this time around.

"This is the easiest second place I've ever had, and I'm not just saying that," Martens said. "If it would've been closer, it might be different. But there's no stress, no remorse."

Martens has won two U.S. Open events on Lake Mead, as has Rick Clunn. The U.S. Open titles Clunn won are now the only thing separating VanDam and Clunn in the bass fishing pantheon, but as far as Clunn's concerned, VanDam's shooting star has a long way to go before it reaches an apex.

"He's obviously the best there is right now," Clunn told bassmaster.com's Reid. "He's in that wonderful place you hope to reach when you start this. Kevin isn't going to beat himself. He's found that space where only a few have been, and he's not even close to the last chapter of what he's writing."

PHOTO: KEVIN VANDAM CELEBRATES his Classic victory as Aaron Martens settles for yet another second place finish. Credit: B.A.S.S./ Jason Cohn