VanDam won the Angler of the Year competition for the fourth time in 2008 and the fifth time in 2009. That made him just the second angler to win it back to back since 1990. In 2009 he won $200,000 in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year race, compared to $75,000 for second place Skeet Reese. He had four Top 10 finishes, including two wins, and the lowest he finished was 45th.
Over the past three years VanDam has had 11 Top Ten finishes and four wins. He hs missed being in the money in only one tournament out of the past 27 he fished from 2007 through 2009.
In his career VanDam has been in the Bassmasters Classic 19 times and won it twice. He has been in the money 181 times and his total winnings are $3,658,476.30. He has 16 first place finishes, 11 second place and 16 third place finishes in 221 tournaments.
VanDam won the Bassmasters Classic in 2001 and again in 2005.
On the FLW Tour, VanDam was Angler of the Year in 2001. He also won the first Elite 50 Championship. In 2002 he was named the first outdoor Sportsman of the Year by ESPN.
No other angler can match VanDam's record this decade.
Van Dam started out this new decade like he ended the old one. Winning the Bassmasters Classic for the third time, in February, 2010, shows what a fantastic fishermen he is.
