Ladson, SC (August 15, 2023) - A lone ship in the emptiness of outer space, your boat seems lost, disoriented, far from shore. Like throwing darts at stars, your first exploratory casts into the open abyss feel like a fruitless leap of faith. Thankfully, you’ve learned a thing or two about pelagic baitfish—oily, nutritious and highly addictive to aquatic predators. Even smallmouth bass, which would just as soon mingle among the boulders, sense and stalk the open water buffet. So, armed with this knowledge and an arsenal of superplastics, you cast once again into the abyss, knowing big bronze awaits. “No question, anglers are now finding and catching more offshore smallmouths than ever, all across their range,” notes Z-Man® pro and 2023 Bassmaster Classic champion, Jeff “Gussy” Gustafson. “Certainly, it’s because forward facing sonar is showing us sizeable, high-riding fish all around our boats, often well away from structure.” As Gussy will also tell you, the fish have been out there for a long time, just waiting to be caught. For as long as anyone, he’s been tracking bass that feed on pelagic prey, such as smelt, ciscoes and alewives, across th