Press Room

08/04/2005

NITRO^® Pros Rock At Bassmaster Classic

August 4, 2005-TheNITRO^® blast at the recent CITGO Bassmaster Classic held in Pittsburgh, PA, could be heard ‘round the world.
The35th edition of the Super Bowl of bass fishing started with NITRO^® bass pro Rick Clunn being named the Greatest Angler of all time. It ended with NITRO pro staffer Kevin VanDam being crowned the Classic champion. Both accomplishments left little doubt that NITRO is serious about its commitment to being the best on the water.
Clunnproved his legendary status by being selected #1 in the Greatest Angler Debate hosted by BASS and ESPN Outdoors, after months of online voting. Among his credentials are 28 consecutive Classic appearances, four Classic titles and Angler of the Year (1988).
VanDam’sClassic win is his second, and he has three Bassmaster Angler of the Year titles. But the Kalamazoo, MI, angler says the Pittsburgh win, in spite of the record low winning weight for a Classic, just might be his best ever.
Witha three-day total weight of only 12 pounds and 15 ounces, “I’m at my best in tough tournaments,” VanDam explained. “We’re obviously here at a tough fishing time of year, but it really levels the playing field. I think the conditions have made this event the best Classic ever.”
VanDamis known for being a power angler – fishing quickly and using large baits. However, he proved his versatility with this win, using lighter tackle and a slower, more deliberate presentation, with most of his 11 keepers coming on a jerkbait.
VanDamalso gave credit for the win to “lucky cookies” baked by his wife, Sherry. He said the homemade chocolate chip cookies are playing a role in his successes, and that he does eat “a couple” when needing a performance boost on the water.
VanDamwon the last two BASS Elite 50 events leading up to the Classic. He is only the second angler in BASS history to have three consecutive wins in their tournament trail. The $200,000 first-place cash prize for his Classic win elevated VanDam’s career earnings to within $35,000 of all- time BASS leading money winner Denny Brauer.
BothClunn and VanDam are longtime NITRO^® pro staffers. They have been instrumental in the development of NITRO 9- Series high-performance bass boats – demanding the perfect blend of performance and function. VanDam runs a NITRO 929 model and Clunn a 911.
Butthe two are only part of an elite NITRO^® team made up of a number of the country’s top competitive bass anglers. Fellow team members Edwin Evers, Stacey King, Greg Gutierrez and Jeff Reynolds also qualified for the prestigious Classic, with three making the last day cut to the top 25 anglers. Evers had the next highest finish of the NITRO group, 6th place, and his final day catch of 6 pounds and 2 ounces tied for the highest single day weight of the tournament. The 2005 Bassmaster Classic received unprecedented coverage on ESPN and ESPN2 this year. A total of 12 hours of programming was devoted to Classic tournament coverage July 29-31, and the outstanding performance of the NITRO anglers resulted in a considerable amount of air time for the NITRO brand.
OtherNITRO^® Team bass pros include Penny Berryman, Charlie Campbell, Woo Daves, Tommy Martin, and David Wharton.
Congratulationsto Rick Clunn, Kevin VanDam and the entire NITRO^® team for another phenomenal tournament season.