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Canadian bass pro Jeff Gustafson takes us along for an intense behind-the-scenes pre-fishing day on the St. Lawrence River. With two days to dial a strategy, Gustafson dives into key elements of pre-fishing and the challenges that come with it. To add to the heat, a strong finish is needed to make the cut for the 2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic.
FEATURED PRODUCT (retail links)
- PLASTIC – Z-Man Finesse TRD (prototype): Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse | Buy at FishUSA
- PLASTIC – Z-Man TRD TicklerZ, color – Hot Snakes: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse | Buy at FishUSA
- PLASTIC – Z-Man TRD BugZ (Black/Blue): Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse | Buy at FishUSA
- JIG HEAD – Northland Finesse Football Jig: Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- JIG HEAD – Northland Elite Series Nedster Head, 1/4-ounce: Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- HOOK – Gamakatsu G-Finesse Drop Shot Hook, size 2: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse | Buy at FishUSA
- PLASTIC – Z-Man Jerk ShadZ, color – Gussy’s Glimmer Blue: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse | Buy at FishUSA
- JIG HEAD – Northland Smeltinator Jig Head: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse | Buy at FishUSA
- SCALE – Rapala Touch Screen Tournament Scale, 15-pound: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse | Buy at FishUSA
ROD SETUP
- REEL – Shimano Exsence Spinning Reel 3000: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse | Buy at FishUSA
- REEL – Shimano Stella FK Spinning Reel 3000: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse | Buy at FishUSA
- ROD (drop shot) – G-Loomis NRX+ Spinning Rod, 6’10” Medium Light: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse | Buy at FishUSA
- ROD (Ned rig) – G.Loomis NRX+ Spinning Rod, 7’3” Medium – Extra Fast: Buy at Tackle Warehouse | Buy at FishUSA
- LINE (braid) – Power Pro Braided Spectra Line Yellow, 8-pound: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse | Buy at FishUSA
- LINE (fluorocarbon) – Shimano Mastiff FC Fluorocarbon Line, 8-pound: Buy at Tackle Warehouse
*Additional product links at the bottom.
EXPLORING THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER
The St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario produce giant smallmouth, so Gustafson needs big fish to compete. Given the late summer timeframe, shallow and deep water spots can both be players. He fishes dawn until dusk to determine the best areas and tactics. Finding deeper overlooked rock structures with his sonar, then checking them with a combination of Ned rig baits and a drop shot, starts to uncover a solid pattern.
KEY STRATEGIES AND TACTICS
Gustafson shares his approach to locating fish, focusing on areas with rock clusters identified on side imaging and 360 sonar. A mix of Ned rig baits and his drop shot-rigged prototype Z-Man proves effective.
CHALLENGES AND ADJUSTMENTS
Although the lake fish tend to be larger, wind can make the lake hard or impossible to fish. As such, Gustafson needs some viable river spots as a contingency. He drops his underwater camera to “truth” some past productive spots. River bass typically hug the bottom, making it difficult to confirm fish on sonar alone. Gussy locates some key river fish to conclude a successful pre-fishing day and another shot at winning the Bassmaster Classic!
BOAT SETUP & MISC.
- BOAT – Lund 2075 Pro-V Bass XS: Check out at Lund Boats
- GRAPHS – Humminbird APEX 13 MEGA SI+ Fishfinder/Chartplotter: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
- MAPPING – Humminbird LakeMaster Premium VX Digital Map Chart Card, Great Lakes v1: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Humminbird
- 360 SONAR – Humminbird MEGA 360 Imaging: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- TROLLING MOTOR – Minn Kota Ultrex QUEST: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
- MOTOR – Mercury Pro XS 250hp: Check out at Mercury
- JACK PLATE – T-H Marine ATLAS Hydraulic Jack Plate: Check out at T-H Marine
- HAT – Z-Man Structured Trucker HatZ: Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- UNDERWATER CAMERA – Aqua-Vu HD7i-125 Gen2 Underwater Camera
