There’s a Canadian Invasion Underway
Feb 20th, 2012 by OutdoorsFIRST
Modified Feb 20th, 2012 at 12:00 AM
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New York Mills, Minn. – “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” – a trite, but often effective practice for blending into a new environment. Gussy could have gone that way, too, when he decided to take his game to the FLW Bass Tour. Jeff “Gussy” Gustafson could have borrowed a conventional fiberglass bass boat, even bought a battered skiff along the tireless highway between Kenora, Canada and his inaugural event on Florida’s Lake Okeechobee. But no, the 29-year old stuck to his guns and trailered a new Lund Predator to the Sunshine State.
“I’ve been on Lund’s Pro Staff for 6-years, and fished out of the boats since as long as I can remember,” said Gussy, a multispecies angler with a special spot in his heart for bass, largemouth and smallmouth. “Lund boats are incredibly versatile. They get stereotyped as ‘walleye boats’ and ‘up north boats,’ but I’m here to tell you they perform as naturally bassin’ on southern reservoirs and rivers as they do on northern shield lakes.”
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The Predator is unquestionably the most bass-friendly ship in Lund’s fleet, too. “I absolutely love the huge front casting deck,” says the Canadian bass fishing phenom. “And there’s not another species of fish that demands having so much gear as bass. The massive storage capacity in the Predator lets me keep every conceivable bait rigged and ready, whether I’m working Rapala topwaters or one of my secret hair jig finesse techniques I developed back home.”
Gussy goes on to herald the Predator’s ability to get up-and-on-it in a flash. “The Predator’s hole-shot power surprises a lot of people,” continues Gussy. “It blows right out of the water and gets on plane twice as fast as a typical bass boat.”
But the clincher, says Gussy, is how the Lund Predator tames waves – rough water that low-profile, flat bass boats simply can’t tolerate. “Here’s where Lund’s big water engineering comes into play. Despite its sleek appearance, the Predator fishes right through owlish weather, the sorts I’m used to bucking up north.
“Lake Okeechobee can be like one of the Great Lakes if the wind blows up, so having a boat that can run in big, rough water is huge.”
Literally, Gussy is captaining the first ever aluminum hulled Lund on the FLW Bass Tour. And he wears the honor like a badge. “I’m proud to represent Lund on waters like Lake Okeechobee, the Detroit River and Sam Rayburn.
“Trust me, the competitors and weigh-in crowds will take notice of my Predator.”
Lund. More features. Quality and craftsmanship. More fish in the livewell. All for a lot less money than you’d expect.
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About Jeff “Gussy” Gustafson
Gussy, a full blooded Canadian, calls Kenora, Ontario home. He fished his first competitive bass tournament at the tender age of 10, when Gussy was entered as a Christmas gift. The elite bass angler has twice won the prestigious Kenora Bass International and once taken the International Falls Bass Championship. Besides Lund Boats, Gussy recognizes his other premium sponsors: KrugerFarms.com, Comfortmaker, Mountain Dew, Rapala, Shimano, Northland Fishing Tackle, Minn-Kota, Humminbird, LakeMaster, Optima Batteries and Frabill.