Out of all the spring bass tactics, Damiki rigging isn’t the first to pop into the minds of most bass anglers. Kevin VanDam (KVD) changes that mindset in this innovation prespawn video by combining the power of forward-facing sonar with the erratic minnow-imitating action of a Damiki rig.
KVD locates staging prespawn bass pushing bait up to the surface in creek arms. Rather than casting blind, he makes precise casts to individual fish and triggers them into biting with a shad-imitating Damiki rig. MEGA Live reveals the precise distance and direction of the fish in real-time, allowing KVD to make accurate casts and presentation adjustments based on their response.
TACKLE
• SOFT JERKBAIT – Strike King 3X Baby Z-Too Soft Jerkbait, color – Blue Glimmer Pearl Belly : https://wired2.fish/StrikeKing3XBabyZ-Too
• JIG HEAD – Damiki Rig Jig Heads, 1/4-ounce, color – White: https://wired2.fish/DamikiRigJigHead
The Damiki rig is easy to see and track on live sonar and darts and dances like a jerkbait with the pop of a rod — a proven fish-triggering action in the spring. For KVD, combing MEGA Live with MEGA 360 Imaging is the ultimate in situational awareness. He uses 360 Imaging to locate key structure and cover, then scans with MEGA Live to find fish.
KVD details his jig, plastic, and full rod setup for Damiki rigging. Simply adjust your head and line size based on the depth of water you’re fishing.
FISH FINDERS
• LIVE SONAR – Humminbird MEGA Live Imaging: https://wired2.fish/HumminbirdMEGALive
• 360 SONAR – Humminbird MEGA 360: https://wired2.fish/HumminbirdMEGA360
• BOW GRAPHS – Humminbird HELIX 12 CHIRP MEGA SI+ GPS G4N: https://wired2.fish/HELIX12-MEGA-SI-G4N
• TROLLING MOTOR – Minn Kota Ultrex: https://wired2.fish/MinnKotaUltrex
• MAPPING – Humminbird LakeMaster PLUS, Great Plains V1: https://wired2.fish/LakeMasterPlus
• Hydrowave H2 Kevin VanDam Electronic Feeding Stimulator: https://wired2.fish/HydrowaveH2-KVD
• SIDE GRAPH MOUNT – T-H Marine KVD Kong Electronics Mount: https://wired2.fish/TH-KongMount
• CENTER GRAPH MOUNT – T-H Marine Kong Wave Tamer: https://wired2.fish/TH-KongWaveTamer
ROD SETUP
• ROD – Lew’s KVD IM8 Spinning Rod 7’2″ Med Lt: https://wired2.fish/LewsKVD-IM8-Spin
• REEL – Lew’s TK200 Spinning Reel: https://wired2.fish/LewsKVD-SpinReel
• LINE (braided mainline) – Bass Pro Shops XPS Hyper Braid 8 Fishing Line, 8-pound yellow: https://wired2.fish/XPS-HyperBraid8
• LINE (fluorocarbon leader) – Bass Pro Shops XPS KVD Signature Series 100% Fluorocarbon Fishing Line: https://wired2.fish/BPS-XPS-Fluoro
MISC. BOAT AND ACCESSORIES
• ENGINE – Mercury 250hp Pro XS FourStroke: https://wired2.fish/MercuryProXS
• ENGINE COVER – Mercury ProXS 200-250 4-Stroke Vented Motor Cover: https://wired2.fish/MercuryProXS-CowlCover
• TRUCK – 2022 Toyota Tundra: https://wired2.fish/ToyotaTundra2022
• T-H Marine G-Force Eliminator Prop Nut: https://wired2.fish/TH-GForcePropNut
• T-H Marine G-Force Trolling Motor Handle, color – Red: https://wired2.fish/TH-GForceTrollHandle
• SHALLOW WATER ANCHOR – Minn Kota Raptor Shallow Water Anchor, 10 ft: https://wired2.fish/MinnKotaRaptorTW
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I have the exact same
Setup fishing pole wise!! I love the pole best finesse rod I’ve owned!!!
He lost me when he started to show screens
Great video! Cool to see the GOAT catching em up with FFS! There's nobody better than KVD, he's always adapted to all the new technology and stayed at the top of the game better than anyone else! 🐐
Some of the coolest FFS footage ever produced, and it makes it even better that its the GOAT showing us how it's done!
Electronics made angling scientific.. Wonderful!🐟
Just because aluminum bats exist doesn't mean the MLB permits their use. Live sonar should be the same.
Great video. It's crazy, we've been doing this in California for years. The deep canyon faces with a nice slope going to the bottom can be a challenge. I started doing this with a hand poured bullet head weight, eventually I went to something more appealing and more effective for myself and my customers. People underestimate the power of a 3" or yes, even a 2" minnow. I had a Silverside made just for myself and my friends. We usually use 4lb fluorocarbon and back reel when we need to. It makes your butt pucker when you get a fish, but the rewards and smiles make it all worth it in the end. I'd love to have all of the tech on my boat. I just have plain ol' Lowrance. lol
Thanks very much for the info.
