FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Gustafson shares his secret weapon—a ChatterBait JackHammer— during a 2018 FLW Tour event.” (Photo by Charles Waldorf)
Ultimate Tackle Testimonial
Z-Man Retains New Bassmaster Elite Series Star Jeff “Gussy” Gustafson
Ladson, SC (January 7, 2019) – You might call it the ultimate tackle testimonial.
Long before Jeff “Gussy” Gustafson flashed the Z-Man logo—or cashed a sponsor check from the cutting-edge South Carolina tackle company— the versatile tournament angler was already boating big sacks of bass with7 ChatterBaits and other Z-Man creations, under the radar.
Actually, at the March 2018 FLW Tour event at Florida’s Harris Chain of Lakes, Gussy made no secret of the fact he and fellow Ontario angler Chris Johnston wielded identical Z-Man ChatterBait JackHammers to finish 2nd and 1st, respectively. (In truth, Johnston’ tourney-winning ChatterBait came from Gustafson’s personal stash.) At the time, neither angler was sponsored by the company whose lure earned them a cool, collective $155,000.
The lure Gustafson calls the ‘crankbait of grass fishing‘.
On the heels of the 2019 season, Gustafson’s first in the Bassmaster Elite Series, Z-Man has legitimized the alliance, inking an endorsement deal with the popular Canadian angler.
“Formally linking up with Z-Man is especially cool because I’ve been friends with these guys and have fished their baits for years,” said Gustafson, while packing for inaugural Elite Series events, two-thousand miles from his Keewatin, Ontario home. “These days, you almost have to fish ElaZtech softbaits and ChatterBaits to stay competitive. Z-Man makes some high-level stuff that helps a lot of guys cash checks.”
“First time I fished with Gussy about five years ago, I immediately knew we needed to have him on the Z-Man team,” said company president, Daniel Nussbaum. “Gussy’s genuine, engaging personality perfectly matches his intense passion for the outdoors. But what also stood out to me was his ability to succeed in tournaments from Ontario all the way to Florida. That level of fishing intuition and versatility is a special gift.”
Beginning almost two decades ago, Gustafson began an incredible run of tournament success, winning the ultra-competitive Kenora Bass International in 2000 and 2008. He also claimed first place at the 2005, 2010, 2011, 2017 and 2018 International Falls Bass Championship and won the Fort Francis Canadian Bass Championship in 2013 and 2014. For the past six seasons, the star Canadian angler has achieved success on the nationwide FLW Tour, claiming numerous top-10 finishes.
“Around 2016, Z-Man confidant Drew Reese, who spends his summers near my home on Lake of the Woods, introduced me to a bait called the Hula StickZ,” recalls Gustafson. Reese, who finished seventh in the very first Bassmaster Classic in 1971, has been called one of the top finesse bass anglers in America.
“I was prefishing a tournament down in Arkansas, and Reese drove a couple hours and met me over on Table Rock Lake. He showed me how to fish the Hula StickZ on a Z-Man Finesse ShroomZ head—basically what we know today as the Ned Rig. At the tournament, I fished behind other boats and caught all kinds of bass in used water; the bait propelled me to a nice 11th place finish. It’s been so good to me all over North America now that I always keep a Hula StickZ rigged up.”
Gussy offers further perspective on the emergence of Z-Man baits among his professional peeps: “Z-Man ElaZtech baits have become big players on the BASS and FLW circuits. The baits are as soft and consistent as some of the best hand-pours. Their durability and buoyancy give me a ton of other advantages, too.
Gussy’s favorite finesse bait, the Z-Man Hula StickZ.
“When I’m chasing smallmouths in Canadian lakes—places full of pike and walleyes—durability is huge. I can catch 40 or 50 bass on a single ElaZtech bait. And the buoyancy of a bait like the StreakZ makes it sit horizontal in the water, so bass see a totally natural presentation.
“Of course, everyone knows about the ChatterBait and its success in tournaments across the country.
Even my buddy Brandon McMillan, who’s a lifelong flipper on Okeechobee, admits the ChatterBait is now the superior presentation; it’s become the crankbait of grass fishing.”
“Working with pros like Gussy who come in with a pre-existing belief in our baits is a dream scenario,” summarizes Nussbaum. “His passion is authentic; it makes him the ideal person to help us spread the word about our baits and to expand our product line even further.”
About Z-Man Fishing Products: A dynamic Charleston, South Carolina based company, Z-Man Fishing Products has melded leading edge fishing tackle with technology for nearly three decades. Z-Man has long been among the industry’s largest suppliers of silicone skirt material used in jigs, spinnerbaits and other lures. Creator of the Original ChatterBait®, Z-Man is also the renowned innovators of 10X Tough ElaZtech softbaits, fast becoming the most coveted baits in fresh- and saltwater. Z-Man is one of the fastest-growing lure brands worldwide. 
About ElaZtech®: Z-Man’s proprietary ElaZtech material is remarkably soft, pliable, and 10X tougher than traditional soft plastics. ElaZtech resists nicks, cuts, and tears better than other softbaits and boasts one of the highest fish-per-bait ratings in the industry, resulting in anglers not having to waste time searching for a new bait when the fish are biting. This unique material is naturally buoyant, creating a more visible, lifelike, and attractive target to gamefish. Unlike most other soft plastic baits, ElaZtech contains no PVC, plastisol or phthalates, and is non-toxic.
CONTACTS:
Cory Schmidt
Traditions Media, LLC
(218) 821-4148
Jim Edlund
Traditions Media, LLC
jim@traditionsmedia.com
(612) 481-7396