Boondoggling

Chris Gulstad grew up in Elk River, Minnesota, where he learned the art of smallmouth fishing on the Mississippi River. When his job as Public Relations Manager for PRADCO allows, he returns to his roots. But visits often now involve hosting a group of outdoor writers, pro anglers, and fishing industry representatives on trips down the Mississippi. “I love to show others the fantastic fishing on the upper Mississippi,” says Gulstad. “Few waterways offer the quality and quantity of bass found in this section of the river.”

But showing off your favorite fishing hole comes with a price. As a proper host, you place your boatmates in the favored positions to cast to prime spots. You’re expected to fish clean-up—after a couple other fishermen have cast to the best-looking spots.

“Boondoggling was born out of necessity—it was a fluke,” he explains. “On drift trips down the river, I sometimes found myself in the back of a small boat with little room to cast and no place to throw, anyway. While it’s fine to see others catch fish, frustration sets in if I can’t wet a line.” Rather than simply sit in the back of the boat and provide color commentary, Gulstad tried dragging a bait directly behind the boat, virtually the only spot to fish without crossing lines with anyone.

“For this type of passive presentation, you need a lure with built-in animation. I also know river smallmouths tear apart salamanders. Experiments proved the YUM Zellamander ideal, with its four swimming legs and a twin tail for lively action. I rigged it Texas-style with a bullet weight.”

He tried both the 5-inch and 7-inch models, expecting the smaller bait to produce better for river smallmouths. Gulstad figured wrong. The 7-inch Zellamander far out-produced the smaller version. “Smallmouths didn’t just strike the big Zellamander; they annihilated it! On some strikes, the rod was almost ripped from my hands.”

Gulstad believes the 7-inch bait offers a larger target and produces more vibration that alerts bass in the murky river environment. Second, the tungsten Excalibur TG bullet weight increases the ticking sound of the dragged lure.

“Tungsten is far louder than lead,” he says. “You can clearly feel it banging the bottom and actually hear it coming down the river behind the boat. I think the sound summons curious smallmouth. In clear water I’ve seen bass appear out of nowhere and chase the Zellamander until they catch up and attack it.”

His rig consists of a 7-inch Zellamander, often watermelon blue or chartreuse pepper, on a 4/0 TX3 Excalibur Wide Gap Hook, 10-pound-test Silver Thread Fluorocarbon line, and a 3/16- to 5/16-ounce TG Bullet Weight, depending on current.

“The technique is easy,” he notes. “Make a long cast behind the boat, let the rig contact bottom, and then simply hold the rod tip at a 45-degree angle while keeping a taut line. The extra-hard bullet weight does a pretty good job of avoiding snags in rock crevices. There’s no mistaking a strike.”

Gulstad stresses the technique is for moving water—runs, chutes, and riffles where the bottom is comprised of chunk rock or cobble. It doesn’t work in slackwater pools or deep holes with soft bottom. “Boondoggling produces in river stretches where summertime bass are typically found,” he notes.