How’d You Meet Your Angler? – Shelby Gustafson
It’s Bassmaster Classic week and I thought it appropriate to bring you the love story of 2023 Classic winner Gussy and his bride Shelby Gustafson.
Here’s the story in Shelby’s own words:
We met how almost everyone meets these days – online. I came across Jeff’s Instagram account and recognized his name. “I think that’s the fishing guy,” I thought. I had never seen it but was aware that he had a TV show that was pretty popular in our area. He had a lot of cool photos of fish, some hunting stuff, and travelling (I guess not a lot has changed). So, with a clear goal in mind, I followed him. I remember texting one of my friends and saying, “The fishing guy…he’s hot?!” I guess pictured “the fishing guy” to be a crusty old man. This is where I should probably apologize to all male anglers for profiling them.
The next day he followed me back and liked photos of mine from two years prior, and we all know what that means. So, I was plotting what my next move would be.
Well, some things really are just meant to be. Before I even got a chance to draft up a message to get his attention, I ran into him THE NEXT DAY and here’s how it went:
I met a friend for an after-work drink at Lake of the Woods Brewing Company, a popular restaurant/bar in our small town. It was a Thursday around 5:00 and a moment I won’t ever forget. There were probably only four full tables in the place. We sat there sipping our first drink and in walks Jeff with two of his friends. I was shocked – what are the chances?
I could see him talking to his friends and looking over at me. “Ok don’t turn around, but I kind of just met this guy on Instagram but I don’t know him at all and he just walked in and is sitting a couple tables behind you,” I told my friend. I imagined he was telling his friends the same thing but forgot to tell them to not both turn around at the same time. So, I ordered a pitcher – I knew I wasn’t leaving anytime soon.
After a drink or two, and a few glances back and forth, he threw a french fry at me. Yes, you read that right -- threw a fry a few tables over to get my attention. He said, “Hey, bring that bucket of fun and come on over here,” referring to the pitcher. I don’t remember what I said to him but I waited a little bit before going over. I mean, he did just throw food at me. But honestly, I hadn’t come up with a better icebreaker, so over we went!
After some initial banter and getting to know him and his friends a bit he asked me to babysit his “high maintenance cat.” He said he would be leaving for Florida in a few days and needed someone to stay at his house to take care of him. Needless to say, he had absolutely no game. I actually found it very refreshing. I could tell pretty quickly that he was genuine, kind and honest. All traits that I still know of him today. I ended up babysitting the cat, and sort of just never left.
She was kind enough to also answer some of my typically nosy questions:
HPFC: What, if anything, did you know about professional bass fishing before you met?
Shelby Gustafson: I did not know it existed! We have some pretty big local tournaments in our town and I thought that was the extent of it.
HPFC: Was there a specific moment or event that made you realize your feelings were more than just friendship?
Shelby Gustafson: We were never just friends. I think we both knew pretty quickly.
HPFC: How long have you been married?
Shelby Gustafson: We got married in July of 2019 - so 4.5 years.
HPFC: What if any challenges or obstacles did you have to work through related to his career?
Shelby Gustafson: He had been fishing FLW for about 6 years and did some guiding - for both fishing and some hunting. The time away from one another got less ideal each year. So now I travel with him most of the time!
HPFC: How do you manage the frequent separation and limited time together due to his on the road schedule?
Shelby Gustafson: We try not to spend as much time apart anymore but when we do we talk quite a few times per day.
HPFC: How do you adjust when your husband returns home after being away for
weeks at a time practicing or from competitions?
Shelby Gustafson: I think that's probably the hardest part about being away from one another. When Jeff leaves I have to get used to a daily life without him here. Then when he comes back I have to get used to living with him again. We're good at staying in touch, so that helps miss him a little less but the continuous upsets in our lives can be hard.
HPFC: Are there any activities or special events that you and your husband enjoy doing when you are together after he has been gone all season?
Shelby Gustafson: One of my favorite weekends of the year is a small tournament on Crow Lake about an hour from where we live. Friends of ours own a resort on a beautiful lake and host a small bass tournament each year. It’s mid-September so not long after the season typically ends. We get a cabin with friends and it’s like a little getaway.
HPFC: Do you have any pet peeves about him?
Shelby Gustafson: I have a few pet peeves, none are coming to mind on the spot but since we're talking relationships...I'll pick on Jeff. He's a door slammer. Whenever he leaves he slams the front door very hard. He tells me it doesn't close otherwise, but he's wrong. Oh I just thought of another. He yells when he's on the phone in the truck. But otherwise he's perfect.
HPFC: What do you think your husband’s pet peeves are of you?
Shelby Gustafson: He thinks I could do better at pre-rinsing dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. I know this because I've asked him if there's anything I could do better on. I was pleased that it was all he could come up with, haha.
HPFC: What are your retirement plans?
Shelby Gustafson: I think our retirement will look pretty similar to our life now but with less social media activity and Bassmaster tournaments. We love our home, being outdoors and travelling. Which we've been lucky to have so much of in our current life. Probably more international travel.
HPFC: Tell me something off the wall that no one knows about the two of you.
Shelby Gustafson: This may not be a secret to a lot of people but I think our love for cats is kind of ‘off the wall.”
