MINOCQUA, Wis. (Major League Fishing) — The defending champions were at it again during Day 2 of the Knighten Industries Heritage Cup Presented by Bass Boat Technologies on Monday. Team BUBBA – Bass Pro Tour standouts Ott DeFoe and Andy Montgomery – looked every bit like the duo that hoisted the Heritage Cup trophy in Neenah, Wisconsin, last season, cruising through Elimination Match 2 to end the competition day with 56 pounds, 1 ounce of scorable bass.
After winning all three of their competition days at the Heritage Cup a year ago, DeFoe and Montgomery’s steady performance on Minocqua Lake did not earn them the top spot on SCORETRACKER®. Still, they sent a clear message that they remain the team to beat at the second event of the 2025 Fishing Clash Team Series.
Meanwhile, the real drama came down to who would join Team BUBBA in the Knockout Round. Several times during the final period, Matt Becker and Spencer Shuffield of Team Knighten Industries pulled within a bass or two of catching Drew Gill and Marshall Robinson of Team Star Tron, but they could never quite get over the hump.
Robinson came through in the clutch, boating seven scorable bass for 14 pounds during the final period. Combined with Gill’s consistency, that pushed their total to 41-7, edging Becker and Shuffield by a mere 2-4. Becker and Shuffield put together a furious rally, catching four bass in the final 7 minutes from a stretch of offshore milfoil, but they ran out of time.
Team Knighten Industries was eliminated along with Cole Floyd and Nick Hatfield of Team Kubota, whose day never quite came together. After an early attempt in the grass fizzled, they shifted to docks but struggled to generate consistent bites, finishing in fourth with 20-11.
Docks produce again for DeFoe, Montgomery
It didn’t take long for DeFoe and Montgomery to pick up where they left off last year. They made a beeline for a stretch of boat docks – the cover they exploited during their Championship Round win at the 2024 Heritage Cup – and piled on four scorable bass for 7-4 within 11 minutes of lines in.
“That’s got to be the least stressful day of fishing I’ve ever had on the Team Series,” DeFoe said. “We got in a good area right away, caught them on the docks, and really just settled in. After that, we spent most of the last period practicing and looking for more water, which is always important in this format.”
Montgomery echoed the comfort of fishing to their strengths.
“We only caught one scorable bass after we left that first stretch, but it didn’t matter,” Montgomery said. “That spot was everything. If we had to pick one thing to do when we came up here, it was exactly this – fishing boat docks with a wacky worm and a jig.
“Ott’s throwing his Bass Pro Shops Wacky Stik-O, and I’m skipping a Strike King jig with a Strike King Rage Bug. It’s a one-two punch that works.”
DeFoe expounded on the winning setup, which allowed both anglers to fish a confidence bait.
“That’s just a deadly combination for us,” he said. “I can skip that Wacky Stik-O way up under a dock, and Andy can hit every angle with his jig. Between the two of us, we’re efficient and we cover water. When you get in the right area and they’re biting, it just works.”
Team BUBBA will look to keep their winning streak rolling when they return to the water on Wednesday for Knockout Match 1.
“We’ve won with this formula before, and it gives us confidence moving forward,” DeFoe added. “Now, it’s about finding the next good stretch and keeping the momentum rolling.”
Major League Fishing: Catch it LIVE on RFD-TV
Four new teams will compete on Tuesday, with the final two Knockout Round berths up for grabs in the final Elimination Match. Watch all the action through Sept. 19 live on the RFD-TV Now livestream from 10 AM - 5 PM ET each day, or at MajorLeagueFishing.com. RFD-TV will also air the final period of each competition day LIVE on TV from 3-5 PM ET.
STREAM LIVE: HERITAGE CUP, DAY 3
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