Jeff Gustafson became the 1st Canadian to reel in Bassmaster Classic title. Can he do it twice in a row?
CBC
A year after making history, Canadian professional angler Jeff Gustafson looks to repeat as the champion of bass fishing's most prestigious tournament and take home its top prize.
Gustafson, who's from Kenora, grew up fishing on Lake of the Woods in northwestern Ontario and has turned a childhood obsession into a career. Last spring, he became the first Canadian and just the second non-American to win the Bassmaster Classic in its 53 years of competition. This year it's in Tulsa, Okla.
"Last year, the first two days, I had the biggest catch each day. Everything went perfectly. I couldn't have scripted it any better," Gustafson said from Oklahoma, where he's preparing to defend his title this weekend.
"On the final day, I only caught two. I had an hour boat ride back in. I did not think I was going to win. It was very stressful. But it went from being the worst day of my life to one of the best in a split second when they weighed the fish."
Those first two days were so strong and the two final fish he caught were big enough that when they were weighed, he won by nearly a pound and a half.
Along with the $300,000 US for winning, the exposure and recognition took things to another level.
"I probably did hundreds of these interviews after I won so I lost some free time," Gustafson said with a laugh. "But it was a highlight of my fishing career for sure. It kind of takes the pressure off for the next few years. I dedicated my whole life to doing it and that's as good of a reward as I could have given myself."
Gustafson, commonly called Gussy by fellow anglers and fans alike, has built a reputation as the nicest guy on the pro tour as well as being a top-tier competitor.
The Bassmaster Classic is different from many other tournaments in that it moves around every year. Last year, when Gustafson won it all, it was in Tennessee. It's slated for Texas in 2025.
To be able to catch the biggest fish over a three-day span in unknown waters highlights the skill these anglers have, said Bob Izumi, a legendary Canadian angler.
"I'm not a poker player, but there's a bit of luck if you're going to get an incredible hand. That only happens every now and then — you can't count on it — and it's the same with tournament fishing," he said.
"There's all these factors that can change even in the course of a day of being on the water. It could start out calm and then all of a sudden the winds come up, and maybe the clouds move in, and it gets rainy and windy and rough," Izumi said.
That's what happened to Gustafson last year, only in reverse.
"Last year I was catching them in really deep water where they spend the winter and it got hotter and nicer as the week went on," he recalled. "And by the final day of the tournament, it got up to something like 25 degrees. It was beautiful."
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