GUSSY PULLS IT OFF DESPITE A TOUGH DAY THREE
With temperatures warming up to the mid-seventies (24 Celsius), things were starting to change rapidly to the fishery at the Bassmaster Classic. Having talked with Gussy at length over the last three weeks, we knew it was going to be a winter smallmouth bass pattern that was going win it for him. Was that over with the weather change?
WINNER IN 2021 AT KNOXVILLE
Gussy had notched his first win at the Elite level in 2021 on the same body of water. He had figured out a deep smallmouth pattern that allowed him lead the tournament wire to wire. In fact, no one else was close. Gussy was fishing a ZMan Jerk Shad on a Smeltinator jig head for pretty much the whole tournament.
MORE OF THE SAME
That did not change this time around. He did drop a wacky rig and a dropshot at times but that elicited little interest from these finicky smallmouth. He had a substantial lead after Day 2 and had never failed to fill a limit in the first six days on this river in tournament competition.
In pre-fish, he knew he had to look around and find some other schools of smallmouth from the ones he fished in 2021. All the locals and other tournament anglers knew were he had been fishing. That’s is because there are really no secrets as Bassmaster Live unfolds. In pre-fish Gussy dropped his Aqua View down to see were those smallmouth were hiding. It turns out they were buried in the cracks between the slate rock on the bottom. These fish did not show up on the electronics, no matter how good. By identifying areas were the fish were holding with the underwater camera, he could mark the spots and then try and get the fish to react. He would do this by working his bait about three feet off the bottom.
INCREDIBLE LIVE ACTION VIDEO
With an HDMI flashcard in the back of his Humminbird you could watch in all unfold on the Bassmaster Live feed. Pretty incredible to see what Gussy was watching.
Smallmouth, being curious creatures, would lift up out of these cracks to see if it was something they wanted to eat. That is when the cat and mouse game started on the Mega Live. Gussy would hold the bait steady over the fish. Most of the time he would not move the bait for a period of time. If there was interest he would do just a slow lift. All worked on Day One and Two but changed dramatically on Day Three.
FISH STILL THERE
While some of the fish might have moved due to the warm weather, there was plenty on the Mega Live to win the tournament. Unfortunately, most were just not certain what was going on. He did manage to fool a nice 3.5 pound fish about half way through the morning. Remember to keep a smallmouth for the livewell, they have to measure 18 inches or better. As the morning wore on he did hook a few more bass but all were under the 18 inch mark. This was frustrating Gussy a bit, but he was hanging in there, fishing hard, constantly looking for active fish.
LAST DAY DRAMA
With a commanding lead of almost six pounds Gussy knew if he caught a limit no one would be close. Unfortunately, that was not be. Anglers around the world (me included) were on pins and needles as Gussy’s lead slowly evaporated. In fact at one stage he almost lost it, but regained a bit of a cushion with his second smallmouth in the livewell. The problem was, would it be enough?
Gussy did not put a fish in the livewell after that second smallmouth. When I talked to him after he said he was almost sick to stomach on the drive back to the weigh-in. In his mind he thought he had lost the tournament. As it stood, it was too close to call.
TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Gussy would be the final angler to bring his boat into the packed arena in downtown Knoxville. The lead was being held by Bryan Schmitt, who had just over 40 pounds. Gussy needed just over five pounds to win and when his two fish hit the scale he was a winner by just over a pound.
As the weight was announced the jam packed crowd went crazy and Gussy became the first Canadian to win the Classic and only the second international angler. I was lucky enough to be in the front row beside the stage to witness history made. It was an incredible moment, one that will be etched in my memory for the rest of my life.
Here is the video I took when he was announced the Champion of the World!
Oh by the way, he won $300,000 U.S for the title and another $7,000 U.S for the largest single day weight. This brings his earning on the tour to almost $800,000 U.S. This is should hold him in good stead for, hopefully, the rest of his career. I am sure offers are pouring in from all over the world. This is an achievement that is so well deserved for one of the nicest people I have ever meet.