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Brown Wins $2400 in ABA Georgia Season Opener on Lake Lanier

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Brown Wins $2400 in ABA Georgia Season Opener on Lake Lanier

ATHENS, Al. –Jackson Brown won the 2021 Bass Pro Shops Open Series Georgia Division tournament, held February 20th on Lake Lanier.  Running out of Laurel Park in Gainesville, GA the Bogart, GA angler caught five bass weighing 14.07 pounds. For the Boater Division victory, Brown took home a check for $2400 for his win.

“I caught my fish on a shakey-head mid-lake. It was a good morning bite but slowed down later in the day. I was fishing rock 15ft deep.” Brown said.

In second for the boaters, Jay Carter of Warner Robins, GA landed four bass going 14.01 pounds.

“I caught my three of my fish on a chatter-bait and one on a crankbait. I had a few that came off on the crankbait. I stayed in the dirtiest water that I could find in the back of creeks.” Carter said.

Matthew O’Connell of Brooks, GA took third for the boaters with five bass going 13.97 pounds.

“I caught my fish today above Browns Bridge throwing a Ned-rig and an Alabama rig. I caught my fish between 5ft and 40ft deep. Many of the fish were suspended. I caught around 15 keepers.” O’Connell said.

The big bass for the boaters was caught by Carter Koza of Marietta, GA that weighed 6.17 pounds.

“I caught that big bass on a jig under a shallow dock around 1:00pm today.” Koza said.

Finishing fourth, Tyler Campbell of Martin, GA landed a five-bass limit for 13.74 pounds. Chandler Ray of Bainbridge, GA rounded out the top five boaters with five bass at 13.44 pounds.

In the Co-Angler Division, Colton Sowash of Gainesville, GA won with three bass going 9.02 pounds. He pocketed a check for $700 for his win.

“I caught my fish up the river cranking pretty shallow. The water was stained, and I only caught four fish today.” Sowash said.

Taking second for the co-anglers, Carlos Howard of Athens, GA brought in a three bass weighing 7.03 pounds.

“I caught on a green pumpkin shakey-head in clear water.” Howard said.

Joseph Shastay of Chester, NJ placed third among the co-anglers with two bass going 6.34 pounds that also included a 4.37-pound big bass for the co-anglers

“I caught my fish on a swimbait on a spinning rod with 6lb test line. The big bass came before 11:00am in 20ft deep water on a swimbait. I made a long cast and counted it down.” Shastay said.

In fourth place among the co-anglers, Harold Driver of Powder Springs, GA brought in two bass for 5.49 pounds. Keith Minnihan of Stockbridge, GA finished in fifth place with two bass for 4.54 pounds.

Slated for March 13th, 2021 the next tournament will be held on Lake Seminole out of Reynolds Landing (Big Jim’s) in Donalsonville, GA. At the end of the season, the best anglers from across the nation advance the 2022 Ray Scott Championship to be held at Lake Eufaula in April, 2022.

For more information on this tournament, call Billy Benedetti, tournament manager, at 256-230-5632 or ABA at 256-232-0406. On line, see www.americanbassanglers.com

About the American Bass Anglers – American Bass Anglers is committed to providing low cost, close to home tournaments for the weekend angler while offering an upward path for individual angler progression.  For more information about American Bass Anglers and all their bass tournament trails visit www.americanbassanglers.com.

American Bass Anglers is sponsored by: Bass Pro Shops, Triton Boats, Nitro Boats, Tracker Boats, Mercury Marine, MotorGuide, Monster Energy Drinks, Garmin, T-H Marine, Abu Garcia, Berkley, Engel Coolers, REKS Sunglasses and Power-Pole.

Craig McFadden & Mike Watson Win CATT Santee Cooper, SC Feb 27, 2021

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Craig McFadden & Mike Watson Win CATT Santee Cooper, SC Feb 27, 2021

Next Santee Cooper CATT is this Saturday March 6th and we will launch from Blacks Camp!

Craig McFadden & Mike Watson brought in 5 bass weighing 24.43 lbs and the 2nd BF at 6.94 lbs! They claimed 1st Place worth $1,834.00!

