Entry 290-1
Denny Brauer - My Favorite Ways to Fish
Editor’s Note: Denny Brauer has proven his prowess on the professional bass-fishing circuit, and he’s a nationally-known TV host. In any tournament he fishes, he’s a threat to win, and he often wins big. Denny never fishes to place or show; he always fishes to win. And he’s developed techniques to use that have made him one of the best bass fishermen in the nation. This week, let’s look at the tactics, strategies and lures that have aided Brauer’s winning ways and learn why he prefers to fish them.
Part 1: Denny Brauer – The Flipping King
Question: Denny, if you could use only one style of bass fishing and tactic, what would that be and why?
Brauer: Every fisherman knows what his strengths are. By that I mean he knows the lure, the type of cover and the kinds of water and weather conditions he needs to have to have the best opportunity to win. Historically for me, when the water, the weather, the cover and the fishing conditions are right, I fish best with the flipping technique.
Question: Denny, what type of conditions do you believe are best for your kind of fishing?
Brauer: I like to fish in dirty water and heavy cover with my 1/2-ounce Denny Brauer Pro Model Jig, 60-pound-test braided line and a stout 7-foot, 6-inch medium-action flipping stick and bait-casting reel.With those conditions and that type of cover, I believe I have a solid shot to win a tournament.
Question: Denny, what is it about flipping and fishing in heavy cover that makes this tactic the most productive for you?
Brauer: Big bass like to live in heavy cover where they’ll get very little, if any, fishing pressure in areas where most fishermen won’t fish. 
I believe that big bass are most likely to bite in this type of cover when you present big baits that drop right in front of their noses really quickly. Therefore, if that big bass is sitting in a brush top where most fishermen never fish, and I drop my Strike King jig right in front of its nose without giving the fish time to think or look, the fish will suck that jig in quickly, without ever having to move.Then I can use my 60-pound-test line to wrestle the bass out of the cover.
Question: Denny, why is this technique of fishing your favorite?
Brauer: I don’t really like to use the word favorite, because my favorite way to fish is whatever technique is catching the most and biggest fish wherever I’m fishing on a particular day. Having said that, any athlete prefers to use a technique or a style that’s proven to be successful and reliable for him or her. 
Success breeds confidence, and confidence makes you fish harder and better and will allow you to concentrate more.When you’re confident in a technique and a lure, you’re expecting to get a bite every time you use that technique and lure.
Therefore you’ll set the hook faster, make fewer mistakes, and every time you set the hook, you believe your chances of landing a bass are better. Then generally you’ll get a fish in your boat. If you don’t have confidence in a lure, you won’t concentrate as hard and often make more mental mistakes. I believe in the flipping technique and the Strike King jigs to produce big bass and help me win and place well in tournaments. For me, I’ve proven this style of fishing is one on which you can bet.
Contents:
- Part 1: Denny Brauer - The Flipping King
- Part 2: Flipping with a Strike King Jig
- Part 3: Learn from Your Successes
- Part 4: Denny Brauer Likes the 4S Crankbait
- Part 5: Something Different - The Sexy Spoon
