Jay Yelas likes to say he’s the only Oregonian who has made a career as a professional bass fisherman.
Yelas started competing right out of college and made his living as a competitive bass fisherman for 35 years, racking up titles including 2002 Bassmaster Classic Champion, 2003 Bassmaster Angler of the Year and 2003 ESPN Best Outdoor Sport Athlete.
“I feel very fortunate to live in a country where you can chase your dreams as a young man,” he said. “Even something as odd as being a professional bass fisherman.”
Now, Yelas is sharing his love of the sport with kids all over the country.
Yelas heads C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation, a Salem-based organization that puts on about 100 fishing events each year for disabled and disadvantaged children and their families.
“The foundation is really all about celebrating the kids in our community with special needs,” he said. “Fishing is just the vehicle to bless those kids and give them a special day.”
Jay Yelas was hooked on fishing at an early age
Yelas still remembers the first bass he caught.
“I was like 5 years old, standing on my grandfather’s boat dock,” he said. “Cast out to the left side of the dock using a topwater lure and a bass came up and ate the lure. I was able to catch that fish.”
That same year, his other grandfather took him on a charter boat out of Depoe Bay.
“We went out trolling for salmon in the ocean. And I still remember to this day what we caught. I remember how the wind changed directions from the south to the north,” Yelas said.
“I fell in love with it and still love it to this day,” he said.
Yelas was born in Honolulu, and moved to Santa Barbara at age 12. He and his parents, both educators, spent every summer with his grandparents in Lincoln City, on the Oregon coast.
He knew he wanted a career as a professional bass fisherman, but his parents insisted he earn a college degree first.
In 1987, he graduated from Oregon State University’s College of Forestry and immediately started his fishing career.
“The whole time I was in college I had my heart set on trying to be a professional bass fisherman as soon as I graduated,” he said. “And I’ve never used my degree for anything.”
Yelas spent the first part of his career living in Texas, to be closer to most of the fishing tournaments. In 2007, he moved to Corvallis, flying back and forth to tournaments.
In 2005, Yelas joined the C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation’s board of directors, and in 2015, he took over as the organization’s executive director.
Yelas retired from professional bass fishing in 2022, and now spends his time running the foundation.
“I love it,” he said. “It’s an opportunity to share my love for fishing with children that are less fortunate.”
C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation aims to give kids a memorable day
C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation was formed in 1991 and became a nonprofit in 1994.
It has nine employees around the country and puts on events in 26 states.
Events are free and are open to the first 40 participants who register online.
A typical event includes about three hours of fishing,
“A lot of them catch their first fish of their life, or touch their first fish,” Yelas said.
That’s followed by a lunch for participants and their families, as well as volunteers. Then, there’s an awards ceremony for the kids.
“Each child receives an award plaque with their photo, and everybody cheers for them. The kids get to come up to the front of the group and have an opportunity to talk into a microphone and address the crowd,” Yelas said. “We want them to leave with a full heart and a big smile on their face and have a memorable day.”
Brent Norlander has volunteered for the organization for about eight years and has coordinated Willamette Valley events for about four years.
“It’s just a cool organization. Great hearts, everybody. It’s just super fun to get out there and just love on these kids,” Norlander said.
“A lot of these kids with some challenges with abilities, they kind of try to fit in places. This is fun because it’s all about them. They’re center stage. We cater everything to them,” he said. “You can just see it in their faces. One smile makes the whole thing worth it.”
Jay Yelas likes to say he’s the only Oregonian who has made a career as a professional bass fisherman.
Yelas started competing right out of college and made his living as a competitive bass fisherman for 35 years, racking up titles including 2002 Bassmaster Classic Champion, 2003 Bassmaster Angler of the Year and 2003 ESPN Best Outdoor Sport Athlete.
“I feel very fortunate to live in a country where you can chase your dreams as a young man,” he said. “Even something as odd as being a professional bass fisherman.”
Now, Yelas is sharing his love of the sport with kids all over the country.
Yelas heads C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation, a Salem-based organization that puts on about 100 fishing events each year for disabled and disadvantaged children and their families.
“The foundation is really all about celebrating the kids in our community with special needs,” he said. “Fishing is just the vehicle to bless those kids and give them a special day.”
Jay Yelas was hooked on fishing at an early age
Yelas still remembers the first bass he caught.
“I was like 5 years old, standing on my grandfather’s boat dock,” he said. “Cast out to the left side of the dock using a topwater lure and a bass came up and ate the lure. I was able to catch that fish.”
That same year, his other grandfather took him on a charter boat out of Depoe Bay.
“We went out trolling for salmon in the ocean. And I still remember to this day what we caught. I remember how the wind changed directions from the south to the north,” Yelas said.
“I fell in love with it and still love it to this day,” he said.
Yelas was born in Honolulu, and moved to Santa Barbara at age 12. He and his parents, both educators, spent every summer with his grandparents in Lincoln City, on the Oregon coast.
He knew he wanted a career as a professional bass fisherman, but his parents insisted he earn a college degree first.
In 1987, he graduated from Oregon State University’s College of Forestry and immediately started his fishing career.
“The whole time I was in college I had my heart set on trying to be a professional bass fisherman as soon as I graduated,” he said. “And I’ve never used my degree for anything.”
Yelas spent the first part of his career living in Texas, to be closer to most of the fishing tournaments. In 2007, he moved to Corvallis, flying back and forth to tournaments.
In 2005, Yelas joined the C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation’s board of directors, and in 2015, he took over as the organization’s executive director.
Yelas retired from professional bass fishing in 2022, and now spends his time running the foundation.
“I love it,” he said. “It’s an opportunity to share my love for fishing with children that are less fortunate.”
C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation aims to give kids a memorable day
C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation was formed in 1991 and became a nonprofit in 1994.
It has nine employees around the country and puts on events in 26 states.
Events are free and are open to the first 40 participants who register online.
A typical event includes about three hours of fishing,
“A lot of them catch their first fish of their life, or touch their first fish,” Yelas said.
That’s followed by a lunch for participants and their families, as well as volunteers. Then, there’s an awards ceremony for the kids.
“Each child receives an award plaque with their photo, and everybody cheers for them. The kids get to come up to the front of the group and have an opportunity to talk into a microphone and address the crowd,” Yelas said. “We want them to leave with a full heart and a big smile on their face and have a memorable day.”
Brent Norlander has volunteered for the organization for about eight years and has coordinated Willamette Valley events for about four years.
“It’s just a cool organization. Great hearts, everybody. It’s just super fun to get out there and just love on these kids,” Norlander said.
“A lot of these kids with some challenges with abilities, they kind of try to fit in places. This is fun because it’s all about them. They’re center stage. We cater everything to them,” he said. “You can just see it in their faces. One smile makes the whole thing worth it.”
From June through October, Yelas travels nearly every weekend attending events.
In the winter, he works on planning and recruiting partners and sponsors. The organization is funded through donations and grants, as well as revenue from several auctions it puts on.
Yelas is exceedingly humble, Norlander said.
“As far as fishing goes, he was literally a world champion,” he said. “Down south he gets mugged like a famous person. Up here, nobody knows who he is.”
“He is the top of the top, and as far as his heart and his drive and his desire to help out kids, it’s pretty special. He’s just a fantastic person,” Norlander said.
In Oregon, events are held in Canby in May, in Roseburg, Medford and Jefferson in June, in Newport and Prineville in July, and in Forest Grove in September.
