5 favorites with Gustafson

Canadian standout Jeff âGussyâ Gustafson earned his first Bassmaster Elite Series trophy in late February when he won the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite on the Tennessee River.

Gustafson is a proven smallmouth master who bases his arsenal on years of experience and countless catches. Here are his top bait picks for smallmouth fishing.

<b>1)</b> A Smeltinator Jig with a 4-inch Z-Man scented JerkshadZ accounts for much of Gustafsonâs smallmouth effort, especially for moping and Damiki rig techniques. He likes the Z-Man ElaZtech material not only for its durability, but also for the buoyancy, which helps keep his bait in a natural horizontal posture.

1) A Smeltinator Jig with a 4-inch Z-Man scented JerkshadZ accounts for much of Gustafsonâs smallmouth effort, especially for moping and Damiki rig techniques. He likes the Z-Man ElaZtech material not only for its durability, but also for the buoyancy, which helps keep his bait in a natural horizontal posture.

Noting the importance of a horizontal presentation, Gustafson said he frequently checks his knot to make sure itâs positioned at the top of the Smeltinatorâs line tie. If the knot slips back or forward, it will mar the presentation.

<b>2)</b> Summertime finds Gustafson fishing a lot of shallow water for smallies and the Bagley Sunny B crankbaitâs 6- to 8-foot range offers the ideal bite-size meal. This baitâs efficiency has largely replaced shallow jerkbaiting for Gustafson.

2) Summertime finds Gustafson fishing a lot of shallow water for smallies and the Bagley Sunny B crankbaitâs 6- to 8-foot range offers the ideal bite-size meal. This baitâs efficiency has largely replaced shallow jerkbaiting for Gustafson.

For dependable durability, Gustafson retrofits his crankbaits with ultra-sharp Gamakatsu medium heavy G Finesse trebles. With this premium hardware, heâs confident he can catch multiple fish without any worry of flexing.

<b>3)</b> In Gustafsonâs view, a walking topwater is mandatory equipment for smallmouth fishing. His preference is a 3 1/2-inch, 1/2-ounce Bagley Knocker B 09.

3) In Gustafsonâs view, a walking topwater is mandatory equipment for smallmouth fishing. His preference is a 3 1/2-inch, 1/2-ounce Bagley Knocker B 09.

Gustafson likes feathered trebles on all of his topwaters, and he ensures he has plenty of options by tying homemade versions in several sizes and colors.

<b>4)</b> A 4-inch Z-Man Hula StickZ has become Gustafsonâs go-to bait for smallmouth, as he can fish this subtle fringe-tailed plastic in a Ned or a tube style presentation. Gustafson fishes this bait on a 7-4 G.Loomis IMX Pro rod, which was designed for the Ned rig presentation.

4) A 4-inch Z-Man Hula StickZ has become Gustafsonâs go-to bait for smallmouth, as he can fish this subtle fringe-tailed plastic in a Ned or a tube style presentation. Gustafson fishes this bait on a 7-4 G.Loomis IMX Pro rod, which was designed for the Ned rig presentation.

For the ultimate balance of stealth, strength and strike detection, Gustafson presents his Hula StickZ on high-visibility PowerPro braided line with a Seaguar AbrasX fluorocarbon leader.

<b>5)</b> Gustafson considers the marabou jig one of the deadliest baits for northern waters. He makes his own and finds that peeling the spines off his marabou feathers yields a fluffier skirt.

5) Gustafson considers the marabou jig one of the deadliest baits for northern waters. He makes his own and finds that peeling the spines off his marabou feathers yields a fluffier skirt.

Making multiple sizes of his own homemade version, he stores them in Ziploc bags marked with weights. To visually sort his baits on the fly, he accents his dark marabou skirts with accent colors matched to each size.