Fresh off a Bassmaster Elite Series win at Cayuga Lake, New York – his second victory of the year – the Kalamazoo, Mich., superstar claimed an early lead in a unique, head-to-head bracket tourney on New York’s upper Niagara River that is being live-streamed on Bassmaster.com.

Unlike traditional Elite Series events, an official on each boat immediately weighs the fish and releases it. VanDam, who is matched against Bassmaster Elite Series rookie Drew Benton, ended the morning 3-hour session with a 10-pound, 4-ounce limit, the heaviest of the day. The other morning pairing featured Jacob Powroznik against Koby Kreiger. The afternoon matches were Brett Hite vs. Keith Combs and Jordan Lee vs. Dean Rojas. On the line for this four-day derby is a $50,000 purse and an all-important guaranteed berth in the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro.