The Shoe-In

This week, we welcome the annual REDCREST tournament – MLF’s championship event – awarding $300,000 and a lifetime of accolades to the winner. Fifty of the biggest names in bass fishing will compete, all with potential to take the prize.

Heavyweight anglers have won this event in the past. Names like Connell, Lane, Evers and Thrift fill the slots. Younger, less established pros have challenged, but none have broken through to date. Will this year be a first?

Who will win REDCREST?

That’s a tough question, but it’s one I’m willing to take a crack at. You see, the equation is solvable. The answer is there in plain sight.

Let’s look at the anglers with the best shot and pick a winner.

Michael Neal
Neal is one of the best REDCREST performers of all time, but still without a win. His record includes four Top-10 finishes in five starts, and Neal is no stranger to the winner’s circle. An incredible performer at all levels, Neal has won Angler of the Year titles as well as regular season events. A structure-fishing specialist, Neal’s greatest asset is his unshakable resolve. He’ll be near the top.

Chris Lane
Lane is already a world-champion angler and always cranks it up for big events. Long ago, he moved to Lake Guntersville to cut down on drive time and fish multiple patterns year-round. His move may really pay off this week. Lane is no stranger to a multitude of techniques but excels around the spawn. His timing couldn’t be better.

Zack Birge
Birge is another anger who looks great on paper. In four REDCREST events, he’s never been out of the Top 20, and he's racked up three Top-10s. Birge’s performance at Heavy Hitters has been nearly as impressive. An Oklahoman with a knack for shallow water, Birge may offer a winning blend of offshore and shoreline techniques, something that will be necessary for the win due to MLF sonar rules.

Ott DeFoe
I always pick Ott DeFoe. For any MLF event, be it regular season, Team Series, REDCREST; DeFoe just seems to click. He fishes to win but has fun doing it, something incredibly important in a pressure-cooker tournament like this one. Guntersville will offer plenty of options. If shoreline, traditional bass fishing can compete, DeFoe will be near the top. This will likely depend on the weather, and a possible wild card from Mother Nature. If the rain gear comes out, watch the "Otter."

Drew Gill
Too hot not to pick. Momentum is everything in tournament bass fishing, and Gill is full of it. His major disadvantage: lack of championship experience. It would be a minor miracle if a young, unestablished pro could ever win REDCREST, especially given the current format that rewards multiple approaches. But Gill has proven he can mingle with the hitters.

Wheeler and Sprague
I put them together because it’s unbelievable neither have won REDCREST to date. We all know Wheeler is the best performer, the best closer and the coolest cucumber in the game. Sprague remains underrated, with a track record better than 90 percent of the league. Either could easily win at any time, and both will, eventually.

Nick Lebrun
One of the good guys of the sport and a solid performer. LeBrun has won at Guntersville before. He’s a traditional, chunk-and-wind kind of guy, so historic, big-fish fisheries play to his strength. LeBrun won’t run out of water, giving him the potential to capitalize on a fresh school of fish the final day. That’s a plan that will be necessary to win on this lake. LeBrun won’t get rattled, either, trusting his confidence and faith to push him past any obstacle. Watch out, now.

All of these guys have a great chance of winning. In my opinion, however, they’re all fishing for second place. What? Because the winner of REDCREST 2025 will be:

Alton Jones Jr.
Of course! Junior’s been so close! While he’s already known as the king of Heavy Hitters, many fans don’t know that Alton has finished second at REDCREST each of the last two years. Sure, that makes him an obvious choice, but Junior’s prowess makes him dangerous. He simply gets in the mix more than most.

He’s collected over $100,000 in tournament earnings each of the last four years. His skill set matches an event where multiple patterns will be present, along with the need for numerous approaches. The Joneses are hammers around the spawn; don’t give this kid the opportunity to look at the bass. Even more, the family tradition of calculation and event longevity will be formulated before the first cast is made.

AJ Jr. is the real deal – ask any of his competitors. The season and forum matches his skill set. Junior has worked his whole life for this, and he’s ready.

There you have it – bet the farm. I’m rarely wrong with these things. See you at the show!

(Joe Balog is the often-outspoken owner of Millennium Promotions, Inc., an agency operating in the fishing and hunting industries. A former Bassmaster Open and EverStart Championship winner, he's best known for his big-water innovations and hardcore fishing style. He's a popular seminar speaker, product designer and author, and is considered one of the most influential smallmouth fishermen of modern times.)

---