DeFoe Advances to Championship Round at Say Rayburn; Strader Makes Big Move with Big Fish
JASPER, Texas – The first round of cuts were made in the Toro Stage One Presented by Power-Pole on Sam Rayburn Reservoir. The day began with 40 anglers in Group A aiming to move into the top 20 before day’s end. After a sunny, relatively calm day in east Texas, the top 20 pros are moving on to the Knockout Round—or Championship Round in round-winner Ott DeFoe’s case—where they will meet the advancing anglers from Group B on Thursday.
DeFoe Gets It Done
DeFoe finished with a two-day total of 25 bass for 59 pounds, 11 ounces. The Tennessee pro edged out second-place angler Dustin Connell by 9-8. The 2021 Heritage Cup Champion began his second day of competition in fourth place on SCORETRACKER® but knew he had a good shot at winning the round if he could get off to a hot start. Nine bass for 20-2 helped that cause.
“I got off to a really good start to begin the morning, so that really helped me out,” DeFoe said. “Then, after a slow Period 2, I found some new fish in Period 3 that allowed me to pull away from Dustin and get the round win.”
DeFoe is fishing in an area he’s had all to himself while fishing in Group A over his first two days, and that’s a good sign according to him. As he moves straight to the Championship Round, he believes that the two days off are more of an advantage for him than a hindrance.
“I’m really thankful to go straight to the Championship Round because it gives my fish time to regroup,” DeFoe explained. “With the way that I’m fishing, it’s nice that I’m not going to have to beat up on them again and I’ll give them some time to rest. I’ll come back to them on Friday and hopefully it’s enough to get me a win.”
Strader Jumps Up SCORETRACKER®
Wesley Strader began the round in 20th place and needed to make something happen to avoid elimination. The Tennessee switched up his game plan Tuesday morning, which proved to be the right decision.
“Instead of running all the way up the lake, I stuck to a place I found in practice where the fish were chasing bait,” Strader said. “The fish were biting really well first thing this morning. I had a big swimbait tied on and I was targeting laydowns. I think that’s just a morning sort of deal, so I’ll need to find some other things come Thursday if I want to advance.”
Strader caught six bass for 28-15, including an 8-9 and a 6-0 for his two biggest fish of the day to finish in fourth place. The Powell Rods pro says that the way he’s fishing is the main reason for catching those two big fish.
“It seems like those big fish are targeting laydowns to stage in,” Strader said. “I’m not around grass, really. It’s all about the laydowns for these fish I’m catching. If I get some more wind and a little bit of luck, I’m going to be feeling really good for Thursday.”
Looking Ahead
Group B takes on Sam Rayburn on Wednesday. The top 19 finishes will advance out of the group to join 19 pros from Group A in the Knockout Round on Thursday. Cloudy skies and temperatures in the 70s are expected in the area on Wednesday.
Daily Leaders
- The Berkley Big Bass of the day goes to Cliff Pace with an 8-11.
- Ott DeFoe caught the most bass for the most weight with 14 bass for 34-4.
How, When, Where to Watch
Watch all three periods of competition during the MLF NOW! live stream beginning at 7:45 a.m CST on Wednesday. Watch for FREE on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MLF app, or the MyOutdoorTV app.