Chris Crawford & Mike King took 2nd with 24.32 lbs!

Steven Walker & Charles Right with 2.17 lbs! 3rd Place

Bunn Tyson & Thad Driggers 4th with 21.16 lbs and the 1st BF at 7.92 lbs!

Mike Watson – Craig McFadden 6.94 24.43 $1,834.00 110
Mike King – Chris Crawford 6.20 24.32 $610.00 109
Steven Walker – Charles Right 5.95 22.17 $325.00 108
Bunn Tyson – Thad Driggers 7.92 21.16 $416.00 107
Bryan Cook – Steve Harmon 6.40 17.85 $160.00 106
Rodney Jordon – Brent Waynick 0.00 17.10 105
Wendell Causey – Brandon Jeffcoat 6.40 15.52 104
Nelson Walker – Mark Brice 5.41 15.29 103
Jason Morse – Zeke Lynum 0.00 14.72 102
Ronnie Mills – Trip Mills 5.41 13.97 101
Robert Clarke 0.00 13.38 100
Will Timmons – Bennett Lawshe 0.00 11.52 99
Dave Murdock – Steve Borton 4.31 9.31 98
Mack Cook – Patrick Cook 5.41 8.68 97
Horace Scott Sr – Cooper Scott 0.00 8.63 96
Mario Colangelo – Reid Colangelo 5.87 8.11 95
Max Terry – Jamie Glascock 0.00 7.71 94
Brian Scott – Brad Beatson 4.45 4.45 93
Mac Altman – Randall Miller 0.00 0.00 83
Justin Cromer – Austin Cromer 0.00 0.00 83
Jamie Partee – Donnie McCord 0.00 0.00 83
Tim Richardson 0.00 0.00 83
Horace Scott Jr – Gordon Owens 0.00 0.00 83
Johnny Buck – Todd Olds 0.00 0.00 83
Daniel Howell 0.00 0.00 83
Garrett Brown 0.00 0.00 83
Landen Rose 0.00 0.00 83
Danny Lowery – Avia Lowery 0.00 0.00 83
Total Entrys $3,360.00
BONUS $ $500.00
Total Paid At Ramp $3,345.00
Santee Cooper 2021 Spring Final Fund $385.00
2021 CATT Championship Fund $80.00
2021 Santee Cooper Spring Final  Total $1,390.00
2021 CATT Championship Fund Total $960.00

ElaZtech® Baits Elevate Gussy to First Bassmaster Elite Series Win 

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ElaZtech® Baits Elevate Gussy to First Bassmaster Elite Series Win 

ElaZtech® Baits Elevate Gussy to First Bassmaster Elite Series Win 

Naturally buoyant Z-Man® Jerk ShadZ™ adorn Jeff “Gussy” Gustafson’s rods throughout 4-day Tennessee River tourney

Ladson, SC (March 3, 2021) – This wasn’t Gussy’s first rodeo. But going in to the final day of prefishing for the 2021 Bassmaster Elite tournament on the Tennessee River, prospects of cashing any kind of paycheck felt pretty bleak. Following two brutally-tough practice days, however, everything would flip in his favor when the Z-Man pro discovered a spot that played right into his hands—and one of his favorite smallmouth tricks from back home.

Looming large in his game-winning plan: Current, brown bass and versatile ElaZtech® soft plastics.

On championship Sunday, Ontario, Canada’s Jeff Gustafson would weigh his twentieth smallmouth bass—more bronze than all other competitors combined—toward 63-pounds and a decisive 7-pound advantage over his next closest competitor. An impressive model of consistency throughout the four-day bass derby, Gustafson caught every smallmouth bass on a singular potent presentation—a 4-inch Z-Man Scented Jerk ShadZ (Bad Shad pattern) on a 3/8-ounce 90-degree jighead. Although he boated up to 30 smallmouth bass each day, Gustafson was only allowed to weigh specimens exceeding 18-inches in his 5-bass daily limit.

Employing a subtle, vertical jigging maneuver known as ‘moping’—or Damiki rigging— Gussy followed the descent of his jig and soft minnow bait on his 2D sonar screen, watching smallmouths track and ultimately wolf down the morsel, one to three feet above bottom.

