DeFoe’s lucky number 13

Ott DeFoe fell one ounce short of the Top 12 cut-weight yesterday – for the third time this year. Technically, DeFoe finished 14th with 28-0, an ounce shy of Brandon Palaniuk and Bobby Lane, who tied for 12th with 28-1. Palaniuk’s biggest bag of 12-3, caught yesterday, broke the tie in his favor.

But DeFoe wasn’t complaining. If you’re going to miss a cut by an ounce on the Elite Series, Day 3 is the day to do it. You get a $10,000 check, some excellent Toyota AOY points, and an early start on the drive home.

So DeFoe gladly accepted his check and headed to the house. But it’s starting to feel kind of spooky. In only five Elite Series events this year, DeFoe has finished 13th, basically, three times. He was 13th at Lake Martin in the first event of the season and again at Kentucky Lake in the third event of the season – both times missing the Top 12 cut by an ounce.

In the other two events – at Oklahoma’s Grand Lake and Texas’ Lake Travis – DeFoe missed the Day 2/Top 50 cut. DeFoe’s No. 1 goal this season is to qualify for the Bassmaster Classic, which will be held in his home state of Tennessee next year – in Knoxville.

So guess where DeFoe is currently ranked in Toyota AOY points? Why, 13th, of course.