A Day To Remember, A Day To Forget

Unlike sports such as golf, tennis, or boxing, any one of us ordinary guys, on any given day, has a chance to go fishing and do better than the best of the best. By the same token, though, fish, with their pea-sized brain, also can frustrate the best of the best. Why is this? Because, as noted by then Bassfan managing editor (now senior editor) John Johnson, "Fish want what they want, when they want it, and if you ain't got it, you're in big trouble on that particular day."

Look no further than Jay Yelas. On a day back in 2009, this pro was fishing a Guntersville FLW Tour event. At the time, he was a guy who already owned AOY titles on both major circuits, as well as a Bassmaster Classic victory. Yet, on Day 1 of the Guntersville event, he couldn't have...in the words of John Johnson..."caught his breath with the aid of an aqualung." To compound matters, he was having to watch his co-angler, Fred Martin (top right), boat one 5-pounder after another. Yelas, despite being an upbeat guy, had to admit the whipping was painful.

"Not that Martin was competing against Yelas, mind you, either in reality or even in his own mind," continued Johnson. A cosmetologist from Little Rock, AR, Martin had fished the tour as a co-angler for six years and competed as a pro on the Eastern FLW Series. He knew the game, had been paired with Yelas before and had gotten along well. Furthermore, he wouldn't have minded a bit if Yelas had caught a bag as big as his...or even a little bigger.

"On this day, however, Martin had something the fish wanted, and Yelas didn't," said Johnson. The what was an off-brand lipless crankbait that he'd bought in Texas while visiting his sister. "Wherever he goes, he hits every tackle retailer he can find, in search of any obscure piece of equipment that might give him an edge in his next tournament," Johnson added. "Martin was pretty sure he had purchased this particular rattlebait from Academy Sports. It looked good on the store rack and when pulled through the fish tank he keeps at home for lure-evaluation purposes, so he added a couple of them to his arsenal for the Tour opener."

What made that bait so much more effective this particular day was anyone's guess. Bottom line, though: Yelas had to borrow it to catch the lone Day 1 fish he weighed in...a 5-pounder that completed a nice set of sextuplets when combined with the five Martin caught. It should be noted here that he borrowed Martin's entire setup...rod, reel, line, and lure...to prevent a skunk.

On Day 2, Martin was paired with another pro (who shall go unnamed), and that guy also wanted to try the magic rattlebait after seeing it produce a couple more chunks for its owner. A mighty cast later, though, resulting in a nasty backlash, was followed by one of those oh-so-familiar popping sounds to pros and amateurs alike.

As noted by Johnson in his Bassfan article, "When the lure hit the water for the last time, its physical connection to anything human had been severed."

You probably remember that Martin had come to Guntersville with two of those baits...whatever they were. As luck would have it, however, he loaned the other to his good friend and fellow co-angler Tyrone Phillips, who unfortunately surrendered it to the lake on Day 2 as well. Phillips, who zeroed on Day 1, had caught four fish for 14-13 that second day before losing the bait.

"Without his secret weapon, Martin struggled on Day 3 (the final day for co-anglers)," said Johnson, "and he ended up in 8th place. He said he has more of those baits at home, but one must wonder if any ever will produce again like that day at Guntersville.

"Probably not, but nobody knows for sure. And that's the beauty of fishing right there," concluded Johnson.