Legend
SWIM JIG
By Joe Balog
PHOTO BY ROB MATSUURA
THE STORY OF TOM
MONSOOR AND HIS PERFECT CREATION , DECADES IN THE MAKING
om Monsoor is a tackle junkie . The
T decorated pro from La Crosse , Wisconsin has been fishing competitively all his adult life – some 40-plus years now – and his lure collection shows it . It ’ s likely that Monsoor owns an organized inventory of every bait in your ( and everyone else ’ s ) boat , provided it catches bass .
Monsoor ’ s collecting habit is partially the result of necessity . His passion for tournament fishing places him in every event he can enter ( particularly those on his beloved upper Mississippi River ) leaving Monsoor little time to shop in between . But Monsoor is also a stickler for perfection . His bait collection reflects choices based on success : Only lures that work correctly make the cut . And , long ago , he realized certain lures simply don ’ t have a perfect version . Enter the swim jig . Monsoor is recognized as the leading authority on swim jig fishing , period . No angler in history has accumulated even a small percentage of the accolades he has with his signature lure . It simply defines him .
APRIL-MAY 2021 | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM 47