The 50th Bassmaster Classic® is officially underway on Lake Guntersville, Ala. Fifty-three anglers will give everything they have over the weekend for their chance at $300,000 and a place in bass fishing history. Also on anglers’ minds this week is Yamaha Power Pay.
Yamaha’s new Power Pay contingency program, which launched in the fall of 2019, provides cash bonuses to anglers who place highest in sanctioned salt and freshwater tournaments. This week at the Bassmaster Classic Yamaha Marine could possibly award $50,000 to the highest finishing Power Pay participant; winning the event isn’t a necessity, the angler just has to finish in the top 33 percent of the field.
Darold Gleason and Whitney Stephens are two anglers vying for the $50,000 Yamaha Power Pay bonus. Both anglers qualified for the Classic by winning one of the 2019 Bassmaster Opens events.
Q – What does it mean to have Yamaha Marine launch the Power Pay program and put up such incredible payout opportunities for a myriad of events, including the Bassmaster Classic?
Gleason: “To have a company like Yamaha show this kind of support to our industry is just incredible. It’s definitely made an impression on me, and a lot of other anglers. In fact, this week I’ve had a lot of anglers who aren’t running Yamaha outboards tell me they will be after hearing about the program and the generous payouts.”
Stephens: “It’s awesome to have a chance at a bonus prize of that kind of money. It almost turns this week into two-tournaments-in-one, in my opinion. I already loved my Yamaha outboard, but the Power Pay program has taken that to a whole new level.”
Q – Yamaha Power Pay isn’t only available to the pros; Bassmaster Opens, FLW Toyota Series, select team tournament trails, saltwater, college and even high school anglers are all eligible for bonus earnings. What would you say to someone with a qualified motor that hasn’t signed up yet?
Gleason: “You’d have to be crazy to not sign up! It’s a great way to earn money for running an industry-leading piece of equipment that you need to have anyway. Even more so, the program is still in its early stages, and with all the different events eligible for payouts, there are a lot of opportunities to make some money with Power Pay right now.”
Stephens: “You’ve got to get signed up! I mean look – you don’t have to win a tournament, you don’t have to buy anything separate, and I guarantee you can find a tournament that’s sanctioned that you’d like to enter. You could get paid to fish. What are you waiting for?”
Q – Do you have one maintenance tip you’d give fellow anglers to get the best performance out of their Yamaha outboards?
Gleason: “I don’t do anything special and I’ve had absolutely zero issues with mine. Just keep up with your basic maintenance and you’ll be fine. Change your engine and lower unit oils every 100 hours or so and your Yamaha will run like a dream.”
Stephens: “I like to change my oil at around 20 hours for the first time when I get a new Yamaha broken in. Do that, and you’ll have no issues ever, as far as I’m concerned. There’s not a more reliable motor on the market.”
For more information on Power Pay, complete terms and conditions or to register, visit yamahapowerpay.com or call Chip at (918) 742-6424.
