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Dock Talk - Winter 2007-2008
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Gussy Calls God
By Travis Peterson
A local reporter covering the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship is down at the Sorting Gap Marina interviewing contestants. A fancy Rapala-wrapped Ranger slides up to the dock and the reporter speaks with Minnesota angler, Mark Fisher. Keeping it pretty simple because he’s never covered a bass tournament before, the reporter asks, “What’s your secret, Mr. Fisher? How do you know where to find the bass?” Fisher ponders the question as he finishes cleaning his sunglasses with a Fuji doo-rag. Then he answers, “Ya know, the secret is really connecting with God. About midweek prior to a big tourney, I call the Big Guy and He sheds some light on the location of the bass. It’s a really expensive call though, so I only do it for big tourneys and I make the call from my office phone at Rapala down in the Twin Cities. Please don’t put that in print though. I might lose my job.” The reporter is not sure what to make of this and moves down the dock.
He introduces himself to Crestlinerclad Minnesota angler, John Janousek and poses the same question. Janousek adjusts his visor, spits some snoose juice, and responds, “I call God and he lets me know where the bass are.” The reporter is in disbelief and thinking the anglers may be trying to sabotage his story, he says, “I bet that’s an expensive call too, eh?” Janousek agrees, “Oh yeah, it’s a very expensive call. I make it from my offi ce at Crestliner down in Little Falls. Don’t report on this though. I might lose my job.” Still thinking the anglers are in cahoots, the reporter walks further down the dock. A young angler in a hoodie, board shorts, and flip flops, sits in a Lund Pro Team boat, smiling from ear to ear. The reporter finds the boat number on his tournament program. “Ahh, number seven - must be Jeff Gustafson from Kenora”, he surmises. The reporter, although not up to speed on the tournament scene across Ontario, has heard of this guy. He actually overheard another angler saying, “That young Gustafson kid sure is a stick.” (The reporter had heard similar references at hockey rinks across Borderland. He was not sure how it applied to fishing, but it sounded good.) He introduces himself. “Jeff, I’m reporting on the tournament. May I ask you a couple of questions?” Without losing that confident grin, Gustafson says, “Yah, but call me Gussy.”
“OK . . Gussy, how do you know where to find the bass,” the reporter asks. Gussy, not being one to hide his cards and eager to get some press, responds similarly to his American competition. “I phone God. He gives me some spots.” “Here we go again,” the reporter thinks to himself. Thinking that these bass anglers are just a bunch of good ol’ boy pranksters, he again tries to play along. “Oh yeah, that’s an expensive call too, eh? I bet you call when you’re at your office, eh? And, I bet you don’t want me to go to press with this or you’ll lose your job, eh?” Gussy looks confused but answers. “Nah, it’s cheap. Ya see. I live in God’s Country. It’s a local call for me. And”, pointing at his Lund, “ one more thing . . . this is my office. You can put THAT in writing, . . . eh!
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