Gussy’s three tournament-winning Scented Jerk ShadZ patterns.

“I’ve fished a ton of different minnow profile baits for this presentation, but a lot of us—including most of my friends back home—use the Z-Man ElaZtech stuff and specifically, the Jerk ShadZ,” asserted Gussy, who pocketed a $100,000 check. “The buoyant nature of ElaZtech baits allow them to perform perfectly in a lot of presentations like this. For this technique, the bait’s flotation is key because it hovers and presents itself in a totally natural, horizontal baitfish posture.”

Standing on stage, cradling the big blue Bassmaster trophy, the easygoing Gussy reflected on a career, well on its way to legendary status. “I’ve got a lot of friends back in Canada who are as good at fishing, maybe better, as I am,” he conceded. “But I’ve had some lucky breaks that have led to this, and let me live the dream.”

Modesty aside, Gustafson’s been one of the best smallmouth anglers in North America for several decades. Following several close calls on the Bassmaster Elite series, including a 2nd place finish at the 2019 Cayuga Lake event, Gustafson’s Tennessee River win marked his first Elite victory—only the second time a Canadian angler has won on the big stage.

It was, however, far from his first taste of tournament triumph. Beginning two decades ago, Gustafson sparked an incredible run of bass tourney triumphs, winning the ultra-competitive, 130-boat Kenora Bass International in 2000 and 2008. He also claimed first place at the 2005, 2010, 2011, 2017 and 2018 International Falls Bass Championship and won the Fort Francis Canadian Bass Championship in 2013 and 2014.

Z-Man president Daniel Nussbaum recalls his first day in the boat with Gustafson. “Had the good fortune to meet and fish with Gussy five years ago in Canada, and I knew that day he was someone who belonged on the Z-Man team,” says Nussbaum. “Yeah, he’s one of the nicest, most genuine dudes I’ve met, but he also completely ‘gets it’ in terms of recognizing and relying on the benefits of our ElaZtech material.”

Driving back home to celebrate with friends and family, flashing the friendly grin that’s endeared the Keewatin, Ontario angler to fans across the continent, Gussy reflected on his game-winning pattern. “Actually drove by my spot in prefishing a few times before fishing there. It was a canal area connecting Tellico and Fort Loudoun lakes—a 35 mile run from the weigh-in. My friend Clent Davis told me he’d had several bass come up in there and look at his swimbait. So, I motored through the canal and marked a lot of rock and cement chunks and quite a bit of bait and just felt there had to be some bass in there.

“One of my first drops, the Jerk ShadZ went whap! and I caught a 17-incher. Started hooking bass pretty regularly and would see other fish on the screen. Probably caught 20 to 30 smallmouths each day here, and some of them were the bigger ones.”

Jeff “Gussy” Gustafson with the Z-Man Jerk ShadZ that helped him capture the 2021 Bassmaster Elite Series win at the Tennessee River—and the battle scars to prove it. (Photo courtesy of B.A.S.S. / Andy Crawford)

Describing the technique he’s used successfully many times before, Gustafson paid tribute to his friend and mentor, the late Ron Lindner. “Ron came up with the term moping, after his sons James and Bill won the Canadian Bass Championships with this technique, hanging a fluke-style bait on a jighead, vertical cat-and-mouse fishing for bass around deep structure. It’s become a popular technique down here on the Tennessee River, but on Lake of the Woods and Rainy in Canada, it’s been a predominant smallmouth technique from midsummer through fall.

“I’ve been dying to put this pattern together on one of these Tennessee River fisheries since 2012,” he admitted. “I actually didn’t expect to do it here. Had a miserable practice. Caught like three keeper largemouths the first two days, but found that spot on the afternoon of the third day of practice, and it was game-on.”

Gustafson noted that properly presenting his jig and ElaZtech bait wasn’t a mere matter of dropping it to the bottom. “You couldn’t just spot-lock over the fish. If you did this, the current would sweep the jig way under the boat before it hit 18 to 20 feet. With cold, fast-moving 45-degree water, you had to stay one-hundred percent vertical and in constant contact with the bait. I was doing controlled drifts of .8 to .9 mph, keeping the bait directly below the transducer beam.

