Kevin VanDam is arguably the best angler to ever pick up a fishing rod. So, it stands to reason that his signature series rod — the one he picks up every time he’s on the water now — would be worth checking out. His new Lew’s KVD Elite Series lineup of rods launched at ICAST 2025, and it includes 19 casting, spinning and cranking rods in total. The Elite Series is a step above VanDam’s previous KVD IM8 rod series, which launched a few years ago and is now being phased out to make way for the new rods. Let’s look at what’s new with the KVD Elite line of rods.
First Impressions
The first thing I noticed about the KVD Elite is the paint job; this one has more of a hot-rod cherry red look to it, as opposed to the maroon of the IM8 rods. Outside of that, not much caught my eye at first in comparison to the previous model rod. A lot of the same quality features are back for this one, including the large exposed section of rod blank in the reel seat, the EVA foam grips and the same style of open hook keeper we saw on the prior lineup. But, there are a few other upgrades that became noticeable once I dug deeper. First though, let’s talk about how the rod performed on the water.
Specs
- Length: 7 foot
- Power: Medium-Heavy
- Action: Fast
- Line Rating: 10- to 30-lb
- Lure Weight: 1/4- to 2-oz
On the Water
I actually got my hands on the 7-foot medium heavy/fast KVD Elite (Lew’s dubs this the “All-Purpose Reaction” model; number LKVDEGC4) a few weeks prior to its official release at ICAST. I was eager to get out on the water and test this rod and a few other pieces of gear that were launching at the show, so I paired it up with KVD’s new casting reel and launched the boat.
I’ll admit I overloaded the rod a bit on one of my first few outings. I was wanting to test the Savage Gear 3D Line-Thru Bluegill swimbait as well, and the KVD rod was the only thing on the deck with 17-pound fluoro on it. So, I tied on the 3.5-ounce beast of a bait and went to lobbing it around. Although I wouldn’t recommend throwing something this heavy on the 7-footer (Lew’s suggests up to 2 ounce bait for this one) I was very impressed with how it handled the load.
After chucking the 6-inch bluegill around for a few hours off and on, I was getting pretty discouraged about catching anything on it. But then I saw a good one swirl on my bait out of the corner of my eye. I was coming over top of a brush pile in about 7 feet of water. As the rod loaded up and the fish hooked itself, an all-out battle ensued with a bass close to 5 pounds.
Now we could see what the rod could really do. The bass came toward the boat fairly quickly, with only one somersault along the way, but then it really started digging at the boat. I just let the rod flex, bend, and give as the fish wore itself down, then I laid out and lipped her. Just like that, we had a picture fish in the boat.
Digging Deeper
With so much the same between the KVD Elites and the prior IM8s, what’s actually different? Well, again, the most notable thing is the color. But digging deeper, you find that these rods have longer handle lengths, zirconia inserts for the stainless steel guide frames and FOCAS technology, which are the three key upgrades worth noting.
The longer handle lengths I prefer right away. It’s been a while now since I tested the IM8 Series, but I remember that being my one gripe. The handles on those rods seemed to be an inch or so shorter than a lot of other rods. The new Elite rods have a more standard rod handle length.
Then there’s the zirconia inserts in the stainless steel guide frames. These have become really popular the last few years and kind of an industry standard on quality bass rods. The stainless steel frames and zirconia guides are both extremely durable, especially for their weight. So you can expect these guides to hold up to heavy abuse from braided lines and be resistant to wear and tear from extracurricular activities, like poking a hung-up bait loose.
Lastly, we have the FOCAS technology. Lew’s says FOCAS technology employs a multi-layered graphite blank production process, which delivers 75 percent greater tip strength and overall blank durability while preserving superior sensitivity. This is a little more of a technical improvement that was made under the hood. Keeping the base IM8 blank, Lew’s added the FOCAS technology to the tip section of the rod to increase tip strength by 75 percent. In doing so, the tip also became more sensitive.
Final Thoughts
I liked fishing with the prior model of the KVD rod, with the one caveat of the short handle. That rod retails at $109.99, which I believe to be a fair price for the quality of the rod. The new and improved KVD Elite comes in at $129.99. Considering the chaos of tariffs and inflation the last few years, as well as the upgrades, that’s still a solid price point for the quality of this rod and its upgrades.
The KVD Elite feels great in hand; it’s sensitive and durable, and it comes stamped with the seal of approval of the GOAT. I’ve fished with a lot of Kevin’s stuff over the years and worked with him a decent amount. Even though his name might be on a lot of stuff, he doesn’t just let manufacturers put KVD on anything. He works hard to fine tune products with the engineers that build them and great fishing gear is the result for the vast majority of the time. Such is the case with the KVD Elite Casting Rod.
