Catch of the Month
	--- Berkley Pro Finder --- Ken Cook Keith Kavajecz Gary Klein Larry Nixon Gary Parsons Jay Yelas	""

<*dv_0*>Since turning pro in 1988, Jay Yelas has fashioned a remarkable career as a professional bass angler. On the B.A.S.S. Tour alone, Yelas has amassed 5 victories and 47 "Top 10" finishes, the most notable being his 2002 Bassmaster Classic win in New Orleans, followed by his 1995 win at the Bassmaster Superstars Tournament. Proving his uncanny consistency in catching bass, Yelas has qualified for 12 consecutive Bassmaster Classics. The amicable Texas pro is currently 5th on the B.A.S.S. all-time money list, establishing himself among the sports elite.

Yelas' other Bassmaster victories came at the 2001 Missouri Invitational on Table Rock, the 1993 Maryland Top 100 on the Potomac River, the 1997 Missouri Invitational at Lake of the Ozarks and a 3rd place finish at the 1993 Classic on Logan Martin Lake in Alabama.

The year 2002 has proven to be Jay's best year yet. In it, he not only won the Bassmaster Classic but he also captured the FLW "Angler of the Year" title. This achievement put Jay Yelas at the top of the list in the sport fishing field.

Yelas began his pro career out West, after graduating from Oregon State University in 1987 with a B.S. in Resource Recreation Management. His early accomplishments included a Red Man Tournament of Champions win in 1988 and a "Bass Angler-of-the-Year" title in 1989. In 1990 he relocated to Texas in a strategic move to be closer to the B.A.S.S. tournaments.

Noted as being one of the Tours' most versatile fishermen, Yelas will do whatever it takes to catch bass. His favorite lures, however, are spinner baits, jigs, and crank baits. His biggest bass was an 11-11 from Lake Toho, FL, January 2001, on a 6-inch Berkley Power Lizard. His biggest one-day creel in a tournament...5 bass...36 lbs.-9oz Lake Toho, FL, January 2001 in BASS Florida Top 150 (3rd biggest stringer ever caught in B.A.S.S. tournament history).

	Jay's Tips
		Catching Bass With Gulp! Sinking Minnows When the bass are in shallow grass and not acting too aggressive I like to use a Berkley Gulp! 5-inch Sinking Minnow. Look for grass edges or even holes in the grass where the water is one- to five-feet deep. This is particularly effective near creek channels and when the water is relatively clear. I prefer to use no weight when rigging a Berkley Gulp! Sinking Minnow. Instead I use a large 5/0 hook with the bait Texas rigged with 20-pound test Fire Line. The Sinking Minnow must be rigged on the hook in a perfectly straight line. If not, the bait won't sink right. It's the wiggle as the bait sinks that entices the bites so it has to fall perfectly. A Berkley Gulp! Sinking Minnow can be rigged in varied ways, but to get the perfect fall I rig the bait wacky style. This method is more prone to hang-ups and grass snags and needs to be fished in open water. I carefully watch the line for any signs of a bass picking up the bait. Cast the SinkingMinnow, let it sink to the bottom, twitch it once or twice, then let it sink again. Almost 100% of the bites came on the first or second fall.