(Photo courtesy of B.A.S.S. / Seigo Saito)

“You’d lift the Jerk ShadZ up over the rock and drop it back into the holes. The smallmouths were lying right on the backsides of these current breaks. Sometimes, the fish would come right up and smoke it. Other times, I’d have to shake, lift or give the bait a little twitch. Honestly, all the time I’ve spent ice fishing, watching fish react to baits on a flasher, paid off.”

Gustafson noted several small details that played big. “A 90-degree angle jighead matches these buoyant ElaZtech baits. Keeping the knot positioned on the jig so your line hangs perfectly straight keeps everything aligned.

“The Jerk ShadZ’ buoyant nature elevates the tail up so it hangs naturally horizontal. That’s huge. With most other plastics, you hang it down there and the tail sags and sits more vertical, which doesn’t look right to the bass. The ElaZtech material also helped slightly float the bait above snags and stay in the bass’ line of sight.

“You should see my thumb right now,” he laughed. “Absolutely torn up and raw with bass battle scars. Wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“It’s pretty amazing,” continues Nussbaum. “We were just talking a few weeks back how we believed Gussy would win one this year. To see him win the very next tournament with all smallmouth while fishing his way is one of the coolest things I’ve seen in bass fishing. We couldn’t be more thrilled for Gussy and for Z-Man to be part of his success.”

Falcon Rods Back As Bassmaster Opens Angler Of The Year Sponsor

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Falcon Rods Back As Bassmaster Opens Angler Of The Year Sponsor

Bryan New of Belmont, N.C., won the 2020 Falcon Rods Bassmaster Opens Angler of the Year title and claimed an Elite Series win at the season-opening 2021 AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River. 

Photo by James Overstreet/B.A.S.S.

March 3, 2020

Falcon Rods Back As Bassmaster Opens Angler Of The Year Sponsor

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Falcon Rods, which has designed and built specialty rods since 1990, will serve as the title sponsor of the Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens Angler of the Year Award for 2021, B.A.S.S. announced today.

The Falcon Rods Bassmaster Opens Angler of the Year title will award a $10,000 prize to the overall points winner in the pro division. The top co-angler will have entry fees into the Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens division of their choice fully paid for — a value of approximately $5,400.

“The 2020 Bassmaster Opens were among the most competitive we’ve ever seen, with the Angler of the Year title coming down to the very last event,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin. “We are thrilled to have Falcon Rods join us in recognizing the best of the best in both the pro and co-angler divisions. The anglers who came out of last year’s Opens to join the Elite Series have proven that they can compete at the highest level.”

Bryan New of Belmont, N.C., nabbed the 2020 Falcon Rods Bassmaster Opens Angler of the Year title by a single point and has enjoyed a fast start to his Elite Series career, winning the season-opening AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River.

This year’s Opens circuit will include three divisions — Southern, Central and Northern — with three events in each. All nine tournament winners will earn an automatic berth to the 2022 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk if they fish all events in their division. Additionally, the Top 3 finishers from each division’s points standings will receive an invitation to fish the 2022 Bassmaster Elite Series, as will the Top 3 from the overall standings accumulated in all three divisions.

“We’re thrilled to continue our partnership with B.A.S.S. and support of the Opens Angler of the Year again this year,” said Chris Beckwith, Falcon Rods Vice President of Marketing. “As we saw last year, not only are the Bassmaster Opens top-notch competition but this series is home to the top pros of the future.”

The 2021 Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens kick off this week with the first Southern Open event on Florida’s renowned Harris Chain of Lakes, March 4-6.

Breaking Bass Cast Tournament News by Brian Carter

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Breaking Bass Cast Tournament News by Brian Carter

We have made a few changes this year that will make the 2021 season go a lot smoother.

