Across the field, crankbaits, Rat-L Traps, and an assortment of jigs seemed to own the day.
2019 Champion Ott DeFoe was in veritable lock-step with that assessment. Let’s get a closer look at some of the baits he used to bring home the big win.
The Storm Arashi Vibe
The Storm Arashi Vibe is a lipless crankbait which is able to produce vibration at slower retrieve speeds than most baits in this category.
It has a self-tuning line tie with is the component most responsible for this feature.
The sound of the bait is best described as a soft knock, due to the single rattle.
Out of the box it comes fitted with VMC hooks, which sit close to the body. This is my favorite feature of the bait, as one of my biggest complaints with lipless cranks is when the hook gets caught on your line.
DeFoe’s color of choice for the Classic was Rusty Craw but “customized” the bait extensively with Sharpie markers.
Rapala DT4
The DT is a series of crankbaits from Rapala where DT stands for “dives to” and the number describes the depth. So Ott DeFoe reached for the DT 4 which is a shallow diver.
The construction of these baits is truly beautiful, featuring balsa wood and precisely placed internal weights.
DeFoe reached for the crawdad pattern during the Classic.
The Unknown Jig
The final piece of the puzzle was an unnamed, bladed jig in chartreuse white, with an unnamed, pearl-white fluke style trailer.
It’s unclear if this is a new offering that will be one the way sometime in the future.