KISS, an acronym for "keep it simple, stupid!", is a design principle first noted by the U.S. Navy in 1960. First seen partly in American English by at least 1938, the KISS principle states that most systems work best if they are kept simple, rather than made complicated. Therefore, simplicity should be a key goal in design, and unnecessary complexity should be avoided.
Pro angler Ott DeFoe of Blaine, TN, seems to have learned that principle well in nearly 30 years of fishing bass tournaments. However, he doesn't claim credit for the success he has enjoyed, instead opting to give God all the glory. "His divine intervention has been the key," said DeFoe.
Here's a man who tries not to think about tomorrow until tomorrow arrives. He also doesn't think about yesterday, because that day already has passed, and that means he can't do anything about it. Similarly, he only thinks about the next bass he hopes to catch when he's fishing.
"After I catch that bass and put it in the boat, I generally don't think about it either, instead concentrating on catching the next bass. In the four days of a Bassmaster tournament, I likewise try to fish one day at a time, fish for only one bass at a time, and make the most of every day I have to fish," said DeFoe.
When fishing a tournament, this pro usually doesn't start using a new technique or lure, or listening to what other contestants are telling him that they believe are the best patterns and the most productive lures to use on a given day.
Of course, I know a few other fellas...one in particular...who chooses to blow off dock talk, too. As a matter of fact, saw this "one other fella in particular" come up with his own idea just this past weekend, without any fanfare, and then prove, right before my very eyes, that it would work...extremely well, I might add. And from my subsequent Internet research, it appears that few, if any, other anglers must have tried this idea, because I could not find one documented case anywhere during my research.
As Ott DeFoe explained, "I just try to fish like I know how to fish. "For me, that's the nuts-and-bolts and meat-and-potatoes kind of bass fishing. If I have a bad first day of fishing a tournament, I may venture off the path.
"I fish a spinnerbait, a jig and a crankbait. I use lures that my grandpa taught me to fish with years ago. That doesn't mean I won't fish new lures," he continued. "One lure that was really hot for me one year was the Spy Bait, a fairly new lure at the time and a new technique for bass fishing. I mix new lures into my fishing as I feel I need to," he explained, "but basically, I fish to my strengths and use the lures and the techniques with which I feel I'm the best"...in other words, those that brought him to the dance.
For those who may not have familiarized themselves with the Spy Bait, it's a minnow-type hard bait with no lip that sinks, and the body resembles a jerkbait. It uses a very subtle finesse technique. It has a prop on the front and rear and looks much like a Devil's Horse topwater lure.
Noted DeFoe, "I'll cast this bait out and let it fall to the depth where I think fish are holding. Then I'll slowly reel it back to the boat. As I retrieve the bait, it will rock back and forth under the water."
The first year he used it, the bait was extremely effective on many of the smallmouth lakes he fished. However, it's also effective on largemouth and spotted bass.
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