March Lower Roanoke River / Albermarle Sound Fishing Report by Capt. Scooter Lilley

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March Lower Roanoke River / Albermarle Sound Fishing Report by Capt. Scooter Lilley

CWW Inshore Charters – Lower Roanoke River / Albermarle sound – Capt. Scooter Lilley

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Striped Bass update:
Good news! The Striper bite has heated up the last few days and look for it to get even better! The water temp jumped up to the low 50’s and put the herring and Shad on the move. Close behind them the striped suits are following. We’ve been doing well the last couple of days on Zman swim baits winding the baits over stumps in 3 to 10 ft of water. This early spring technique has put some big fish in the boat up to 30 in. on light bass tackle that’s a fun catch! If your looking to get out on the water for a fun day of Striper fishing give me a call 252-799-9536. Thanks again! Hope to see you on the water!

Covercraft Expands Sponsorship with Major League Fishing

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Covercraft Expands Sponsorship with Major League Fishing

Leading Brand Manufacturer of Vehicle Protection Products Named Title Sponsor of Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Stop 2 – Lewis Smith Lake

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TULSA, Okla. (March 2, 2021) – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today that Covercraft has signed on as the title sponsor of the 2021 MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Covercraft Stop 2 – Lewis Smith Lake , March 11-14, in Cullman, Alabama. The Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit is professional bass fishing’s premier five-fish-limit tournament series, showcasing a field of 163 of the top bass anglers in the world competing for up to $135,000 at each regular-season tournament and up to $235,000 at the Tackle Warehouse TITLE, the Pro Circuit championship.

“We are thrilled to have Covercraft on board for our second Pro Circuit event on Smith Lake,” said Jim Wilburn, MLF president and CEO. “An active lifestyle is a must in our industry, and Covercraft goes above and beyond to protect the products that matter most to our anglers and our fans. We are looking forward to another fantastic event and to our continued relationship with Covercraft.”

In its 26th season of professional competition and the second year since its acquisition by MLF, the 2021 MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit will feature 154 two-hour airings on network television, in a run that includes 24 airings on Outdoor Channel and 130 airings on Sportsman Channel, for a total of 308 hours of programming.

“Collaborating with MLF again in 2021 makes complete sense for Covercraft because our audiences are perfectly aligned,” said Jeff Jegelewicz, Director of Marketing at Covercraft. “MLF fans are passionate about the sport and their lifestyles, and they rely on our products to protect the things that move them – their cars, trucks, boats and RVs all benefit from the products we make.”

Since 1965, Covercraft has had a vision of being the most sought-after source for customers seeking to protect their investments, hobbies, adventures and memories. Covercraft products typically associated with MLF anglers and fans include custom-fitted products for pickup trucks like SeatSaver™ seat covers, DashMat® dash covers and UVS100® Custom Sunscreens.

“In addition to the standard vehicle products, Covercraft manufactures a full line of marine and RV covers and accessories through our Carver and ADCO brands, respectively,” said Jegelewicz. “We’re excited about these lines and are looking forward to introducing MLF fans to our marine and RV products in the near future.”

The Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers, Covercraft Stop 2 – Lewis Smith Lake event will feature live on-the-water coverage and a two-hour action-packed television show that will premiere on the Outdoor Channel on Sunday, July 18 from 7 to 9 a.m. ET and re-air on the Sportsman Channel this fall. Weigh-ins will be streamed daily and fans can catch live on-the-water action all day Saturday and Sunday, March 13-14 on MLF NOW! at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

For more information about MLF, their tournaments and sponsors, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. To learn more about Covercraft, visit Covercraft.com .

About Covercraft
Covercraft Industries, LLC is the leading branded manufacturer of automotive, marine and recreational vehicle protection products, as well as a market leader in outdoor protection products for home and garden. Covercraft’s product offerings include full vehicle covers, seat covers, front end masks, dashboard covers, window sunscreens, patio furniture, and outdoor kitchen covers, and other products that preserve and protect. The company focuses on custom-fit products with an unequaled, massive library of patterns for distinct automotive and outdoor protection products. Covercraft’s mission is to design and manufacture quality products that protect the things that move people, along with a goal of being the most sought-after source for customers seeking to protect their investments, hobbies, adventures and memories. Covercraft expects to accomplish this by embracing its core values of integrity, excellence, teamwork, innovation and maintaining its focus on customer satisfaction.

