Since he was 10 years old, all Jeff Gustafson has ever wanted to do was become a professional bass fisherman.
The Christmas the previous year, he received a paid entry to fish the Kenora Bass International tournament with his father. “That was my first tournament and that ignited my passion for competitive bass fishing. Ever since then, it’s been what I wanted to do and it’s all I’ve ever done,” Gustafson said.
Admittedly, there weren’t many anglers in that tournament field “greener” than they were. Gustafson and his father set a simple goal — catch a single bass that would enable them to walk across the stage. The first day, they caught two and bagged a six-fish limit the second day.
His dad had only ever targeted walleye and lake trout, bass was a new experience for them. The KBI is known across North America as being one of the longest standing and respected bass tournaments. Back then, tournament anglers like Bob Izumi, Guido and Dion Hibdon, O.T. Fears, Terry Baksay and the Lindner family made the long trek to compete. Until he fished it, Gustafson was a face in the crowd of thousands that attend each year.
Fishing is the only profession “Gussy” has ever known. In his early teens through university, Gustafson worked as a fishing guide at resorts around Lake of the Woods and competed in local tournaments.
At 14 years old, his first boat was a 17-foot Starcraft aluminum boat with an 80-horsepower outboard engine and a cooler for a livewell. Rigged with a 12-volt electric trolling motor, it died each day by noon.
When he was 16, he upgraded to a beat-up 17-foot tri hull fiberglass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard that ran a bit faster than his previous boat. That same year, he fished the KBI with one of his friends from high school and placed second. Gustafson won the event the following year. This kicked off a cycle where Gustafson became accustomed to winning money throughout his later teen years.
Despite his dream of becoming a bass pro, his mother won out requiring Gustafson to earn a university degree before hitting the tournament trail. Three years later he graduated from the University of Manitoba with a bachelor of arts degree, which Gustafson smirks about knowing he never had any intention of putting to use.
Gustafson is an accomplished writer in his own right. Published in magazines across North America, he’s respected as one of Canada’s best tournament anglers and accomplished hunting guides. He’s well spoken, articulate and probably one of the most genuine and “down-to-earth” people you’ll ever meet.
Through an opportunity afforded by Don Nelson, owner of online hunting and fishing retail site KrugerFarms.com, Gustafson had his entry fees covered enabling him to make the jump to the big leagues. A friendship forged over years of hunting and fishing trips whereby Gustafson guided Nelson. In 2012, Gustafson fished all four FLW Tour Opens cashing a check in each one. He used his success as a springboard to fish the FLW Tour the following year.
“I was extremely fortunate to have my entry fees covered. There is no way I ever would’ve been able to cover those kinds of expenses. I was lucky to survive the first few years – it was tough. I certainly didn’t light it up, but I cashed enough checks that I wasn’t digging a big financial hole for myself either which allowed me to keep moving forward,” Gustafson said.
Gustafson is widely known as an angler loyal to his sponsors and has never left one to make a couple extra dollars. “I fish brands that I trust and believe to be the best. Some of my sponsors have been with me most of my career. We’ve built great relationships,” he said.
At the top of his list is Lund, which “Gussy” has been running since 2007. He let it be known that he wanted to be a part of their team, and living in the heart of “Lund country” seemed like a natural fit. He’s always regarded Lund as the premium aluminum boat brand so when he got the opportunity to help design their recent introduction into the bass boat market, the Lund 2075 Pro-V Bass, Gustafson was all-in. Shimano, Lund, Humminbird, Minn Kota, and Northland Fishing Tackle have always been with him since the beginning.
As the planets shifted, Gustafson seized the opportunity to jump to B.A.S.S. Confident he could do a “good job,” he let his interest in fishing the Elites be known. The rest is history.
“Since I got into fishing, I’ve followed every Elite Series event and the Classic. For anyone that fishes bass tourneys at any level, the chance to fish the Bassmaster Classic is the greatest opportunity ever,” Gustafson said.
He’s looking forward to the 2019 schedule as it makes several visits to Northern fisheries. He’s especially excited about fishing Lakes Lanier and Hartwell. “They’re clear water full of big spotted bass, and I’ve done well at both scoring top 10s at each venue,” Gustafson started. “You’d be surprised how similar spotted bass behave, which we don’t have in Canada, compared to the smallmouth bass I grew up fishing. That plays right into my wheelhouse.”
Gustafson lists fishing offshore as a definite strength, be it targeting grass in Florida or reading his electronics to catch bass in 40-feet of water on Lake Lanier. “I like to be off the bank using my Humminbird Helix units, LakeMaster mapping, Side and Down-Imaging and 2D sonar to find and catch fish. I’ve fished with Humminbird units my whole career and they’re a huge part of my game plan for every tournament,” he said.
At the end of the day, Gustafson still clings to the dream he grew up with: winning the Bassmaster Classic.
“My goal this year is to make the Classic. I want to show the bass fishing community around the world that Canadians can hang in there and compete at the highest level,” he said.
