Zoneloc On Tour: Jay Yelas, the steady hand
Feb 27th, 2017 by OutdoorsFIRST
Modified Feb 27th, 2017 at 12:00 AM
Zoneloc pro Jay Yelas has been part of the pro fishing scene for a few decades. He’s won the coveted Angler of the Year (AOY) title in two different organizations and been the Bassmaster Classic champ. Jay’s been to the mountain top of the bass world.
He’s also had some tough seasons as well. Not executing well, missing championships, etc. All professional anglers have experienced the ups and downs, even legends like Yelas.
So far the 2017 FLW Tour season has been middle-of-the-road for Jay. He has a bit of work to do so he can qualify for the Forrest Wood Cup, which is the FLW Tour championship. Many anglers would panic and feel like their season is in danger, but not Yelas. He’s the steady hand in the hectic world that this pro-bass rodeo can truly be.
Experience.
“I know from experience my start to the season isn’t really that bad,” said Yelas. “I’m 67th in points right now, so there is still a lot of opportunity to make it to the Forrest Wood Cup. So I try to keep things in proper perspective and look at the big picture.”
Slow starter.
“Through my whole career, I have been a notoriously slow starter,” said Yelas. “I’m kind of used to it and it doesn’t bother me. Well, actually it does bother me, but I have the confidence that I can finish strong like I have so many times in the past.”
Tournament rust.
“This is not an excuse, but I have not fished a tournament since last June,” said Yelas. “For me, the first couple of tournaments is kind of like spring training in baseball.”