Elite Bass Angler Jeff “Gussy” Gustafson to Represent Bagley on Tour
Bagley is proud to announce that Kenora, Ontario-based bass pro Jeff “Gussy” Gustafson is officially a member of its pro staff for the upcoming 2021 season.
“I’m very excited to be part of the Bagley Bait Company pro staff. They have a long history, and for me, part of the excitement is just going to be the resurgence that Bagley is going to have in the coming years as part of Northland Fishing Tackle. I’ve been with Northland for years now, and it’s been an excellent relationship. I look forward to the same with Bagley,” says Gussy.
In terms of his affinity for the Bagley product, Gussy has been a fan for some time, using the baits before this official relationship. “I’ve used the topwater baits, the muskie trolling baits, and a lot of the crankbaits. I played with the Pro Sunny B a lot this summer, and a couple of hundred smallmouths later from Lake of the Woods, it really proved itself as a bait that’s going to be part of my arsenal. It’s going to be like a Ned Rig—one of those baits that are always going to be tied on and in my rod locker.”
Gussy continues: “On the Elite Series, we’re fishing all over the country on different bodies of water. Looking ahead, you never know what kind of conditions you’re going to be faced with, but one thing I do know when a crankbait bite is happening, there’s no way to beat Bagley baits. Every year there are a few tournaments that are big crankbait bites. Looking forward to the Bassmaster Classic, there’s a good chance that the Bagley squarebill-style crankbaits will be players. Obviously, some of the topwater lures will come into play—one of my favorites is the Bang-o-Lure Twin Spin Tail. On the Tennessee River, we’re fishing Pickwick and Guntersville in the spring, and there’s a good chance those will be crankbait tournaments. In the summer, we’ve got a couple of solo events, and then I’ll be fishing back home; hopefully, I won’t be away for the whole summer. The Pro Sunny B was a perfect crankbait on Lake of the Woods, and yeah, just excited to learn more about some of the baits I haven’t gotten to use yet, and I know the guys at Northland are going to be pretty open about new bait designs. I’ve got some ideas there. That’s pretty exciting for me.”
Kyle Waterman, Northland Marketing Manager, is thrilled to have Gussy on the team. “I’m very excited about the upcoming year and the addition of Gussy to Team Bagley. Not only is Gussy a good fisherman, but a stand-up guy and friend. Being from the Northland, it will be a perfect fit to have him represent us alongside Drew Benton, Scott Canterbury, and Matt Becker.”
Northland President and CEO Gregg Wollner adds: “Gussy obviously has a great national reputation as a professional bass angler, but he is also a local legend in our markets as a multi-species expert. We are all extremely excited to have him on our team to develop and promote new products.”
Jeremy Mallette is co-founder of International Sportsman. An avid hunter and outdoorsman, he has spent more than a decade in the outdoor industry, from hiking and camping to silencers and hunting. His father taught him to shoot at age six, and he received his first firearm at age eight — a 1942 Colt Commando .38 special revolver. He enjoys yearly trips to Kansas for pheasant hunting, spending time with his children at the deer lease, and collecting unique firearms.