Arthur F. DeFoe, aka Ott DeFoe, is a famous American angler primarily from Knoxville, Tennessee. Ott, who began his fishing career in 1994, has achieved significant success and fame. He has also accumulated enormous fortune and wealth to his name.
One cannot doubt that Ott is one of the successful anglers of his time. Talking about his personal life, he shares a blissful marital life and is a proud father of three beautiful children. Now, let's learn more about Ott DeFoe's biography and professional life.
Andy Morgan Biography - 3X FLW Angler of the Year
Early Life, Family, And Education
Ott DeFoe was born on September 17, 1985. He was born to the mother, Erieka DeFoe, and the father, Bud DeFoe. Ott's dad was in the air force, and he used to take him fishing. They have fished together several times, and his dad also accompanies him to different contests and events. Ott DeFoe's dad also owned a company named Tennessee Guardrail Inc.
Well, Ott is the second child of his parents. He grew up with his elder brother, Sunny DeFoe, and parents in Knoxville, Tennessee. Ott's brother is 5 years older than him, and they used to spend their childhood days fishing, hanging around, and skipping rocks in several spots like the upper end of Fort Loudon Lake.
Ott Defoe is the youngest child of his parents, Erieka DeFoe and Bud DeFoe. Image Source: Ott DeFoe Instagram.
Ott's parents raised their sons with great love and care. They had a great childhood and are doing great for themselves.
Speaking of the angler's education, he attended the Jeff County High School.
Ott DeFoe Net Worth And Career
While growing up, Ott used to watch "The Bassmasters" on television. At the age of nine, his family went to the Bassmaster Classic, and one month later, they took a trip to Lake Okeechobee. His parents hired a guide, and there he caught a bunch of big ol' bass, and his love for bass fishing began right there. In the Fall of 1994, Ott fished his first tournament with his dad, but they did not catch a fish. Since then, they have fished in several tournaments. He has also fished alone in more than dozens of tournaments and events.
After fishing at local tournaments for over two years, Ott and his dad got their first-ever check. However, his first real paying job was his profession as a truck driver. He also worked as a local pickup and delivery guy. At the age of 12, he joined the East Tennessee Bass Anglers club. He then competed in the FLW Tour and even qualified for different FLW Cups. He has gained huge wealth from the tournaments that he has competed in. Thus, Ott DeFoe's net worth might be in the millions. As stated earlier, he has accumulated such a huge fortune through the tournament money, endorsement and sponsorship deals, and YouTube.
As a professional angler, Ott probably earns $43,922 yearly as an average salary. He has competed in a total of 104 tournaments and has career winnings of over $2 million. Moreover, here are some of the contests that he has participated in and the total money that he earned.
| Tournaments | Place | Cash Winnings | Merchandise Bonus | Cash Bonus | Total Money |
| 2019 GEICO Bassmaster Classic | 1 | $300,000 | $0 | $2,500 | $302,500 |
| 2018 Bass Pro Shops Eastern Open #4 | 1 | $5,845 | $45,000 | $0 |
$50,845 |
| 2017 Bass Pro Shops Northern Open #3 | 1 | $5,291 | $45,000 | $250 | $50,541 |
| 2016 Plano Bassmaster Elite at the Mississippi River | 1 | $100,000 | $0 | $2,000 | $102,000 |
| 2015 Toyota Angler of the Year Championship | 7 | $0 | $0 | $13,000 | $13,000 |
| 2014 Bass Pro Shops Northern Open #1 | 1 | $8,021 | $40,000 | $250 | $48,271 |
| 2013 Elite Series Evan Williams Bourbon Showdown | 3 | $20,000 | $0 | $0 | $20,000 |
| 2012 Elite Series Ramada Championship | 5 | $14,000 | $0 | $50,000 | $64,000 |
| 2011 Elite Series - Evan Williams Bourbon All- Star Championship | 1 | $100,000 | $0 | $1,000 | $101,000 |
| 2010 Southern Open #2 | 6 | $8,182.86 | $0 | $0 | $8,182.86 |
Therefore, Ott DeFoe's fortune might have risen significantly over the years. He is still very dedicated to his career, so there's no doubt that his wealth will increase in the future. He has won several tournaments and championships in his career. He also gained fame as the 2020 MLF Bass Pro Tour Champion, 2019 Bassmaster Classic Champion, The Hunt of Monster Bass, and many others.
