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No. 8 - Jay Yelas
Hometown: Tyler, Texas
Born: Honolulu, Hawaii
Birthday: 9/2/1965
Family: (Wife) Jill; (Children) Hannah, Bethany
Hobbies: Salmon Fishing, Gardening
Favorite Food: Ben And Jerry's "Cherry Garcia" ice cream
Favorite Music: Contemporary Christian
Favorite Book/Movie: Mere Christiantiy by C.S. Lewis (book)
Why He Fishes: "I've always loved to bass fish and it's just a God given talent. I'm happiest when I'm using my gifts and creative talents."
Hometown: Tyler, Texas
Born: Honolulu, Hawaii
Birthday: 9/2/1965
Family: (Wife) Jill; (Children) Hannah, Bethany
Hobbies: Salmon Fishing, Gardening
Favorite Food: Ben And Jerry's "Cherry Garcia" ice cream
Favorite Music: Contemporary Christian
Favorite Book/Movie: Mere Christiantiy by C.S. Lewis (book)
Why He Fishes: "I've always loved to bass fish and it's just a God given talent. I'm happiest when I'm using my gifts and creative talents."
Career Stats
Scorecard:
1 BMC win
51 BASS top 10 finishes
14 BMCs fished
5 BASS titles
BASS Times in money: 135
BASS Total Entries: 198
BASS Total Weight: 5,496-1
BASS Career Winnings: $1,329,707.00
Former Job: N/A; turned pro after college graduation
College: Oregon State University, graduated 1987 with a B.S. in Resource Recreation Management
Turned Pro: 1987 (fished first BASS event in 1989)
Career Earnings: Over $1.4 million
Titles/Honors:2002 BMC winner
2002 FLW AOY
2003 AOY
2003 ESPY Award
Notables:
Holds longest "active" BMC streak at 14, tied with KVD … entered Oregon State University in 1983, father made him sell his boat although he'd get a new boat the following summer (sophomore year) with a high GPA. He worked odd jobs pumping gas and doing landscape work and bought a 16-year-old, 14-foot aluminum johnboat with 9.9 hp outboard (It was painted yellow). Pulled it with his first car, a bronze VW Rabbit.
He started fishing team tournaments his sophomore year … for the next three years he did so, winning the U.S. Bass Oregon Team Championship in 1986. When he graduated his parents loaned him the money to buy a new 18-foot bass boat … bought a used van from the odd jobs held in college.
From 1987-90, Yelas fished Red Man, U.S. Bass, WON Bass, Sun Country, All-Star, West Coast Bass and any other tournaments he could find. He was a roaming tournament gypsy, mostly living out of his van … says he fished 40 tournaments in 3 years … says he was able to win at least one tournament on every fishery in the Colorado River chain of lakes.
Timeline:
1987: Moves to Phoenix from Oregon to be more centrally located to western tournaments
1990: Moves to Jasper, Texas to be more centrally located to BASS tournaments
1993: Wins first BASS tournament
1995: Wins Bass Superstars event
2002: Wins BMC
2002: Wins FLW AOY
2003: Wins BASS AOY
Defining Moment:
Winning both the BASS BMC and AOY within a year. Claim To Fame:
Only angler in history to simultaneously hold three major titles
2002 BMC
2002 FLW Angler of the Year
2003 BASS AOY
Mentor:
Bill Sedar (first person he called after winning BMC) … met him in 1982 when he was 17 years old … they fished Lake Cachuma Strengths:
Spinnerbaits and jigs Nuggets:
Met Jill in January 1989. "Our first date was the Phoenix Open and our second was a fishing trip to Bartlett Lake
Lived in Rayburn Country from 1990-1998. "Looking back, I have to say the move to Texas was a must to accomplish what I have as a pro bass fisherman.
Influential People:
Bill Sedar: "He was my mentor. He taught me how to fish when I was in high school and all through college. He had a wealth of information and he gave it all to me. He's 89 now." Clay Dyer: A friend who was born without limbs except for a right arm cut off at the elbow David Dykes: Pastor, Green Acres Baptist Church, Tyler, Texas Complete BASS statistics
1 BMC win
51 BASS top 10 finishes
14 BMCs fished
5 BASS titles
BASS Times in money: 135
BASS Total Entries: 198
BASS Total Weight: 5,496-1
BASS Career Winnings: $1,329,707.00
Former Job: N/A; turned pro after college graduation
College: Oregon State University, graduated 1987 with a B.S. in Resource Recreation Management
Turned Pro: 1987 (fished first BASS event in 1989)
Career Earnings: Over $1.4 million
Titles/Honors:
1987: Moves to Phoenix from Oregon to be more centrally located to western tournaments
1990: Moves to Jasper, Texas to be more centrally located to BASS tournaments
1993: Wins first BASS tournament
1995: Wins Bass Superstars event
2002: Wins BMC
2002: Wins FLW AOY
2003: Wins BASS AOY
Defining Moment:
Winning both the BASS BMC and AOY within a year. Claim To Fame:
Mentor:
Bill Sedar (first person he called after winning BMC) … met him in 1982 when he was 17 years old … they fished Lake Cachuma Strengths:
Spinnerbaits and jigs Nuggets:
Bill Sedar: "He was my mentor. He taught me how to fish when I was in high school and all through college. He had a wealth of information and he gave it all to me. He's 89 now." Clay Dyer: A friend who was born without limbs except for a right arm cut off at the elbow David Dykes: Pastor, Green Acres Baptist Church, Tyler, Texas Complete BASS statistics
