Ott Hopes to Crank his Way to REDCREST Win

Tennessee pro Ott DeFoe has proven over his career that he is one of the best anglers in the world with a crankbait and he’s used these baits to win big events, including the Bassmaster Classic in 2019. He’s an avid fan of balsa baits as well as the lipless variety and it’s no surprise that he plans to use them at this year’s REDCREST on Oklahoma’s Grand Lake. His success on the Bass Pro Tour makes him one of the favorites as this event gets started and he was willing to share his strategy as he prepares for the big tournament.

Grand Lake History

While competing on the Bassmaster Elite Series, DeFoe went to Grand Lake three times. He fished two Classics where he finished 11th and 25th and an Elite Series stop where he had a mediocre event. All of his times visiting the lake were different and none were late March like this upcoming trip.

“The Classics were cold water deals and one, the water was super muddy,” he recalled. “The fishing was tough in those, and I remember catching them on a Rapala Shad Rap because it was so tough, but the water should be a little warmer this time and we’ll be able to use more baits. The other time we went was right before the spawn with some fish spawning; this event should be in between those phases.”

While he lives in Tennessee, he says the weather pattern is similar to Oklahoma and he’s been keeping close tabs on the forecast at home and around the city of Grove, where the tournament is being held.

“East Tennessee and Oklahoma are similar climates and the last week of March here is always some of the best fishing of the year around home,” he said. “It’s a few weeks away from the spawn and the last big move of fish as they come shallow. That could lead to some great fishing during REDCREST.”

Stained Water Crankbaits

DeFoe has a reputation for running way up creeks and rivers and seeking out stained and dirty water and that’s part of his plan for REDCREST. One of his best tools for fishing these areas is crankbaits, including those part of his Rapala Ott’s Garage lineup, including the OG Slim. He also plans to mix in the Rapala DT-6.

“Grand Lake has a ton of natural rock and it’s a great crankbait lake, especially this time of year,” he said. “It has the feel of an Ozarks lake, and I like to fish those stair-step rock, channel swings, and rock transitions. There are also tons of docks on Grand Lake and a lot of them have brush around them, so I’ll be cranking those as well.”

He likes the DT-6 to show the fish a smaller profile and goes with Slim when he wants a bigger look.

“They’ll both get down to 6-feet, but that’s the upper end of Slim and it can also be fished shallower,” he said. “Slim has a bigger profile and is good when they want a larger meal and the DT-6 works great if the bite gets a little tougher.”

Lipless Baits May Play

When DeFoe won his Classic in Tennessee, the Storm Arashi Vibe lipless crankbait was one of his winning baits. He’s still throwing it and thinks it could be a factor at Grand Lake.

“I think lipless baits will be a big player,” he said. “I’ll fish the Arashi Vibe in the backs of flats and the ends of creeks. It’s a perfect bait for fishing those places that flatten out in 2 to 5-feet of water.”

Fishing Grand Under MLF Rules

All of DeFoe’s history on Grand Lake is under the traditional five-fish limit format and he’s not exactly sure how it’s going to fish under MLF rules.

“It will be interesting, especially with a two-pound minimum,” DeFoe said. “Grand is a good lake with nice fish, but I don’t know if it’s really a numbers lake and doesn’t believe we’ll see guys catching 20 or 30 bass in a day. There are some god fish in it and if someone can catch eight to 10 scoreable bass for 20 to 30 pounds, I think that’s going to be pretty good and will keep them in contention.”

Last season on the Bass Pro Tour, DeFoe scored two wins during an excellent season that saw him finish in second place in the Angler of the Year race to Jacob Wheeler. He has what it takes to win significant events and has proven that on every tour he’s been a part of under different formats. That winning mentality and the fact that REDCREST could set up for a crankbait angler has him excited about his chances to take home another big win.