Entry 111-1
Chad Brauer On Getting A Berth In The Classic
A Game Plan For a Bad Tournament
Editor's Note: To be a Bassmaster Classic contender, you have to have competed against and defeated some of the best bass anglers in the nation, not only in one tournament, but in several. To win a berth in a Classic involves much more than just finding and catching bass. This week we'll look at other elements that have enabled Chad Brauer of Osage, Missouri, to make the 2004 Bassmaster Classic. From reading what has been required to become a Classic contender, you'll learn more about how to be a better bass fisherman, how to catch more bass, and how to become a better tournament-bass fisherman.
Question: What was the worst tournament you've had and why?
Brauer: One tournament of the year was a killer for me. In three days of practice, prior to the tournament, I only had six bites. However, in the last hour of practice I had two bites, and those two bass encouraged me enough to try the same tactic that brought me the two bites on the first day of the tournament and helped get me to the Classic. We had really cold weather for that time of the year, and trying to figure out what the bass were doing and where they should be was extremely difficult.
I think the key for any angler to consistently find and catch fish is to fish as hard as you can for the entire time you have to fish. Most of us have a tendency to quit, leave the lake and go home when the bass aren't biting. However, those are the times that you can often learn the most about how and where to catch non-aggressive bass. Therefore, when bass aren't biting for you, instead of giving up fishing, try different tactics and various lures. If you can ever make those bass bite, then you'll know what to do when you face that same kind of day in the future.
After those three days of practice, I had the least amount of confidence I have ever had going into a bass tournament, but I still finished in pretty good shape. I caught bass really good on the first day of the tournament, and cemented my position in this year's Bassmaster Classic. Even though I was having a bad tournament, I was still able to finish in the top 50, which I thought was really good in a bad tournament.
Also, at this tournament, I felt like I still had a chance to win the Angler-of-the-Year award, if I could catch a really big bag of fish. So, instead of fishing conservatively and possibly moving up to the top 30 and getting a bigger paycheck, I abandoned my small-fish pattern and went out and tried to catch that big bag of fish I needed to possibly win Angler of the Year. I've learned over the years that when I have a chance to go for the win, instead of taking a more-conservative tactic and just trying to finish well, I always go for the win. If you are in a bass tournament, no one knows who came in second. Winning is all that counts.
