Just like ice fishing, eh? Canadian Jeff Gustafson came to Tennessee, home of the world record smallmouth, and adopted a common ice fishing tactic to redefine how smallmouth can be caught in the South.
All captions: Craig Lamb
All captions: Craig Lamb
Photo: Seigo Saito
1 / 31
Gussy never let up, posting a wire-to-wire victory in dominating fashion, as most other anglers targeted early-season transitional largemouth at the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Tennessee River.
Photo: James Overstreet
2 / 31
For the second consecutive season, a coveted blue trophy crossed the border into Canada. Last year, it was Chris Johnston, and now Gussy. Could there be others?
Photo: James Overstreet
3 / 31
John Crews (10th; 31-5)
John Crews combined a crankbait and bladed jig to track down early-stage migration bass.
John Crews combined a crankbait and bladed jig to track down early-stage migration bass.
Photo: Shane Durrance
4 / 31
A Spro Little John crankbait was a key bait for Crews.
Photo: Andy Crawford
5 / 31
So was a 3/8-ounce Z-Man Evergreen ChatterBait Jack Hammer, with a Missile Baits Baby D Bomb trailer.
Photo: Andy Crawford
6 / 31
Brock Mosley (9th; 37-0)
Brock Mosley intercepted early-season transitional bass with a lipless crankbait.
Brock Mosley intercepted early-season transitional bass with a lipless crankbait.
Photo: Steve Bowman
7 / 31
Mosley alternated between 1/4- and 1/2-ounce Rat-L-Trap. He switched out the stock hooks with No. 4 Vector Tornado Treble Hooks.
Photo: Andy Crawford
8 / 31
Hunter Shryock (8th; 37-4)
Hunter Shryock used a crankbait and jerkbait to catch up with bass on the move.
Hunter Shryock used a crankbait and jerkbait to catch up with bass on the move.
Photo: Andy Crawford
9 / 31
A Berkley Frittside 5 was a key bait for Shryock.
Photo: Andy Crawford
10 / 31
So was a Berkley Cutter 110+ Jerkbait.
Photo: Andy Crawford
11 / 31
Greg Hackney (7th; 38-3)
Greg Hackney took the Bassmaster Elite stage during Championship Sunday for the second consecutive event. He found late-winter bass beginning to move, primarily using a bladed jig to catch them.
Greg Hackney took the Bassmaster Elite stage during Championship Sunday for the second consecutive event. He found late-winter bass beginning to move, primarily using a bladed jig to catch them.
Photo: James Overstreet
12 / 31
Top producers for Hackney were a 3/8- and 1/2-ounce Strike King Thunder Cricket, with 3.75- and 4.75-inch Strike King Rage Swimmer for trailers. A slow-rolling tactic produced strikes. He used the nickel blade version for stained water, and the white blade for clearer water.
Photo: Andy Crawford
13 / 31
Jake Whitaker (6th; 41-5)
“I’ll be the only one in Tellico today.” Jake Whitaker had it all to himself on Championship Sunday, along with a crankbait used for targeting early-stage prespawn transitional bass.
“I’ll be the only one in Tellico today.” Jake Whitaker had it all to himself on Championship Sunday, along with a crankbait used for targeting early-stage prespawn transitional bass.
Photo: Kyle Jessie
14 / 31
The Berkley Frittside 5 was the key bait for Whitaker, for prespawn staging bass.
Photo: Andy Crawford
15 / 31
Whitaker also used a Z-Man Evergreen ChatterBait Jack Hammer, with a 4.25-inch Big Bite Baits Kamikaze Swimon trailer.
Photo: Andy Crawford
16 / 31
Jason Christie (5th; 48-13)
Jason Christie combined a spinnerbait with a pair of crankbaits to find migrating bass.
Jason Christie combined a spinnerbait with a pair of crankbaits to find migrating bass.
Photo: James Overstreet
17 / 31
A 3/4-ounce BOOYAH Covert Series Spinnerbait with a 4-inch YUM Swim’n Dinger was a key bait for Christie.
Photo: Andy Crawford
18 / 31
So were a Bomber Flat A Crankbait and a Norman Speed N Crankbait.
Photo: Andy Crawford
19 / 31
Brandon Card (4th; 48-15)
Brandon Card used a jig and jerkbait to catch up with staging bass.
Brandon Card used a jig and jerkbait to catch up with staging bass.
Photo: Dalton Tumblin
20 / 31
A 5/16-ounce Advantage Baits Wild Card Finesse Jig, with a 4-inch Yamamoto Double Tail Grub, was a key bait for Card.
Photo: Andy Crawford
21 / 31
Card also used a Yo-Zuri 3DB Jerkbait 110.
Photo: Andy Crawford
22 / 31
John Cox (3rd; 52-10)
A crankbait and jig did the trick for locating bass for John Cox.
A crankbait and jig did the trick for locating bass for John Cox.
Photo: Dalton Tumblin
23 / 31
A Berkley Frittside 5 was a key bait for Cox.
Photo: Andy Crawford
24 / 31
Cox also used a 3/8-ounce Dirty Jigs Scott Canterbury Flippin’ Jig, with a 3-inch Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Meaty Chunk for a trailer.
Photo: Andy Crawford
25 / 31
Steve Kennedy (2nd; 55-15)
Staging bass were the catch for Steve Kennedy, a bladed jig and skirted jig doing the trick on the Tennessee River.
Staging bass were the catch for Steve Kennedy, a bladed jig and skirted jig doing the trick on the Tennessee River.
Photo: Dalton Tumblin
26 / 31
A 3/8-ounce Z-Man Evergreen ChatterBait Jack Hammer, with a 4-inch Yamamoto Zacko Swimbait, was a key lure for Kennedy.
Photo: Andy Crawford
27 / 31
Kennedy also used a 5/8-ounce D&L Tackle Advantage Jig with a 3.5-inch Zoom Super Chunk Jr. for a trailer.
Photo: Andy Crawford
28 / 31
Jeff Gustafson (1st; 63-0)
Gussy's lure setup proved highly effective at locating and landing Tennessee smallmouth.
Gussy's lure setup proved highly effective at locating and landing Tennessee smallmouth.
Photo: Shane Durrance
29 / 31
A 4-inch Z-Man Jerk ShadZ was the key producer for Gussy. He rigged it on a 3/8-ounce Smeltinator Swimbait Jig, designed by Bryan Gustafson (not related) and available from Lake of the Woods Sports Headquarters. Clear coated airbrush paint, 3D holographic eyes, textured gill plates and mouth and a universal ribbed bait keeper are features of the jig.
Photo: Andy Crawford
30 / 31
The rig worked magic for all four days of the derby, resulting in a sore thumb and a wire-to-wire win for Gussy.
Photo: Andy Crawford
31 / 31
