Bassmaster Elite Series pro Ott DeFoe got the monkey off his back by finally winning a major tournament on his home waters.
The Knoxville, Tenn. resident clinched his first victory at Douglas Lake by catching the biggest limit of the tournament – a 24-01 bag – to finish with a three-day total weight of 62-05 at the first Northern Open of 2014. This was the fifth major tournament – four Bassmaster events and a PAA tourney — that DeFoe has fished on his home lake.
Moving farther up the lake each day, DeFoe hit the jackpot on Saturday by catching 37 bass from his spots on the upper reaches of Douglas.
“It was really all about changing,” he said. “I caught all of my fish deep the first day, and I caught them off of a couple of different places primarily cranking a Rapala DT16 crankbait in Caribbean shad. I also caught some on a Terminator football jig.”
On Friday, DeFoe went to the same places, but when he couldn’t get bit there, he moved farther up the lake and eventually caught another heavy limit.
“I changed a little bit again today and fished some different areas,” he said. “Then we got into one place, and we just hammered them.”
Full details of his winning pattern will be published soon.
Fellow Elite Series pro David Mullins finished in the runner-up spot again on his home waters with 52-11. The Mount Carmel, Tenn. angler also took second place in the Bass Pro Shops Southern Open held on Douglas Lake in April 2013. Mullins also went up the river for two days to get away from the crowds on the lower end of the lake.
Here are the final totals for the Top 12:
1. Ott DeFoe: 62-05
2. David Mullins: 52-11
3. Derrick Snavely: 50-09
4. Luke Clausen: 48-13
5. Brent Ehrler: 48-12
6. Michael Neal: 48-00
7. David Walker: 47-08
8. Ricky Shepherd: 47-04
9. Jacob Wheeler: 47-03
10. Todd Schmitz: 42-13
11. Dewayne Wilson: 42-11
12. Craig Workman: 35-06
