Bassmaster Classic 2023 Winner Jeff “Gussy” Gustafson

Lund Boats’ Smooth, Dry Ride Gets Gustafson To Classic-Winning Smallmouth And Back

Gustafson’s Classic-winning game plan followed a similar strategy that he executed two years prior when he won the 2021 Bassmaster Elite Series event on the same fishery. Only this year, the stakes were exponentially higher on the world’s biggest bass stage. 

For each day of competition Gussy relied on Lund’s legendary, unbeatable performance and the smooth, dry ride of his IPS2’s hull to make an hour-long run to and from where he would catch his Classic-winning weight of Tennessee River smallmouth bass.

“An hour-long ride is a project, and you’re working everything hard,” Gustafson said. “I’ve been running that boat and motor since 2017 and I’ve never had an issue. I just go where I feel I need to go to give myself the best chance to do well. At this place, it was a long boat ride, but later in season, we are going to big water places, and I’ll be able to go wherever I want at those events when we go to the Great Lakes.”

“We have the same cameramen for all of our tournaments and, if I get to have a camera in my boat, they all want to go with me. They all love that boat. It’s a pleasant ride, and they’ve got a lot of room to do what they have to do as well. Lots of compliments from the camera people and marshals that ride with us throughout the season.”

Gussy’s 2075 Pro-V Bass is powered by a Mercury 250hp Pro XS outboard that got him up and down the Tennessee river fast and efficiently. “I’ve run the Pro XS Four Stroke since 2017 and I’ve never, ever had an issue with it,” said Gussy. “I don’t even think about it. I go wherever I need to go to catch fish.”

Lund’s Legendary Boat Control Proves Critical For Gustafson’s Precision “Moping” Tactic

Upon arriving at his destination, the unmatched boat control of his 2075 Pro-V Bass XS’ IPS2 hull continued to play to Gussy’s advantage. Anyone tuning in to watch the event saw him confidently maneuver and hold his Lund over deep, isolated rock features holding smallmouth, and dissect areas with surgeon-like precision “moping” a Z-Man 4-inch Scented Jerk ShadZ on a 3/8-ounce Smeltinator jighead head over bass marked on forward-facing sonar. 

If you’re unfamiliar with moping, it is an ultra-finesse, vertical fishing presentation where less is more when it comes to triggering savvy smallmouth to strike. Without flawless boat control, an angler cannot fish this technique effectively, let alone execute it at the highest level required to win the Bassmaster Classic.

“That boat doesn’t get pushed around because I did have to sit out in strong wind,” the 53rd Bassmaster Classic Champion said. “I love that boat…can fish in any kind of conditions, and not have to think about it. It’s just a fishing machine in that regard. I’m not sitting up there, pounding, making a lot of noise. It’s a nice big, heavy boat, and when it’s a little bit more windy and rough, I think I’m able to kind of sneak around a bit better maybe than the flatter, lower-profile boats.”

As the smallmouth became increasingly difficult to catch, Gussy adapted tactics slightly. This saw him occasionally pitching the Jerk ShadZ out to bass he scanned with his sonar. Then slowly retrieving the bait above the fish while steadily keeping his Lund in the ideal position with his trolling motor.  

Tip: Gussy’s Classic moping set-up consisted of a 7’3” G. Loomis NRX+ 872 Jig & Worm spinning rod paired with a Shimano Stella 3000 reel and 10-pound PowerPro braid and a Shimano Mastiff fluorocarbon leader.

Gustafson’s “Office” Is A Bass-Fishing Machine

While Gussy admits he appreciates the multi-species capability of his Lund when not competing in the Bassmaster Elite Series and back on his home waters of Lake of the Woods, there’s no questioning this champion’s confidence in his Pro-V Bass XS and its primary purpose. 

“It’s not a walleye boat; it’s a bass boat,” he said. “I love bass fishing and tournament fishing; that’s my number one passion and priority…. Big water to shallow water, it doesn’t draft anything because the back half of the boat’s flat… It’s a bass boat with the biggest front deck of  anybody that was fishing in the Bassmaster Classic.”

The spaciousness and design of the Pro-V Bass XS’ massive bow deck afforded Gussy ample room to fish among an arsenal of rod combos secured on-deck with port and starboard rod straps while staying comfortable standing all day thanks to under carpet padding. Forward-facing sonar was critical to Gustafson’s locating and catching 42 pounds and 7 ounces worth of bass. The customizability of the Pro-V Bass’ clean bow command center allowed him to mount dual 12 and 13-inch screens, and take full advantage of this cutting-edge technology.

“The electronics were an important piece for me, and that’s all laid out perfectly for me to be able to do my job,” he said. 

The incredible spaciousness and ingenious design of the Pro-V Bass as a hard-core bass fishing platform was also seen throughout the Classic competition as Gustafson nimbly moved from the bow deck to the cockpit to land and unhook smallmouth. Important to appreciate here, is that when Gustafson quickly adjusted his position, so did his cameraman. Both of them had ample space to safely maneuver given the boat’s roomy, fishing-first layout and clutter-free state, as any non-essential items were easily swallowed by Pro-V Bass XS’ numerous, large storage compartments. 

“The live wells are top notch. I never have issues with dead fish. The live wells are big and roomy,” Gussy said, continuing to tout his Lund boat’s fishability features. “There’s a good spot for the bump board, the rod and battery storage are well thought out. There’s a recessed foot pedal for the trolling motor. There’s also foam under all the lids, so if a lid accidentally slams shut, it’s not going to be really loud and spook every fish within a mile of the boat. It’s my dream fishing office.”

Gustafson’s Long History With Lund Boats

“I started my relationship with Lund in 2007, so we’re going on 15 years that they’ve been my number one supporter and sponsor. Prior to that, I grew up around Lake of the Woods and worked at resorts all over the lake, and there’s more Lund boats at these resorts that I’ve guided at and worked at over the years than any other brand, so, I’ve spent thousands of days fishing out of a Lund boat,” Gussy said. “All these years fishing out of these Lund boats, I’ve gotten to see the folks that are designing and building them, they’re anglers, too, and I’ve seen over the years how little things have been tweaked, fixed and made better for anglers.”

All of us at Lund Boats wish to congratulate Jeff on his historical Bassmaster Classic win. Gussy’s reputation within the fishing industry is stellar, and we weren’t surprised to hear him talk about the importance of taking kids fishing within minutes of his Classic acceptance speech. We are honored to have Gussy representing Lund Boats and his tireless efforts to promote fishing and are eager to watch him continue to excel as a professional angler.