Fear of a KVD-Free World

I started subscribing to Bassmaster in 1983 but really didn’t immerse myself into the world of tournament bass fishing until I graduated from law school in 1995. Effectively, I’ve never known a professional fishing landscape where KVD was not only present but also a dominant force. And now, at long last, in some respects that won’t be the case. He’ll still be around, of course, doing promotions and producing content. He’ll even be fishing a few tournaments at MLF for which he’s already qualified, but if he’s being honest with us and with himself, this is the end of the full-time road warrior gig.

For all I know, he may go all “Jordan Rides the Bus” on us, and make this a semi-colon instead of a period. Rumors have flown that at some point, planned or not, he’ll exercise his Legend status and return to BASS. I’ve heard nothing about that from him, from anyone related to him, or from anyone at BASS, so at best that’s conjecture.

Assuming he does stay “retired” from tour-level life, where does that leave us? We learned on The Wire, that “the king stays the king,” but for how long? If a Jacob Wheeler or Brandon Palaniuk or a Kyle Welcher goes on an incredible five or ten-year run comparable to VanDam’s best years, are we sitting here a generation from now debating the identity of the GOAT? I suppose that would be good for the sport in some respects – unsolvable barroom queries of the sort keep pundits like me employed and keep fans engaged. 

On the other hand, I fear that future generations will forget just how dominant KVD was for extended periods of time. Think it can’t happen? Young fans don’t realize how incredible Denny Brauer was if they know much about him at all. They may think that Rick Clunn is someone to be respected and revered, but not necessarily feared. We have short memories in this sport. 

I treasure the picture taken above, me with VanDam and four of his brown friends, from a Michigan lake that shall be left unnamed. I also know that if we don’t work at it, 20 or 30 years from now it could start to fade, McFly-family-style, as the lights shine brighter on other, younger anglers. It seems unlikely now, but trust me, it’s possible. Most of the All-Star football and baseball players of my youth were just names in a book to even ardent younger fans, and they had a full-blown media machine behind them. The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame is gearing up, and the television series The Cast from BASS has been great, but it’s going to take more than that.