Strike King® Kevin Vandam Pro Model Spinnerbait

Target Species: Largemouth Bass
Also Good For: Northern Pike, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye

The last spinnerbait we reviewed from Strike King left us very unimpressed quite frankly. In our review of the lure we were kind. It caught fish, but literally fell apart upon use.

Overall we are big believers in Strike King lures, especially their Red Eye Shad series. So, of course we were going to give them another shot at the spinnerbait category. For our second review, we chose the Cadillac of their spinnerbait line — the Strike King Kevin Vandam Pro Series model in Sexy Shad.

First Impressions

Whoa baby! Total different lure than the one we fished previously! The quality construction and craftsmanship of the KVD Pro Model is immediately apparent. To begin with the lure has heft. Not bulky, but incredibly well balanced. The weighted head is not only well detailed, but almost has a sculpted quality versus the typical "cast" look. The KVD Pro Model comes armed with a trailer hook and bi-length skirt that is molded into a one piece collar effectively eliminating skirt band issues — our major beef with the Premier Pro Junior model we reviewed last year.

Fishing the Lure

I pulled the Strike King KVD Pro Model out of the Plano® primarily because I had to replace my beloved Booyah™ Bassinator spinnerbait which I lost a couple weeks ago when I snapped a line on the cast. (I always keep one rod/reel set up with a spinnerbait tied on.) First thing to do is set the line up with minimum 8# mono. This lure has weight and was meant to be thrown far. Go with lightweight line, and you'll be throwing your money away...literally. On the cast this lure glides true and can be placed with incredible accuracy with a little practice. For our review, I used the double willow blade combo and found the action to be outstanding.

Fishing the Kevin Vandam Pro Model spinnerbait right out of the package for the first time, I landed six largemouth bass in the span of about 75 minutes.

Two were throw backs; the other four weighed in over 10 pounds for a 2½ lb. average. Not bad for just an hour with a brand new lure. I found the lure to be extremely effective and all I had to do was move down the shore 20 yards after every catch to land another. I was having a great time with the KVD Pro spinnerbait until I caught my 6th fish and the trailer hook barely clipped one of the gills causing bleeding. After contemplating the seriousness of the injury, and whether or not I was looking at dinner vs. a clean release, I released the fish based on his energy and my gut feeling. I felt so bad, I stayed in the area for close to 2 hours to make sure he didn't go belly up. He didn't. I've since removed all my trailer hooks and vow never to use them again unless dinner is my goal.

Review Summary

I love spinnerbaits all times of the year, but especially high and late summer. The Kevin Vandam Pro Series model from Strike King just might be the most well constructed spinnerbait I've every thrown. I caught fish immediately (3rd cast) and continued landing them on an average of just 12 mins apart as long as I kept going. The quality of construction, durability and craftsmanship of this lure set it apart and I'd recommend it to anyone looking to see what a REAL pro model spinnerbait feels like or just looking to add to their spinnerbait collection. The KVD Pro Spinnerbait is worth the coin and has a permanent spot in the tackle box — just please consider removing the trailer hook.