The Covercraft family includes market-leading brands beyond the iconic car cover, including ADCO, Carver, Colgan, Comfy Sheep, DashMat, GT Covers, Marathon Seat Covers, Precision Fit, and PCI. Founded in Southern California in 1965, Covercraft is headquartered in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, with manufacturing facilities in Oklahoma, California, Colorado, Montana, South Carolina, Texas and Mexico.

About Major League Fishing
Founded in 2011, Major League Fishing (MLF) brings the high-intensity sport of competitive bass fishing into America’s living rooms on Outdoor Channel, Discovery, CBS, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network, Sportsman Channel and on-demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). According to Nielsen ratings, Major League Fishing remains the number one series on Outdoor Channel for five years and MLF premiered as the number one outdoor show in their time slot on Discovery in 2019.

In 2019 MLF acquired FLW, which expands their portfolio to include the world’s largest grassroots-fishing organization, including the strongest five-biggest-fish format professional bass fishing tour, the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers, as well as the MLF Toyota Series, MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine, MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI, and MLF High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing.

 

Northland and Bagley Pro, Jeff “Gussy” Gustafson, Sweeps Bassmaster Elite 

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Northland and Bagley Pro, Jeff “Gussy” Gustafson, Sweeps Bassmaster Elite 

Northland and Bagley Pro, Jeff “Gussy” Gustafson, Sweeps Bassmaster Elite 

Elite bass angler Jeff “Gussy” Gustafson goes wire-to-wire on the Tennessee River

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BEMIDJI, Minn. (March 2, 2021) – It was a spectacular showing by Northland Fishing Tackle and Bagley pro, Jeff “Gussy” Gustafson, who went wire-to-wire to win the 2021 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite on the Tennessee River in Knoxville, Tennessee with 63 pounds. Gustafson caught a limit of smallmouth all four days of the event, something no one else accomplished. Winning by just over seven pounds, it was the first career Bassmaster Elite Series victory for the Keewatin, Ontario native. Gustafson took home a big blue trophy and $100,000 for the win.

But the tournament didn’t begin with wine and roses. Gustafson admits practice was tough for him, largely relying on watching a video from when the Classic was held on the Tennessee River a couple years prior.

“The only info I had was watching the TV show from the Classic a couple years ago when Ott DeFoe won. That was mostly shallow cranking. So I showed up with an arsenal of crankbaits and that’s how I expected to catch the fish. I caught three keeper largemouths the first day of practice, fished dark to dark, and the second day I never caught a keeper all day. The third day I decided I had to try something different and I found some smallmouths. I caught a couple, marked a couple, but didn’t really realize what was there and how good it would be.”

Photo by Seigo Saito, courtesy of Bassmaster

Fishing the canal between Tellico Lake and Fort Loudoun Reservoir, a nearly 40 mile run from take-off, Gustafson found just the right amount of current and hard bottom to hold quality smallmouths in relatively deeper 18- to 20-foot zones.

“It was lights out—way better than I thought it would be. There were more fish than I would of thought and there were some big smallmouths, too. My attitude was maybe I’ll be able to catch a keeper smallmouth. I was really hoping to catch two or three bass a day and survive the tournament. That’s how I went into it. So it was really incredible how it worked out,” remarks Gustafson.

“I pulled up on Day 1 into the canal between Tellico and Fort Loudoun. There’s a fair amount of current in there so I was working controlled drifts over a hard rock bottom the fish were using as a current break. It all worked out that first day, and I got a limit fairly quickly,” says Gustafson.

“The only unfortunate thing is with all the live coverage within an hour there were twenty spectator boats watching. They didn’t fish and didn’t really bother me but I kind of wanted to expand on what I found. So there were all of these boats around and a couple of our tournament guys drove by and everything gave the impression that something was definitely happening. It was caused too much chaos and attention so I ended up largemouth fishing for the rest of the day and caught one two-and-a-half pounder. Moving eliminated the thought of me leading that canal for the rest of the event so I’d have it all to myself.”

Over the next three days Gustafson figured out the best smallmouth bit was early in morning and he caught fish from the get-go of his arrival each day. “Getting there early, I was able to capitalize on those fish and it all just kind of came together,” offers Gustafson.