All that technology is so lame
What damiki jig head hook and what soft plastic was he using he didn't say
Wow great Video just ordered my Damiki rigs and checking out your line of rods now. Thanks
The Damiki rig catches fish!!!!! All you have to do is rig it with mega 360 and livescope and wam! It just catches them. 😎 It reminds me of when Mike iconelli was complaining about flogging while he had an MRI scanner hooked up to the boat. It's tough to watch these anymore. I watch them because it's kvd and he is the man but man, don't know when I'll be able to afford all that. If you don't want to get skunked and don't have 30 grand to spend on imaging, use live bait. Works every time.
Mega live looks horrible lol
Great tips video
Also Kevin I have a St. Croix 66 tournament legend series it’s about eight years old I believe and it’s Jiggin worm should I get rid of the bride and by 7 foot or will my 66 work for me or is it the discretion of the fisherman because I don’t care what the discretion is I wanna know what works right together like I have a nice 13 fission $119 spinning rod with a Shimano Sahara I believe 3500 Hagan spinning reel they work great together and I don’t like spinning rods only for finesse and drop shot should I keep my 66 Saint Croix tournament legend Jiggin worm rod or should I go for seven footer Jiggin worm Rod
I buy a lot of your tour grade stuff, I have a HDS7 with a structural scan box because of the pandemic and the fact that I have bills do you know it’s hard for Maryland to fish bass because we can’t put gas motors in the water and to pay for electric motor and all the 6 V batteries for the price of one 6 V battery is the price of one 12 V, and to be able to make it through are reservoirs using Waze you need at least a 36 V transom electric motor with a 24 V front motor had at least a 75 pound thrust now it’s nice to be able to have autumn hummingbirds live scope active target but as pro fisherman‘s certain your biggest angle be trying to help the little man get something that is maybe not as sophisticated but enough to find a fish locate temperature locate images inside scan had a decent price so someone don’t have to so I bobber out the sun or the water when pro fisherman‘s get a new boat every year with the sponsors and what I see it’s easy for people to get a friend to come help them in the MLF and the bass pro it’s a big family like NASCAR you should stick together but you’re nothing without the people that buy all your products and I’m not talking about spending $50 for spring material I’m talking about my spring material alone ran me into $490 and that’s off of Carl’s club, I just think that all you big people like you Kevin Edwin Evers Andy Blukaint and other big influential people if you really want to starve and open up a bunch of things in the industry I know they’re selling regardless but you probably have about 100,000 fishermen that can’t afford it that they’re happy enough to keep a rod that’ll last them 2 to 3 years your videos are great your tips are great but unless you have the things to get out on the water to do I think we should open up a market place for people that love best that put out money for your channels that buy nothing but your stuff with your face on it Every street King Orm has KVD on it somehow someway and your spinner baits I think you should use like a thin aluminum instead of general plastics because they tend to burn up in milt that’s from bring them through the water so much even in a water plastic gets hot and melts I mean I make very good money for a plumber I’m a master plumber but I also got a $2100 mortgage payment a month and I don’t have to tell you about bills but if you could help any of us guys figure out ways to get nice equipment at a cheaper price send me a link man cause I would love it
Always liked your videos and keeping up with your tournaments but I don't get to fish as much as I would like, I bought the first 360 and got to use it twice then the transducer burnt up and humminbird told me it was to old and they didn't work on them anymore.i don't know if the other companies have the same policy's?
Mega live😂😂😂. H-bird looks horrible compared to live scope or active target.
Great video. Thx
KVD? I think you meant G.O.A.T.
Gotta stop looking at it as cheating and more so as efficiency. Live sonar takes the guess work out of determining if that oval is actually a fish and if it’s feeding, therefore saving you a lot of time. In my case, I’m fishing from a kayak and don’t have the speed to dart across lake. It takes me an hour to cruise 1 circle around a 250acre lake. Livescope is just 1 more tool to help me from getting skunked on one of the highest pressured lakes in Southern California.
Kvd having mega live &360 is equivalent to the cheat code in contra up up down down left right left right select start 😆 🤣 I'm sure the fish like damn bro I have no chance
As nice as having live is I struggle to accept it for the big tourneys. At some point we MUST limit the pro anglers during tourneys. We as fans wanna see the best fisherman win not the one with best sponsors and the most electronics.
How about a few videos where the pros aren't using live sonar! For the ppl who can't afford that expensive stuff
That's great tools to help fishing 🎣 I can see how that will help anyone with there fishing 🎣 thanks for sharing 👍
The GOAT!
Mega live sucks so hard compared to livescope.
KVD on my home lake!!! Wow!!
Thx for the video. The tech troubles me. Perhaps not this wave or even this species, but at some point it will negatively impact our fisheries. I see no guard rails. No one with the power has any incentive to make sure we advance wisely. This is not directed a KVD. Hate being a bummer and I hope I'm wrong.
Awesome vid Kev , thx
I don't know what I would do if I had all those toys on the old Bass Buggy. I thought I was doing good when I put sidescan and down imaging, lol.
Is this even fishing anymore?? With all that fish finder technology?
anyone seen A better ON SCREEN video showing the benefits of live sonar? THOSE SHOTS ARE INSANE
Great video. Love to have all this technology on the old tracker!!
great vide on on how to use these baits and electronics..thanks
Very cool vid..HEY HONEY ILL BE RIGHT BACK I GOTTA RUN TO BASS PRO REAL QUICK! 😆
Love the Damiki rig…keep one tied to a G Loomis IMX MagBass 6'6" Heavy baitcaster…great sensitivity for deep fishing.