It’s way too early to talk Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year points, although five events remain on the schedule.
But the move by Ott DeFoe into fourth place (according to BASSTrakk) is significant for more reasons than the hard numbers of the AOY points. DeFoe currently ranks 12th in AOY points, but here is what is most important to the native east Tennessean.
The 2019 Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods will play out in DeFoe’s hometown of Knoxville. The Classic will be held on Fort Loudoun and Tellico lakes, and the Tennessee and Holston rivers. The Holston flows past his house, although that stretch is off limits.
“Making the Classic this year is more important than ever for me,” he told me last April just before the Classic announcement. “There will be a lot of pressure for me to make it, that is for sure.”