He continues: “On Day 2 I caught four good ones right away in the morning but it took me until about 1 o’clock to get me fifth keeper. The smallmouths had to be 18 inches to keep so that kind of added to the challenge because I was catching a lot of nice 17-inch fish. That was a little bit stressful.”

“Day 3 was the same deal and then on Day 4 we had an hour-and-a-half fog delay. I had over a seven pound lead going into the final day but I still had to catch some fish. So it was a little stressful knowing that I was going to miss the prime morning bite. We took off at 8:30 and caught a keeper on my first two drifts so that kind of set the tone. The fish were still there and I slowly picked away at it and ended up getting my five keepers. I checked in early in Knoxville and was pretty comfortable with what I’d caught and it was a good end result—a lifelong dream for me to have stayed in that seven pound lead for first place.”

In terms of how Gustafson caught his fish, he relied on the “moping” technique at the Tennessee River event, also known as Damiki rigging.

Photo by Seigo Saito, courtesy of Bassmaster

“I used the ‘moping’ technique to catch my fish, a technique that the Lindners spilled the beans on after Jim and Bill Lindner won the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship a couple years in a row using it. They made some videos on it and showed us all how they were doing it. And now it’s a popular technique in Tennessee and really a fish-catcher in Minnesota and Ontario. And not just for bass—guys on the Detroit River are fishing walleyes with it. The moping term, Ron Lindner came up with that. In the south everybody calls it Damiki Rigging. Up north we call it “hanging a minnow” or ‘moping’. In terms of components, the Northland Slurp Jig is a really good jig for the technique and for years we used the Northland Mimic Minnow jig and soft plastic.”

Gustafson sums up the feelings of pulling off his first Elite win and upcoming events.

“This was a huge surprise but I’ve worked hard to get here. Ever since I was a kid I’ve dreamed of this and now is no different. It’s a spectacular feeling. We get back at it in a couple of weeks and I feel like I’m fishing pretty good right now. I just have to keep it rolling. It kind of takes the pressure off for the rest of the year to be in good shape with points. The support I’ve gotten from Northland has been top-notch for almost twenty years and I love those guys. I’m just proud to be a part of the team. When it comes to Bagley, I feel like there’s going to be some serious crankbaitin’ in the tournaments coming up.”

Charlie Peterson, Northland Fishing Tackle and Bagley’s pro staff coordinator, is thrilled with Gussy’s win on the Tennessee River. “We follow Gussy very closely at all of his tournaments with Bass Live running all throughout the office. Being able to watch him do his thing, fishing differently from everyone else in the field and pulling off his first Bassmaster Elite Series win was incredible.”

Photo by Seigo Saito, courtesy of Bassmaster

Parent Company Of Pure Fishing Takes On Part Stake In Rapala

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Parent Company Of Pure Fishing Takes On Part Stake In Rapala

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If you have been keeping tabs on the latest fishing industry news over the past several months, you might have noticed a new, and somewhat peculiar trend beginning to emerge. For the second time in just three weeks, an industry giant has acquired stake in one of fishing’s most beloved brands.

It was recently announced that Sycamore Partners, the private equity firm that owns Pure Fishing, has taken part ownership in Rapala VMC Corporation. As if not intriguing enough, Rapala is fresh off the heels of purchasing Okuma, along with all of the company’s associated property rights, both foreign and domestic.

Prior to its investment in Rapala VMC, Pure Fishing already stood as one of the largest holders of market share within the fishing industry, worldwide. Some of the company’s most notable brands include Berkely, Shakespeare, Penn, Hardy, and Abu-Garcia.

As the industry’s largest bait, tackle, and reel manufacturers continue to swallow each other, one is left to ask, “why?” In large part, the answer to this question most likely lies in the core-curriculum of a long-forgotten middle school economics class from our pasts.

First, one should note that most purchases of this type come on behalf of private equity firms, or umbrella companies. These companies seek to assemble the most valuable portfolio of investments, in order to reap the greatest financial return. What better way to succeed at this goal than to own the vast majority of brands that consumers have come to love, respect, and trust?

