Image for Mercury pros make their REDCREST picks
April 12, 2026 • MLF • Fantasy Fishing

Need help picking your Fantasy Fishing lineup for Bass Pro Shops REDCREST Presented by Mercury & Lowrance? We sought out the expertise of four Mercury pros who are going to be on Table Rock Lake competing for the $300,000 top prize. Here’s who Ott DeFoe, Justin Cooper, Drew Gill and Wesley Strader picked for their Phoenix Fantasy Fishing Presented by 13 Fishing squads. 

Don’t forget to submit your picks by lines in at 7:45 a.m. CT on Friday, April 17.

Drew Gill

Drew Gill will make his second REDCREST appearance on Table Rock. Photo by Tyler Brinks

Flight 1: 

  • Matt Becker – He’s an exceptionally balanced angler who can both carry his weight during his one period with forward-facing sonar and keep pace without it. 
  • Keith Carson – This is purely a timing pick. Keith is well-versed in a lot of things, but I would say he’s a spawn specialist. And I think we’re going to hit the spawn pretty much on the nose. So, I think Keith is going to be a strong pick. 
  • Cole Floyd – This is one who could be really dangerous if we get some rain. When there’s wood cover in the water and we’re around that spawn, Cole is a flipping master. If the water does get up a little bit and gets some color in it, he’ll do pretty well. 
  • Justin Lucas – He has the hot hand right now. As noted previously, I think at Table Rock, there’s going to be a lot of fish caught both with and without ‘Scope. You’re going to have to do both really well. I don’t think you can win this tournament without a major ‘Scope deal, and I don’t think you can win this tournament just coasting outside of the ‘Scope deal. There’s too many fish in the lake. And in terms of people that balance it really well, Justin is on my short list of people that are A-Level with ‘Scope and A-Level without it. 
  • Spencer Shuffield – I room with Spencer (and Becker) for BPT events, and he is definitely at home with this type of lake. He’s been talking about this tournament a lot, and I think it could kick off a really strong stretch of events for him with Beaver Lake and Grand coming up right after. 

Flight 2: 

  • Dustin Connell – You gotta do it. He simply knows how to fish a tournament for the purpose of winning and not for the purpose of points, and there’s something to be said for that. 
  • Edwin Evers – Edwin is from the region, and I’m sure he’s spent a ton of days on Table Rock. He also has a very strong track record of high-profile tournament success. He’s not intimidated by the paycheck; he’s not intimidated by any level of bright light. 
  • Roger Fitzpatrick – This might feel like an atypical pick because he qualified in an atypical way (by winning the Toyota Series Championship on Grand), but he’s a local favorite and a BFL super-legend in the Ozarks area. Roger has a very, very strong track record in that region. Even though he’s more of a Lake of the Ozarks guy, I think he’ll have a good tournament. 
  • Alton Jones Jr. – One of his best times of year is right around the spawn, and he has two second-place finishes in REDCRESTs prior. Alton is very comfortable in places that have rock, wood and clean water. This should be his sweet spot. 
  • Jacob Wheeler – I don’t think I need to explain this one. 

Ott DeFoe

Ott DeFoe is picking himself for his Fantasy Fishing team. Photo by Phoenix Moore

Flight 1: 

  • Mark Davis – I’m going to go with Mark Davis for my first pick. He’s from Arkansas and has always done well on Ozark lakes in general and Table Rock in particular.
  • Takahiro Omori – Takahiro has obviously been fishing really well lately. He already won once this year at a place that we all thought ‘Scope would dominate, and he showed us that it didn’t. Maybe he can do it again. 
  • Wesley Strader – I have to go with my fellow Tennesseean. He’s always a force this time of year. 
  • Matt Becker – With a lot of clear water in Table Rock, his skill set should fit well. 
  • Keith Carson – He’s put so much time into getting better with his forward-facing sonar game as of late, and we all know how good he is if the bass are on beds. 

Flight 2: 

  • Dustin Connell – It’s REDCREST, therefore you have to pick Dustin Connell. That’s a given.
  • Jacob Wheeler – It’s a bass tournament, so you have to pick Jacob Wheeler. 
  • Drew Gill – Same reasoning applies. 
  • Zack Birge – I’m going to go with momentum here. He doesn’t seem to miss Top 10s anymore. 
  • Ott DeFoe – You have to at least have a little faith in yourself, right? If you don’t believe in yourself, nobody will. 

Justin Cooper

Justin Cooper sees the spawn playing a big role in REDCREST on Table Rock. Photo by Tyler Brinks

Flight 1: 

  • Cole Floyd – He started to open some eyes last year, but I still think Cole is one of the most underrated anglers on tour. 
  • Jake Lawrence – He’s a great all-around angler but has had a rough year so far. He is due!  
  • Micheal Neal – Michael is just ultra consistent, and he’s especially strong at fishing around the spawn.  
  • Spencer Shuffield – He’s an all-around good angler who understands these deep, clear lakes in this region. 
  • Wesley Strader – He’s coming off a good finish at Stage 4 and at REDCREST last year, and he’s one of the best when the fish are spawning.  

Flight 2: 

  • Zack Birge – He’s the hottest angler on the planet right now, and momentum is everything.
  • Drew Gill – You can never bet against him. Of course, he’s one of the best with forward-facing sonar, but he can figure out how to get bites on the bank, too.  
  • Ott DeFoe – Ott is a wacky-worm magician who understands the spawn on rocky reservoirs.
  • Alton Jones Jr. – He’s a versatile, all-around angler. Alton is great with ‘Scope, but he can also power fish shallow to a win if he needs to.  
  • Colby Miller – My boy is due for a big win. He’s great at adapting and fishing the moment, and he had a really good event on Table Rock at the Toyota Series Championship a few years ago. 

Wesley Strader

Wesley Strader will look to earn some redemption after finishing second at REDCREST last year. Photo by Phoenix Moore

Flight 1:

  • Mark Davis – He’s fished these Ozark lakes his whole life and may have more knowledge than anyone in the field about Table Rock.
  • Michael Neal – The guy just catches them no matter where we go, and he’s always good on the Ozark lakes.
  • Justin Lucas – He’s probably the most seasoned and polished angler who I’ve got to watch grow up on the FLW tour. No matter where we fish, the dude is just good.
  • Keith Carson – Let’s face it: His eyes are as good as his buddy John Cox. There’s a good chance the bass could be bedding hard at this event.
  • Matt Becker – He’s been on fire since he qualified for the BPT. He keeps an open mind and thinks really well on his feet; plus he is great at smallmouth, which could be an underrated factor at this event.

Flight 2:

  • Ott DeFoe – REDCREST might be the only tournament that he hasn’t won. He’s good at finding those off-the-wall spots, and since he has polished up his forward-facing game a bit, he could be dangerous.
  • Brent Ehrler – He is due a win. Ehrler is a master at finesse fishing as well as power fishing, and he has won at Table Rock back in the FLW days.
  • Drew Gill – Clearly, the dude only needs one period with his FFS. He has been on fire all year on both tours.
  • Zack Birge – He’s already won two events already this year. What else is there to say? Everyone knows when you have a hot hand, it’s hard to slow that down.
  • Edwin Evers – He’s already won one REDCREST, and he has a vast knowledge of Table Rock with it being the home of one of his sponsors, Bass Pro Shops. So, I’m sure he’s had plenty of trips outside of tournaments to the lake plus his years of tournament fishing there.