Jeff Gustafson put his third keeper in the boat at 10:30. It wasn’t a textbook landing, as he fumbled it two or three times as waves crashed against the side of his boat. But the 19 1/2-inch smallmouth looked beautiful on the scoreboard for the Canadian in quest of his first Elite Series title.
“That might have been the ugliest fish catch of all-time,” laughed Gustafson.
The wind has really picked up. It’s one more factor that should help the other nine finalists today and hamper Gustafson, who is fishing vertically in open water. But with three keepers weighing almost 10 pounds now, Gustafson may have done all he needs to do for a victory today.