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John's Journal... Entry 155, Day 4

THE MAN, THE BAIT AND THE CLASSIC

Classic-Winning Tactics

EDITOR'S NOTE: Thirty-six-year old Jay Yelas, of Tyler, Texas won the 2002 BASS Master's Classic in July after winning FLW Angler of the year for 2001-2002. Here, Yelas describes the tactics, both physical and mental, that he used to help him win the biggest fishing tournament in the nation.

PERSEVERANCE PAYS OFF

Each day during the Classic, Yelas caught bass on his Berkley Frenzy crankbait before Alabama Power Company turned on the current. Yelas fished the flat water below the dam and picked up two or three bass there every day. According to Yelas, "I was targeting rocks out in the middle of the tailrace with the crankbait. Aaron Martens, who finished second, fished some of these same rocks. One spot that we both caught fish off of was a rock that created an eddy behind it when the current started rolling over it. I also fished a pipeline that came from a 15-foot bottom, up to within 6 feet of the surface. All the spots I cranked had some irregular-shaped rock, coming up off the bottom in the middle of the lake. I also fished individual rocks. The key to catching bass seemed to be finding rocks or ledges that came up to within 3 to 6 feet of the surface and then dropped off into 10 or 12 feet of water. I fished the Frenzy crankbait quickly and erratically -- using green 12-pound-test Trilene XT line. I always keep a fire-tiger-colored Frenzy crankbait tied on a rod, because when I'm unsure which crankbait to fish, this particular crankbait always seems to pay off for me. This lure is the one crankbait in which I have the most confidence. Whenever I fish a crankbait, I'll more than likely start with the fire-tiger-colored Frenzy crankbait.

"At the Classic when I fished with that bait, I began to catch bass. I changed to a shad-colored Frenzy crankbait. However, even though the bass would follow it, they wouldn't attack it like they would the fire-tiger color. Although the Frenzy crankbait paid off with keeper bass for Yelas during the first two days of the Classic, on the last day of the Classic, the crankbait failed to produce a fish. I got frustrated because I couldn't seem to catch a bass. Although I tried fishing some new spots, still the bass wouldn't bite. The water finally came on about 10:00 a.m., and I caught one bass on the Jay Yelas Power Jig with clear 25-pound-test Trilene XT line about 10:15 a.m. Then there was about an hour's lull before the water began to rise high enough for me to get a bite. When the water was off, the place I caught the bass would only be about 1 foot deep, and the bass wouldn't be on that spot. But when the water would come on and run for about an hour, the spot would be about 3 feet deep, and the bass would move into it.

"One of the keys to the pattern was that the bass held in the shade in that swift water. The bank I fished was a steep undercut bank with some overhanging trees that created shade. When the sun was out, the bank would be sunny except for those little pockets of tree shade. I'd cast the jig upstream and let it wash downstream through that shade, which was where the bite would come. I'd never really fished for bass this way before. In fact, I'd never seen largemouth in current that strong. The fishing method I used was similar to trout and salmon-fishing techniques. I'd cast the jig upstream and let the current wash it downstream. Because the current was so strong, I had a bow in my line, which made the strike hard to detect. As the jig rode the current, I just tried to take up line to keep up with the jig as it washed downstream. The current gave the jig its action. A majority of the bites occurred on slack line. Most of the bass I was catching were spotted bass. However, each day the biggest bass I caught was a largemouth. Although spotted bass are known to be current fighters, I don't think I've ever seen a largemouth bass take a bait in current this strong. The water is extremely clear when the current starts coming through Lay Lake. You can see down about 4 feet into the water. The only way you can catch bass in water that clear in July with a surface temperature of 85 to 90 degrees is to have a strong current."

To learn more about the Jay Yelas Power Jig or the Frenzy crankbait, click here at www.purefishing.com

TOMORROW: JAY YELAS MAKES ALL THE RIGHT BASS-FISHING MOVES

 

 

Check back each day this week for more THE MAN, THE BAIT AND THE CLASSIC ...

Day 1 - How Jay Yelas Won The Classic
Day 2 - Classic Baits
Day 3 - The Motor And The Secret Spot That Won The Classic
Day 4 - Classic-Winning Tactics
Day 5 - Jay Yelas Makes All The Right Bass-Fishing Moves


John's Journal