RACINE, Wis., January 29, 2018 – When Kevin VanDam hits Alabama’s Lake Martin in February for the kickoff of the 2018 Bassmaster Elite season, his bass boat will look a bit different than in previous years. This marks the first time that bass fishing’s leading money winner will run a Minn Kota® Ultrex trolling motor, as well as Talon® shallow-water anchors.

VanDam commented, “I appreciate all the incredible sponsors I’ve worked with throughout my career, and now I’m excited Minn Kota has asked me to join their team. The Minn Kota Ultrex and Talons are going to take my game to the next level. I’ve been benefitting from Humminbird technology for years. That, coupled with the Ultrex and Talons give me the ultimate in boat control and the flexibility to make adjustments from anywhere in the boat, thanks to the fact that they’re designed and engineered to connect and work together.”

VanDam’s prowess on the water is beyond compare, as evidenced by his seven Bassmaster Angler of the Year titles and 24 B.A.S.S. victories. Competition, however, is growing more fierce with talented Elite Series pros capitalizing on new technology like the Minn Kota Ultrex. The revolutionary trolling motor with power steering literally changed bass fishing forever when it was put into play last season. With features like Spot-Lock, and i-Pilot Link, anglers can stay on a precise spot, move in 5-foot increments with the push of a button, follow exact depth contours and much more. Ultrex basically controls boat positioning on its own, so anglers can focus on catching fish.

According to Minn Kota and Humminbird Pro-Staff Manager Tim Price, “We’re honored that Kevin decided to join our team. He’s trusted Humminbird for years, and now that he’s outfitted with an Ultrex and Talons, he’ll have boat control like he’s never experienced before.”

“Few things have impacted bass fishing like Spot-Lock has. We saw a new level of boat control on the Bassmaster Elite Series last year and the guys using Ultrex had a distinct advantage. It makes managing your boat while fishing, rigging and even culling so easy that it has literally changed the way people fish for the better,” VanDam said.

KVD’s boat will also get more control and versatility in 2018 with two Minn Kota Talon shallow-water anchors at the stern. They deploy from anywhere in the boat from a variety of wireless options and even from KVD’s Humminbird® units.

“Minn Kota, Humminbird and Talon products are designed to work together to allow the angler to concentrate on the presentation and the hookset while we take care of everything else. This year we will see what the best angler in the world can do with it, and that’s going to be really exciting,” Price says.