Bassmaster’s “Day On The Lake” series was born 26 years ago after an unsuccessful trip to a small public lake where I’d previously caught several big bass. On the drive home, I wondered how a B.A.S.S. pro might have fished that little lake under similar conditions. Having never laid eyes on the lake before, and allowed no practice time, where would he start fishing? What lures would he use, and why would he choose them? How would he adjust his baits and fishing locations if weather conditions changed? I felt a blow-by-blow account of the pro’s day on the lake — a timeline that chronicled his decisions, editor Dave Precht, and he loved it. We agreed that Jay Yelas, one of the hottest B.A.S.S. tournament sticks at the time, would be the ideal guinea pig for our first DOTL challenge. Yelas signed on and met me a few weeks later at that same little lake where I’d hatched the story idea. I couldn’t have scripted the outcome any better. Yelas used his seven-hour time allotment to stage an epic display of bassmanship, successfully altering his lures and approaches throughout the day to address weather changes and bass mood swings. He ended the day with a stunning five-fish limit: 24 pounds, 8 ounces.
