Many of us consider Ott DeFoe to be the odds-on favorite. He has likely fished here more than anyone else in the field and will sleep in his own bed.
He said that any local knowledge may hurt him at first, leading him to places where there are no fish, but once he dials things in his history here will benefit him. He will be able to run other similar areas and expand as the event goes on.
He expects the fishery to “fish big” because it is pattern-oriented rather than spot-oriented. He expects that the winner will catch three to seven of his fifteen bass from a single area. Otherwise, it will be running and gunning.