Jeff Gustafson, famous as "Gussy," is a professional and one of the few anglers from Canada to fish at the FLW Tour. He also came into prominence as one of the first anglers of Canadian nationality to compete on the Bassmaster Elite Tour. Jeff, who began his fishing career at a very young age, has gained significant success over the years.
Jeff is one of Canada's most popular and talented anglers and has successfully amassed an enormous wealth to his name. He shares a blissful marital life with his wife, whom he dated for quite a long time before tying the knot. How about we learn more about the popular angler Jeff Gustafson's biography and his professional career.
Andy Morgan Biography - 3X FLW Angler of the Year
Early Life, Family, And Education
Jeff Gustafson was born on the 19th of September, 1982, to his mother, Peggy Gustafson, and his father, Jim Gustafson. His father had been a hockey player drafted by the St. Louis Blues. Similarly, Brian Gustafson, Jeff's uncle, was a teammate of Wayne Gretzky's on the Soo Greyhounds. He grew up in Keewatin, Canada, with his brother, Ben Gustafson, and his sister, Kate Gustafson. Jeff's sister is a coach and marathon runner. Jeff had a great childhood while growing up with his siblings, and his family seems to be doing great for themselves.
Jeff Gustafson was raised by his parents alongside his two siblings. Image Source: Jeff Gustafson Instagram.
Jeff attended Beaver Brae High School - Kenora and graduated in 2000. After graduating, he attended the University of Manitoba and graduated in 2004 with a bachelor of arts degree.
Jeff Gustafson Career
Jeff began fishing from a young age, and at the age of 10, he fished his first tournament with his dad. Then, in Christmas 2009, he and his dad received a paid entry to fish at the Kenora Bass International tournament. The father-son duo caught two fish on the first day, and then on the second day, they bagged a six-fish limit. Since then, they have fished in several other tournaments. He even worked as a fishing guide around Lake of the Woods and competed in local tournaments in early teens through university.
Jeff's first boat was a 17-foot Starcraft aluminum boat with an 80-horsepower outboard engine and a cooler for a Livewell, and he got that boat at the age of 14. And two years later, he upgraded to a beat-up 17-foot tri-hull fiberglass boat with a 115 HP outboard. At the age of 16, he and one of his friends from high school fished at the KBI and was placed second. And the following year, he won the event.
Thus, he has gained immense success and fame in his career and is recognized as one of the best tournament anglers and successful hunting guides. He is still very dedicated to his career, so one cannot doubt that he will gain considerable success in the future.
Jeff Gustafson Net Worth And Earnings
Besides the immense fame and success that Jeff has gained because of his exemplary fishing skills, he has also added a massive fortune to his name. The fishing tournament that he has competed in has helped him earn a significant part of the wealth that he has gained. While the exact estimated amount of his fortune has not been revealed yet, there's no harm to assume that Jeff Gustafson's net worth might be in millions. As mentioned earlier, the net worth accumulated by him comprises the income from tournament earnings and other ventures.
As a professional angler, Jeff possibly earns $43,922 as an average annual salary. Thus, he must have garnered a tremendous amount of money over his angling career. His career winnings to date are $320,200, and the table below shows his tournament earnings in different years.
| Tournaments | Place | Cash Winnings | Cash Bonus | Total Money |
| 2019 Bassmaster Elite at Lake Hartwell | 13 | $10,000 | $0 | $10,000 |
| 2019 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest Benefiting Texas Parks & Wildlife Department | 5 | $20,000 | $0 | $20,000 |
| 2019 Bassmaster Elite at Cayuga Lake | 2 | $25,000 | $0 | $25,000 |
| 2019 Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship | 13 | $0 | $11,000 | $11,000 |
| 2020 Bassmaster Elite at Santee Cooper Lakes | 9 | $15,000 | $2,000 | $17,000 |
| 2020 SiteOne Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence | 12 | $12,000 | $0 | $12,000 |
| 2021 Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite | 1 | $100,000 | $0 | $100,000 |
| 2021 Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Neely Henry Lake | 34 | $10,000 | $0 | $10,000 |
Jeff's fortune increased significantly over the years from the tournament earnings. His exemplary fishing skills have helped him gain huge fame and popularity, which has resulted in several endorsement and sponsorship deals for him. He is sponsored by brands like Humminbird, Minn Kota, Gamakatsu, Frabill, Northland Fishing Tackle, Costa, and many others.
In January 2021. Bagley Bait Company announced that he was officially a member of the company's pro staff and will be representing the company in different tours in the 2021 season. Before that, he was represented by the Northland Fishing Tackle. He promotes these brands on his Instagram page.
Besides the Bassmaster Elite Series, Jeff has competed in several tournaments, and here are some of them, along with the earnings from these tournaments.
| Tournaments | Rank | Winnings |
| 2012 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit - Pro Circuit Opens | 14 | $28,918 |
| 2016 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit - Pro Circuit | 5 | $72,500 |
| 2018 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit - Pro Circuit | 11 | $74,100 |
| 2016 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit - Title | 44 | $10,000 |
| 2018 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit - Title | 11 | $10,000 |
Thus, Jeff must have earned significantly over the years of his angling career. Similarly, he also earns through his YouTube channel, named Jeff Gustafson, with 1.32K subscribers. Furthermore, he is also an accomplished writer, and his writings have been published in magazines across North America.
For fishing, he uses G. Loomis IMX PRO ice rods with a Shimano Curado reel and uses the boat 2075 Pro-V Bass for the tournaments.
Hence, Jeff Gustafson's net worth must be a grand sum. All thanks to his wealth, he is able to live a comfortable and lavish lifestyle. We can hope that he gains more success and his fortune increases in the future.
Relationship And Kids
As mentioned earlier, the angler shares a blissful marital life with his partner. Jeff Gustafson's wife is Shelby Gustafson, and the lovely pair dated for several years before tying the knot in July 2019. Jeff proposed to his then-to-be future wife in December 2018, and seven months later, the lovely pair exchanged the vows in a ceremony attended by their family members. Their marriage is still going pretty strong, and the adorable couple is deeply in love with each other.
Jeff Gustafson and his wife Shelby Gustafson got married in 2019. Image Source: Jeff Gustafson Instagram.
Jeff often shares his love and respect for her via Instagram. Shelby also accompanies him to some tournaments that he has competes in.
Jeff and his wife are yet to be parents. They might be taking things slowly. Nevertheless, if they become parents someday, they might make great parents. For now, we can hope to hear some good news in the future. The lovely pair are enjoying their moments and living a comfortable life in Kenora, Ontario.
Trivia
- Jeff Gustafson's height is 6 feet.
- He goes deer hunting and shed hunting when not fishing.
- Jeff has 5,473 and 25.5K subscribers on Instagram and Twitter, respectively.
