In the trenches of tournament bass fishing, where the water’s murky and the stakes are high, guys like Grant Kelly don’t just chase fish — they chase a life that’s raw, real and unfiltered.
Kelly, a hard-charging angler and entrepreneur, ditched a steady gig in mechanical engineering to dive headfirst into salvaging old boat parts. It’s a move that smells like gasoline and freedom — and it’s all wrapped up in his unbreakable bond with Yamaha outboards.
But the real kicker? Yamaha’s Power Pay contingency program: It offers a sweet payout for running their motors and finishing strong. It’s turned Kelly’s hustle into cold, hard cash, proving that betting on reliability can beat playing it safe.
Kelly spent a decade crunching numbers and tweaking designs as a mechanical engineer. It was a solid job with benefits and the whole nine yards. But his heart was always out on the water, elbow-deep in grease and guts of outboard motors.
“I spent 10 years in mechanical engineering, and now I recycle outboard motor parts for a living because I love working with my hands,” Kelly says. “I always wanted to do this, and today is exactly one year of self-employment. I absolutely love working on boats, learning about all the different motors and how they work.”
Kelly’s shop is a graveyard of rusted hulls and salvaged engines, where he pieces together rigs that can take a beating and keep running. It’s hard work; the kind that leaves oil under your nails but a smile on your face.
It’s not just about turning wrenches; it’s about smart choices in a sport where new boats can cost more than a small house.
“The cost of new boats is so high,” Kelly explains. “From the contingency standpoint, do I want to spend money buying a brand-new boat or do you find an older hull that’s in good shape and repower with a Yamaha? That’s what I chose to do.”
And repower he did. Kelly sold his 2022 hull, scooped up a battle-tested 2016 model and stripped it bare.
“I rerigged it with a new motor, trailer and had very little money in the boat,” he recounts. “My perspective is, I have a good, structurally sound rig and a new motor. I have more contingency eligibility now with a boat that is six years older and much more affordable.”
Why Yamaha? Kelly’s been loyal to the brand for years.
“I’ve run a Yamaha since 2009. Every single boat I’ve owned has had a Yamaha on it,” he says flatly.
And for good reason. In the world of tournament fishing, where a motor cough can cost you a paycheck, reliability is king.
“I love the reliability, the fuel economy and it’s super quiet. The maintenance is super easy too. Everything is accessible, your fuel filters and spark plugs are so easy to get to. You really don’t have to be an engineer to learn how to take care of the maintenance yourself.”
Kelly’s point lands hard: Yamaha builds motors for the everyman, not just the pros. They’re tough, efficient and whisper-quiet when the dawn is breaking and the bass are finicky.
Enter Yamaha Power Pay, the contingency program that can add dollars to your tournament check. For anglers running Yamaha outboards, it’s simple: Register, rig up with a qualified Yamaha outboard, place high and collect bonuses that stack up fast.
Kelly jumped in midseason and hasn’t looked back.
“I joined Yamaha Power Pay in June. I’ve since fished in two tournaments and earned extra money in both,” he admits. “If I had joined earlier, there’s no telling how much money I would have won.”
In a sport where entry fees can sting and travel eats your wallet, contingencies can mean the difference between breaking even and walking away with some extra money.
What makes Power Pay a game-changer? It’s tailored for the working-class angler, the one piecing together rigs from scraps while dreaming of the big stage. Kelly’s story screams that truth.
“I can’t believe I waited this long to sign up,” he reflects.
Kelly’s journey from cubicle to cockpit embodies the fishing life’s raw appeal. Salvaging parts isn’t glamorous; it’s sweat-soaked shirts and late nights under shop lights. But paired with Yamaha’s bulletproof motors and Power Pay’s cash incentives, it’s a formula for success. He’s not just surviving — he’s thriving, one rebuilt rig at a time.