Jeff Gustafson has finally breathed a sigh of relief. The fifth keeper smallmouth that he caught about 8:30 this morning, one that barely met the legal limit of 18 inches, has been replaced by a 19-incher. It was a 3-pounder he caught at 11:05.
Gustafson caught several that measured 17 7/8ths inches before that. One of those smallies painted a picture of exactly why Gustafson has been successful this week. As he fought it to the boat, the bass spit a 4-inch gizzard shad from its mouth.
Gustafson explained that what he’s doing this week is something he’s been doing on smallmouth lakes in Canada for years. This is the first time he’s been able to use the technique successfully in an Elite Series tournament. He’s imitating the gizzard shad these smallmouth are feeding on with a 4-inch Z-Man Jerk ShadZ on a homemade jighead.