The Hunt for Monster Bass – Season 4

Opening this season of The Hunt for Monster Bass, pro fishing champion Ott DeFoe explores the expansive Florida Everglades looking for trophy Largemouth. The everglades comprise 1.5 million acres of biodiverse, unkept swampland across the south coast. Though unfamiliar territory to our host, these waters have a real chance of producing a personal best, so Ott begins in the narrow canal formations nestled between the vegetation where Bass are known to hunt. After being plagued by an invasive exotic species running rampant in the area, Ott’s morning of fishing has left him with more questions than answers, so he decides to jump in the truck and explore. After a genius change of tackle, something big hits a spinnerbait between the Lily pads.

Summertime in the south is less than ideal for Bass fishing, but Ott DeFoe’s cranking surface baits for Largemouth on the Tennessee River in this episode. While the lakes remain dormant, the oxygenated water and snags along the banks of Ott’s home river can produce monsters. After a quick catch boosts his confidence, the Bassmaster Classic champion explains his tactics, tackle and philosophy for approaching warm river conditions. While experimenting with buzz baits in the foggy margins, a huge blow-up proves the effectiveness of topwater fishing.

Ott Defoe’s back in Florida for this episode of The Hunt for Monster Bass, chasing stories of giants on a secret lake. After hearing whispers of an 18-pound Largemouth in an overgrown water in the back country, the crew know there’s a chance of a record. Ott moves through the sticks, pads and fallen trees experimenting with poppers and bladed jigs, but after some initial success, the action fades. When a local offers up their private lake nearby, the chance of a giant is realised.

Ott DeFoe returns to the Florida Everglades to catch a personal best Largemouth Bass. There’s unfinished business since his struggle in episode one, but with a new arsenal of information and experience at his disposal, the first half on the day is another story. When the bites on the usually reliable spinnerbaits disappear, Ott experiments with something called a carolina rig the lure a giant, a unique approach used by the best pros. It proves more than effective…

Professional angler Ott DeFoe gets upstaged by his son in this episode of The Hunt for Monster Bass, fishing for Largemouth and Smallmouth on the Tennessee River. Back in their hometown of Blaine, Tennessee, the duo traverses low summer ripples looking for pockets of deeper water. Despite a gap in experience, it’s 9-year-old Parker DeFoe that upstages his Bassmaster champion father, as baby Smallmouth and Catfish turn into an impressive haul for the rookie.

Everything’s bigger in Texas! In this jumbo instalment, Ott DeFoe visits two of the state’s best lakes to catch an enormous Largemouth Bass. Nationally recognised as a breeding ground for trophy fish, we first explore the 2000 acres of Lake Hubbbard. Strong winds have pushed bait into the shelter of a concrete road bridge, so Ott gets some big hits casting umbrella baits between the pillars. Over on Lake Whitney, recent storms have coloured the water, blinding the fish as they attempt to bulk up for the winter. In a hidden clear bay in the upper limits of the lake, Ott finds himself hooked into a true monster bass.

While most anglers hide away in wintertime, champion angler Ott DeFoe sees an opportunity to hunt for monster Bass. As the fog rolls over Tennessee’s Lake Chickamauga and the line freezes up in the rod rings, the huge fish hunt confidently in the open water. Ott discusses the misconception of winter fishing and demonstrates the controversial Alabama rig, a multi-bait system banned in competition for its effectiveness. It’s not long before he’s hooked into a Largemouth of freakish proportions.

Ott DeFoe fishes the Florida wetlands for trophy Largemouth with worm baits in this episode of The Hunt for Monster Bass. There’s a dense fog clinging to the water and the fish are nowhere to be seen. It’s spawning season, hardly the ideal time to be fishing, but our champion host has some tricks up his sleeve. Using wacky worms and creature baits, Ott uses his special philosophy of aggravating fish that aren’t feeding. As the fish get bigger and bigger, a truly memorable Bass emerges from the vegetation.

Pro anglers Ott DeFoe and Kelly Jordon have a cross country competition on a hunt for monster Bass in Florida and Texas. Lake Fork in Texas is known among avid anglers as the Jurassic Park of Bass fishing, home to a special strain of giants averaging close to 5 pounds! Kelly employs crank baits close to the snags, until he notices a fish on his echosounder bigger than anything he’s caught. Over in Florida, Ott’s found a likely spot, but the fog is thick and the water’s coloured. Exploring the grasslands, he explains his use of bright, bladed baits and why they single out the biggest fish in the lake.

This finale episode of The Hunt for Monster Bass looks at Ott DeFoe’s best catches of season four. From the rivers of Tennessee to the Everglades of Florida, we see the variety of baits and philosophies he employed to handle different conditions on the greatest waters in America, leading to some unforgettable catches.