Besides being a professional angler, Ott is also a YouTuber. He has a channel named OttDeFoe with 19.3K subscribers. Defoe's monthly and yearly estimated earnings are $61 to $975 and $731 to $11.7K, respectively. His YouTube earnings have also contributed significantly to his fortune. The channel that he started on September 10, 2013, consists the videos mainly about fishing.
As stated earlier, DeFoe has gained immense fame as a professional angler. His exemplary fishing skills, numerous tournament wins, and popularity that he has gained helped him receive several sponsorships and endorsement deals. His sponsors are Bass Pro Shops, Nitro Boats, XPS, Mossy Oak, VMC, T-H Marine, Dowco Marine, and many others. Similarly, in February 2020, RAILBLAZA announced its official sponsorship of him. Likewise, he has also signed an official endorsement of Lithium Pros, the technology leader in lithium-ion batteries.
All thanks to Ott DeFoe's million dollars, he is able to live a comfortable and lavish lifestyle. During the 2019 GEICO Bassmaster Classic, he used a boat, NITRO Z21. He has also used several other boats in his profession and seems to be living the best life.
Underwent Heart Surgery
In June 2019, Ott underwent a major procedure for a heart condition. His condition involves a torn mitral valve, which controls blood flow between the ventricle and left atrium of the heart. It results in the buildup of fluid in his lungs, shortness of breath, exhaustion, and chronic cough. He first felt the symptoms after gaining the victory in the Bassmaster Classic the third week of March 2019. He had experienced shortness of breath and feelings of tiredness and exhaustion during the Bass Pro Tour Stage Three in Raleigh, North Carolina.
After experiencing such symptoms, DeFoe got checked out and was diagnosed with bronchitis. In June, he got checked out, and an echocardiogram showed a tear in his mitral valve. The same month, he underwent surgery. He returned to competitive fishing after resting for four weeks in July 2019. As of now, he's of sound health and is doing great for himself.
Wife And Kids
As we've already mentioned before, Ott DeFoe shares a blissful marital life with Jennie DeFoe. The lovely pair exchanged the vows on August 7, 2004. The lovebirds met in the year 2002 while they were still in high school and went on several dates together. 2 years after dating, they exchanged vows in the Asbury United Methodist Church, and about 110 people attended the wedding ceremony. The lovely pair of Ott and Jennie got married almost right out of high school.
As of 2021, it's been 17 years since the DeFoe couple walked down the aisle, and their marriage is still going strong. Ott does not shy away to share his love and respect for his spouse via his Instagram. As Jennie's Instagram is private, we can assume that she might also do the same.
Ott DeFoe resides in Blaine, Tennesse with his wife and three children. Image Source: Ott DeFoe Instagram.
The adorable pair of Jennie and Ott are proud parents of three children. They have two daughters and a son, and among them, their younger children are twins. Ott DeFoe's wife, Jennie, gave birth to their eldest child, a daughter named Abbie DeFoe, in June 2007. Furthermore, in June 2011, the couple welcomed twins, a daughter named Elizabeth DeFoe, and a son named Parker DeFoe. Their parents are raising them with great love and care.
Ott DeFoe's wife and children are living their best life and are doing great for themselves. They currently reside in Blaine, Tennessee, and all of them share their interest in hunting and go fishing together.
Trivia
- Ott has 120K and 25.9K followers on Instagram and Twitter, respectively.
- His other hobbies are spending time with family and river fishing.
