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2003 B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year
To God be the Glory.....
05/27/2003 - In one of the most dramatic BASS Angler of the Year races of all-time, I came from behind in the seasons final tournament and bested my good friends Alton Jones and Mark Davis to narrowly win the coveted 2003 BASS AOY title.
I won the 2002 Bassmasters Classic fishing 500 yards below Logan Martin Dam, about three lakes up the Coosa River from the tournament site in Montgomery, Alabama. Tailrace fishing on the Coosa kind of got in my blood after that, and I was determined to check out the spotted bass fishery below Jordan Dam in the season finale on the Alabama River in Montgomery, AL.
The drama began to unfold for me about three weeks before the event when I heard you had to have a jet boat to reach Jordan Dam. I called Skeeter and Yamaha and they arranged a G3 aluminum boat for me with a Yamaha jet drive outboard. The folks from G3 were even kind enough to bring a brand new jet boat down to Alabama for me from the G3 factory in Missouri.
I had my Skeeter in tow as well, as I wanted to be prepared for any water condition I might face. This was the first time in my career that I showed up to a tournament with 2 boats.
Butch Thurmond, an outdoor writer from Louisiana, prefished with me the second day of practice. We ran up the Coosa to Jordan Dam in the jet boat and had 30 bites in 2 hours, including a 5 pound and 4 pound spotted bass. No other competitors braved the whitewater rapids to reach Jordan Dam in practice, so I had the honey hole all to myself. I spent the rest of practice learning how to negotiate the infamous Mocassin Gap, the most treacherous piece of water I have ever run in a bass boat.
About 1 mile below Jordan Dam on the Coosa river, Mocassin Gap looks more like trout or salmon water than bass water. It is a section of swift white water with huge rocks, chutes, falls, and danger lurking beneath each swirling section of white water. Under normal water levels, a jet boat is required to reach Jordan Dam. Even with a jet boat, the run is still dangerous. More than a few locals have sunk their boats trying to pass Mocassin Gap. It is the bass fishing equivilent of Donner Pass in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California. An extremely dangerous mountain pass with a "promised land" on the other side.
Why would I take such a risk in the season finale, being just 1 point behind Aton Jones in the BASS AOY race? As I prayed about this tournament, I felt the Lord impressing me to fish this area below Jordan Dam. It felt like the biggest gamble of my career, but I knew if I could get up there safely I would probably win AOY. I figured, going in, that I would either win AOY or knock my lower unit off and bomb out.
I was OK with this plan, because I have learned how to win, and I know winning requires risk. I have learned in life that without risk, there is no reward. I could have played it safe and tried to win AOY that way, but Alton and Mark are too good to beat with a conservative approach. I knew I had to go for the long ball to beat fishermen of their caliber.
The river was on the rise, so I decided to take my Skeeter up Mocassin Gap the first day of the tournament. I told Trip Weldon, BASS Tournament Director and life long Montgomery area resident of my plans to run my Skeeter up there the first day. I could tell by the look in his eyes and his expression I was taking a mighty big gamble. I later learned from some other locals that only one person had ever run a fibergalss boat up through Mocassin Gap. My problem was it was a 1 hour 40 minute one way trip with a jet boat and a 45 minute trip up to Jordan Dam in my Skeeter. I really wanted the extra fishing time as well as the livewells and back up equipment I could carry in my Skeeter.
The first day my partner weighed 15 pounds 6 ounces and I had 15 pounds 15 ounces. I was in 6th place. The place was loaded with big Coosa River spotted bass. We probbly had 35-40 bites the first day. I used my 5/8 ounce Berkley Classic Power Jig for some good fish, but the best bait was a 4" Berkley Tube with a 1/2 ounce bullet weight. The current was so swift I needed a 1/2 ounce to keep the tube on the bottom.
The second day I caught 18 pounds 2 ounces by 10:30 a.m. I noticed the Jordan Dam cutting back their water release, dropping the river 3 feet in 20 minutes. I made a quick decision at 10:30 that final day to leave and make the 40 mile trek back to weigh-in. I had caught what I needed to win and I sure didn't want to take any chance of not getting back. It was my only conservative move all week. But I am glad I did it. I spent the last 4 hours of the tournament day just outside the check-in area just killing time.
It is only by the Grace of God that I have been able to live this dream. And it is only for the Glory of God that I continue to live it. All the success I have had lately is not about me or what a great fisherman I am, it is about being a willing vessel for the Lord Jesus Christ to use to build His Kingdom. He continues to give me a bigger and bigger platform all the time to share His love with the bass fishermen of America.
God made this AOY thing happen for me. How ironic that this was the first year in my career that winning BASS AOY was not a goal for me at the beginning of the season. I figured I would be way too busy meeting my obligations as the 2002 Classic Champion to put the necessary time in to conntend for AOY. I had way less focus on my fishing this year than any other year of my career. I would say I put forth about a 3/4 effort this season compared to past years.
So how can I take the credit for winning AOY? That is how God works. It is now so easy for me to give Him the Glory for winning AOY. I sure can't take credit for it.
I have been praying for a year about what to do with the $100,000 prize money for winning AOY. Two weeks before the tournament, God gave me my answer. I would use all 100K to buy copies of my book, and make them avaiable for free to anyone who would read it. Beginning June 1, 2003 anyone can call 1 866 JAYLURE and order their free copy of my autobigraphy "Jay Yelas, A Champions Journey of Faith, Family and Fishing."
Sure, I could have given the money to a charity or a church or some missionaries, and it would have gone towards a greater good. But for the maximum-good bang for the buck, God wants me to give a free copy of my book to anyone who will read it. What a great way to have a positive impact on the lives of others. After all, that's what all this fishing success is for. It is not for my benefit, but for the benefit of others.
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