During days of old, privately-held companies dominated the fishing industry, most of which specialized in the production of a single commodity (rods, reels, lures, etc.). Now, larger equity firms have tapped into the economic potential of these companies, purchasing numerous entities to diversify their portfolio. In essence, Wall-Street has made its way to a lake near you.

In many ways, what is being observed in the fishing industry is no different than store-front retail chains purchasing one another, in order to minimize competition and increase capital gain. It all goes back to the “if you can’t beat them, join them” mentality.

So what does this mean for your average angler? When companies merge, buy-out one another, or purchase select assets of another brand, individual product lines often get lost in translation. If the current trend continues, it is easy to speculate that many brands of the prior era will set sail into the sunset, as less profitable product lines are nixed in the continual pursuit of profitability. The extent to which this will take place is anyone’s guess.

Wiley X® Extends Multi-Year Sponsorship with MLF and Announces 2021 College Faceoff Details

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Wiley X® Extends Multi-Year Sponsorship with MLF and Announces 2021 College Faceoff Details

Performance Eyewear Industry Leader to Continue as Official Sunglass Provider of the MLF BIG5

TULSA, Okla. (March 1, 2021) – Major League Fishing, the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, announced today the multi-year extension of a sponsorship agreement with Wiley X®, one of the most trusted brands in the world for safety eyewear and high-performance sunglasses, offering premium protection and superb visual clarity, both on and off the water.

The continued sponsorship names Wiley X as the Official Sunglass Provider of the MLF BIG5, as well as the presenting sponsor of the 2021 Wiley X College Faceoff events and the title sponsor of the 2021 Wiley X High School Fishing Camp – the ultimate summer camp for serious high school anglers, their parents, boat captains and coaches. Complete details for the summer camp will be released in the spring of 2021.

“As a company, and as fans ourselves, we are excited to continue to engage in these great competitive events with our premium fishing sunglasses,” said Ray T. Hill IV, Vice President of Retail Sales at Wiley X. “Whether it’s pros, collegiate anglers or high school up-and-comers wanting that additional edge for success, Wiley X sunglasses bring an unmatched level of polarization and protection that can be that key differentiator, especially with our new CAPTIVATE™ polarized color enhancing lenses.”

Wiley X officially signed on as the Official Sunglass Provider of the MLF BIG5 in 2020, but their sponsorship with the MLF dates back to 2013.

“Wiley X has been a valued sponsor of Major League Fishing for the past eight years and we are thrilled to continue to build on our relationship with them across MLF and the MLF BIG5,” said Jim Wilburn, MLF President and CEO. “The opportunity to bring the MLF SCORETRACKER to collegiate anglers across the nation through the Wiley X College Faceoff events benefits both companies and is going to be a massive hit when those young anglers feel the excitement and thrill of competing in the MLF format.”

The Wiley X College Faceoffs – originally launched in 2019 – are single-day tournaments in a four-event series where competitors will fish in an MLF-style catch, weigh, immediate-release format at each event. The College Faceoff tournaments will occur the Saturday following an Abu Garcia College Fishing competition, on the same body of water. The results from the College Fishing tournament the previous day will determine the 20 competitors for the Wiley X College Faceoff, with the top two teams (four anglers) from the top five schools in the regular season tournament qualifying to fish in the ten-boat faceoff the following day.

Coverage will be provided for each Wiley X College Faceoff at MajorLeagueFishing.com and on MLF social media outlets, including interviews and a trophy presentation for top finishers. Top individual teams will be recognized, and the school with the highest total combined weight from their two participating teams will be crowned the Wiley X Faceoff Champion.

2021 Wiley X College Faceoff Schedule:

April 24: Lake Guntersville, Guntersville, Ala.

  • Qualifying tournament: Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI at Lake Guntersville, April 23
June 12: Lake O’ the Pines, Jefferson, Texas
  • Qualifying tournament: Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI at Lake O’ the Pines, June 11
July 31: Mississippi River, La Crosse, Wis.
  • Qualifying tournament: Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI at Mississippi River, July 30
August 21: Detroit River, Trenton, Mich.
  • Qualifying tournament: Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI at Detroit River, August 20

For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI on MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook,  Twitter , Instagram and YouTube.

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