With two 2nd-place finishes and a 6th in the last three FLW Tour events, Jay Yelas is on fire. He also has a stellar record at the Potomac River, site of this week's event.
The Angler of the Year leader might not be able to keep his mind focused entirely on fishing over the next few days, however. His beloved Oregon State Beavers have made the College World Series in Omaha, Neb. for the 3rd straight year, and he's eagerly looking forward to Saturday's opening-round game against Cal State Fullerton.
His alma mater clinched its berth with NCAA Super Regional victories over Michigan on Sunday and Monday.
"I came in early from practice those days to make sure I didn't miss a pitch," he said. "I follow every game all season long – I'm probably the biggest Beaver baseball fan there is.
"(Fishing-wise), it'd probably have been better for me if they'd gotten knocked out. I know I'll find myself thinking about it, but hopefully it won't be too big of a distraction."
He got lucky in one respect – Oregon State plays the late game (7 p.m. ET) on Saturday, so he should be able to watch it in its entirety, even if he makes the Top 10.
When the Beavers won their first-ever national title last year, he was able to attend the best-of-three championship series against North Carolina. He'll be back in Omaha next week if the team advances that far again.
As for the Potomac, he was a dominant figure there in Bassmaster Tour events during the 1990s. His finishes included a win (the 1993 Maryland Top 100), two 2nds, a 5th, a 6th and a 9th.
The California native also announced that he'll be moving back to Corvallis, Ore. this summer after 17 years in Texas. His wife, Jill, hails from there and they have a lot of family in the area.
"It's something we've been working on for awhile. I told her back then, 'Let's move to Texas because I want to be a bass pro.' Now she's saying, 'Let's move back home and you can still be a bass pro.' We figure that I've paid my dues in Texas.
"We'll try to get most of it done before the (Forrest Wood Cup) so we can get everybody settled and the kids can meet other kids before school starts and stuff like that. It's going to be a busy summer."
