Bassmaster Classic champion Jeff “Gussy” Gustafson sits down to talk about not only lure selection but why choosing the right sized and shape hook for the soft plastic you choose matters. Things like bite, wire gauge, size and more can matter when it comes to hooking fish, making your bait look very lifelike and landing bigger fish.
TACKLE USED (retail links)
- JIG – Northland Tackle Smeltinator Elite Series Jig: Buy at Tackle Warehouse | Buy at Northland Fishing Tackle
- PLASTIC – Z-Man Scented Jerk ShadZ: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- DROP SHOT HOOK – Gamakatsu Split Shot/Drop Shot Hook, size 1: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- ROD – G.Loomis NRX+ Spinning Rod 782: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- REEL – Shimano Exsence A Spinning Reel, C3000MHG A: Buy at Tackle Warehouse | Buy at FishUSA
- LINE (braided mainline): Power Pro Spectra Braided Line Yellow, 10-pound: Buy at Tackle Warehouse | Buy at Bass Pro Shops
- LINE (fluorocarbon leader): Shimano Mastiff FC Fluorocarbon Line, 10-pound: Buy at Tackle Warehouse | Buy at Omnia Fishing
- SUPER GLUE – Loctite Super Glue Ultra Gel Control: Buy at Amazon
Gussy has had a ton of success with rigging plastics on jig heads and weightless hooks as well. He’s probably made more money on a Z-Man Jerk ShadZ and a Northland Smeltinator Head than any other combination and he talks about why having super sharp Gamakatsu hooks matters to him. But then also the right size for the bait for the most realistic look and action on the bait. And then also having the right wire guage for the technique and your rod and reel combo and line size.
He runs us through jig heads, drop shot hooks, treble hooks, hook sizes, his personal choices for various techniques and more. Some really great tips here on how to rig baits better with the right hook.
ELECTRONICS & BOAT
- TROLLING MOTOR – Minn Kota Ultrex QUEST: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
- FISH FINDERS (bow stack) – Humminbird APEX 13 MEGA SI+ Fishfinder/Chartplotter: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
- 360 SONAR – Humminbird MEGA 360 Imaging: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
- LIVE SONAR – Humminbird MEGA Live Imaging Transducer: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
- MAPPING – Humminbird LakeMaster Premium VX Digital Map Chart Card (Great Lakes): Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Humminbird
- BASS BOAT – Lund 2075 Pro-V Bass XS: Check out at Lund Boats
- MOTOR – Mercury 250hp Pro XS: Check out at Mercury Marine
