Photo: FLWOutdoors.com Jay Yelas isn't conscious of doing anything differently this season, but is fishing better.

Yelas, Hite Rebounding From Last Season

Thursday, February 7, 2002

Jay Yelas has had a good start on both the BASSMASTER and FLW tours this season. That is, he's fishing like he typically does: consistently good on-the- water performance. But last year that wasn't the case.

At the end of the 2000-01 season he finished 59th in the B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year (AOY) race, after finishing 21st and 8th in the two prior seasons. Still, Yelas qualified for the 2001 BASS Masters Classic because he finished first in the Central Invitationals (Opens).

So what happened on the Tour? Yelas doesn't know. He wasn't dealing with any personal or family problems. "I was doing the same routine I've been doing for the last 12 years," he says. "I gave it my full effort last year."

And he isn't doing anything different this season, he says. "Things are just falling into place for me now."

Before the start of the Seminole tournament Yelas was 13th in the B.A.S.S. AOY of the race. And by virtue of his 3rd-place finish in the only FLW tournament fished thus far is 3rd in the FLW AOY standings.

"I'm not conscious of doing anything differently than I did last year," Yelas says. "It's just that the results are a lot better.

"Last year was kind of an anomaly for me -- it was the worst season I've ever had. This year has been back along par for the rest of my career. That happens to everyone in every career," he notes. "You have an off year and don't do as well."

Fish Well, Fish Well Some More

Asked whether his good finish at Okeechobee helps at Seminole even though the bass are acting totally differently, Yelas says, "Yes. It's something you can build off of.

"Anytime you have a good tournament it gives you a boost of fresh confidence and makes you feel like you might be able to get on a roll. If you feel like things are starting to go your way, your confidence level goes up and that's when you can perform your best.

"A bad tournament can be when you're trying to force stuff to happen," Yelas says. "You're not fishing loose and relaxed."

Hite: Serious Practice

Though Yelas' good performance this season has largely been under the radar, Davy Hite's spectacular start to the 2001-02 BASSMASTER Tour season is well- known. He credits preparation in the form of intense pre-fishing for his two wins and one 10th-place finish.

That routine stayed with him at Seminole. In fact, he was so serious about pre- practice he chose to forego the first FLW tournament at Okeechobee because it "was in direct conflict with the pre-fish at Seminole," Hite says. "I got out of it. I lost my deposit and entry fee, but I felt like I had to focus on this tournament." (Hite will fish the rest of the FLWs this season.)

Hite pre-fished 4-5 days at Seminole, which he says is more than normal for him. "Usually after 2-3 days I'm ready to go back home, but I felt I really had to fish (the extra days)," he says. Whether that extra time will help him extricate himself from his day 1 position of 98th place remains to be seen.