Ultimate Guide
Lake Norman striper fishing guide goes high tech with
purchase of ‘Ultimate Bay Boat'

Capt. Gus and his new 23-foot, 250-horsepower Bay Ranger fishing boat. Photo courtesy of the Lake Norman Times.

By Amy Wadsowth
Hooked on Lake Norman

If you are not reading his weekly column, "Fishin' With Gus!" in the Lake Norman Times, then you may know him due to his work as a consultant for the Lake Norman Marine Commission or as a speaker at various clubs and organizations in the area. The rest of the time, he is on his new 23- foot, 250 -horsepower Bay Ranger boat performing his most well known job of striper fishing guide on Lake Norman. Capt. Gus Gustafson, of Sherrills Ford, has nearly 60 years of fishing for fresh and saltwater fish. He has fished on Lake Norman since the early 60s. His career began as a first mate on charter fishing boats in the late 1950s. During that time he worked under various licensed charter fishing boat captains.

Today he has his USCG Captains license and is certified by the Lake Norman Marine Commission to operate charter/excursion boats on Lake Norman. He owns and operates his 10 year old business, Lake Norman Ventures, Inc., which provides fishing guide services.

His new boat, which he purchased from Denver Recreational Marine, replaces his old 21-foot Bay Boat.

Known as the "Ultimate Bay Boat," it can seat four to six people. It has a radar dome for safety, two Global Positioning Systems and three state of the art fish finders. The boat even has a partially enclosed cockpit area with a heater.

"I am excited about it," he said. "The clients will be able to enjoy their trip even more."

Danny McCall, owner at Denver Recreational Marine, said partnering with Gustafson has allowed him to get into the Bay Boat business.

"It's an all new venture for us," he said. "We are trying to expand into this market."

And so far it's working. Five Bay Boats, the same model as Gustafson's, have sold since February.

With Gustafson's new boat, he is ready to get back on the water with his clients. And he is not retiring anytime soon.

"I tell everyone I will retire when I am 70," he said. "I still have seven years to go."

Gustafson also has various columns and stories printed in publications such as, The Lake Norman Official Vistors Guide, The Piedmont Pilot, and The Central Piedmont Outdoors Magazine.

He is also a board member of the Lake Norman Striper Swipers Fish Club, a member of the Carolina's Catfish Club, sits on the board of directors for the Lake Norman Convention and Visitors Bureau and is a member of the Lake Norman and the Mooresville-South Iredell Chamber of Commerce. Gustafson also works with N.C. Wildlife and Duke Power on Lake issues. You may also see him conducting boater safety checks, fishing clinics and seminars.

For more information about Lake Norman Ventures, Inc. visit his Web site at, www.lakenormanstriperfishing.com.

This article is reprinted with permission of the Lake Norman Times. For weekly news of the Lake Norman area, call (704) 664-2882 to subscribe to the Lake Norman Times.