Efficient use of time is of the utmost importance when fishing bass tournaments, as mere seconds and ounces can make the difference between a win or a loss. When fishing in these high-stakes tournaments, anglers like Ott DeFoe put their tackle through the wringer.  

While out on the water, professionals need to know they can depend on the line and tackle they rigged up the night before to get the job done. 

Major League Fishing angler and Railblaza pro staffer Ott DeFoe is no stranger to fishing up shallow in tournaments and pushing his line and tackle to the limits. A damaged leader or line can cause many issues, like a five-pounder breaking off or snapping off above the boat deck, causing a two-minute penalty per Major League Fishing rules.

Due to this, Ott DeFoe runs six RAILBLAZA Spooling Stations on his boat to re-spool after a day of fishing and often during a tournament day. 

“I can spool however many reels I need. It’s super easy to use and change the spool over, and it is so versatile, like everything in the RAILBLAZA range. You can mount the Spooling Station in a StarPort, in a track system, or hard mount it like I have in my Nitro hatch lid and in the garage,” he says. 

When discussing the Spooling Station’s versatility, DeFoe says, “If I break off a leader, it’s right there on the bass boat”. This minimizes the time spent re-spool on the water and maximizes the time Ott can cover water and bring in fish.

As he did all season, Ott DeFoe made exceptional use of his time in Stage 7 at Saginaw Bay. He fished shallow all stage, fishing through fallen timber and vegetation all tournament.  He finished sixth in the event, qualifying him for the 2024 REDCREST tour championship and giving him a solid third-place finish in Bass Pro Tour Angler of the Year.