COLUMN : BALOG ON BASS FISHING
PHOTOS BY JOEL SHANGLE a trip to ott ’ s garage
It ’ s a happy marriage between Rapala and the master of the flat-sided crankbait
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
For more than 20 years , Joe Balog has made his living in the fishing industry on and off the water . A successful tournament angler from the Great Lakes region , Balog now lives in Florida , where he continues to work in product design , marketing and outdoor media when he ' s not chasing trophy largemouth .
O n the stage at the 2019 Bassmaster Classic in East Tennessee , winner Ott DeFoe credited the success he found in his back yard to a new Rapala crankbait . Other pros added to the hype , acknowledging the same lure as the reason for much of their catch .
Dan Quinn , Rapala ’ s Director of Field Promotions , perked up and took notice , a smile brought on by both pride and anxiety . You see , according to Quinn , the company didn ’ t have a new crankbait in 2019 . Such was the beginning of Ott ’ s Garage . By now , most hardcore bass anglers have heard of the OG (“ Ott ’ s Garage ”) Series of baits offered by Rapala . First came the OG Slim , DeFoe ’ s handmade flat-sided plug , responsible for helping him win the Bass Pro Tour event on the Harris Chain – his second win in three stage events to begin the 2021 season that propelled DeFoe high into the AOY race . It may come as a surprise to many fans to learn that the original “ Slim ” lure , used in exact specifications to mass produce the baits on the shelf today , was created , from scratch , by DeFoe . Not a single detail has been changed . “ He gave it to us on a silver platter ,” said Quinn . Normally , that ’ s extremely unusual , as most ideas coming in from the field need numerous tweaks to be produced en masse . But it ’ s par for the course when working with DeFoe .
“ He ’ s in a league of his own ,” Quinn continued . “ Every time , he hits the nail on the head . He ’ s truly gifted .”
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So where did this come from ? How is it that DeFoe can simply look at a lure ( or draw one from a vision in his head ) and produce something that catches more bass than anything on the market ?
“ I fished my first tournament when I was nine ,” DeFoe said . “ By the time I was 12 , I was all-in .”
22 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | APRIL-MAY 2022