Inside the Tournament Trail
Nice guys don't always finish last
By Tim TuckerJay Yelas is living proof that nice guys don't always finish last.
In his first 12 years on the CITGO BASSMASTER Tournament Trail, the California native and transplanted Texan has fashioned a reputation for being a thoughtful, cheerful kind of guy. You can bet that many of his peers were cheering for him to win the CITGO BASSMASTERS Classic on his 12th consecutive attempt.
If you know Yelas, then you know that his religious convictions are a major part of his make-up. And during the post-Classic press conference, his humble appreciation for the blessings bestowed upon him was not lost during talk about lures, strategies and techniques.
"On a personal level, winning the Classic means a lot," Yelas said. "Everybody knows I'm a fairly spiritual guy. I love God. When God decides it's your time to win the Classic, you win.
"God loves us so much that he knows that if we win the Classic too early or we're too immature as believers, it can go to our heads. And pride is a terrible thing, according to the Bible … And I know God has been waiting until I was a humble-enough guy so I could handle a Classic world championship with humility and not let it go to my head. I say that to say that, personally, the Classic win means a lot because I've gotten to a point in my walk with the Lord where he is able to trust me with blessing me with a big deal like this, knowing that I will walk in humility and represent him well."
DIVIDED ATTENTION: You can certainly understand why South Carolina pro Carl Maxfield wasn't able to concentrate entirely on his second Classic appearance. While he was on the water, his wife, Toni, was at home awaiting the birth of their first child. Carl and Toni welcomed an 8 ½-pound boy named Adam Grayson on Tuesday, July 30, at 5:30 p.m.
THEME SONG: The Classic pros selected the music that played in the background as they entered the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center each day. Yelas chose "Higher" by the group Creed.
POWERED UP: The trolling motor on the front of the Classic rigs is a piece of equipment that rarely gets much praise or attention. But Yelas went out of his way to emphasize how crucial the power of his MotorGuide Tour Edition had been to his success in the rushing tailrace waters on Lay Lake.
"One of the key things that I haven't mentioned this week that was huge was that MotorGuide trolling motor with 109 pounds of thrust," he said. "I was able to just barely make headway into that current. It was so strong that with that trolling motor on high, I could just barely make progress up the bank. The only spectators that were able to stay with me were the ones who had MotorGuides. Without that MotorGuide trolling motor, I could not have fished that water properly."
DID YOU KNOW? That Yelas became just the third wire-to-wire winner in Classic history, joining Rick Clunn (1984) and Stanley Mitchell (1981).
TIGHT QUARTERS: Staying in the Birmingham Sheraton must have been a nice break for Gary Klein, his wife, Jana, and their two young daughters. The Texas family has been living in a two-car garage while their new home in Weatherford is being completed.
CLASSIC FIXTURE: Only one person - James "Pooley" Dawson has attended the last 31Classics. Dawson has been a member of the B.A.S.S. tournament staff longer than many of the Classic XXXII competitors have been alive. A fixture at B.A.S.S. tournaments with plans to retire after next year, Dawson has seen the Classic grow "from the sandlot to the World Series."
CAREER DECISION: Like most representatives from the B.A.S.S. Federation who qualify for the coveted Classic, Ron Colby had dreamed of trying his hand at professional fishing full time. It can be a tough, tough decision with major ramifications.
As it turned out, Colby had some help in deciding to jump into big-league bass fishing. After qualifying for the Classic, the 41-year-old Utah angler returned to his job as a computer systems engineer only to have his good mood shattered by news of his impending layoff.
"So I don't have to quit my job to go fishing," Colby said. "And my wife is being very supportive. She told me to go fish the rest of the year and give it a shot to see how I do."
Regardless of how Colby does in the CITGO BASSMASTER Opens, he may still make his way back to the Classic in 2003. He has already earned a spot in the next CITGO B.A.S.S. Federation National Championship by winning the western divisional.
PRO BIRTHDAYS. Four-time Classic champion Rick Clunn turned 56 during Classic Week in Birmingham. Tennessee's Rufus Johnson will be 29 on Aug. 2. Texas pro and lure designer Gary Yamamoto becomes 59 on Aug. 5. Kentucky pro Mike Auten celebrates his 33rd birthday on Aug. 6. Sam Swett (39) of Louisiana and Arkansas' Mike Wurm (50) share Aug. 15. Believe it or not, Danny Correia will be 40 on the 19th, while Joe Thomas turns 41 on the same day.
IF I HADN'T BECOME A BASS PRO: Jay Yelas says he would "have fallen back on my degree and gotten a job in the outdoors field somehow." He majored in resource recreation with a minor in fisheries biology. "A lot of the kids I went to school with ended up working with the (U.S.) Forest Service and BLM or a fisheries department or ended up a game warden," Yelas said. "It would have been something in the outdoors. I love the outdoors too much."
THEY SAID IT: ""How many bass fishermen have ever been invited to the Playboy Mansion?" 2001 Classic champion Kevin VanDam toured Hugh Hefner's famous digs (along with Clunn) as part of the pre-ESPY festivities.
Tim Tucker's Pro Angling Insider: I is a new bi-monthly newsletter with an annual subscription rate of $39.95. It can be ordered by calling toll-free 800-252-FISH. A sample issue can by seen on his Bass Sessions 2001 web site, www.timtuckeroutdoors.com.
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