Entry 72-4

Denny Brauer

My Motivation

Editor's Note: Denny Brauer, of Camdenton, Missouri, has had has 64-top-10 finishes and 14 career wins in BASS, with the most recent being the Southern Open at Wheeler Lake. Brauer, the 1998 Bassmaster Classic champion and the 1987 BASS Angler of the Year has fished in 17 Classics and has earned over $1.7 million on the BASS circuit alone. Brauer, the first angler to be on the Wheaties Breakfast of Champions cereal box, is one of the most well-recognized and best-known bass fishermen in the nation.

Question: Denny what really sets you apart and has made you one of the nation's top bass-fishing pros in your opinion?

Brauer: I think the fact that I've never really believed that I've made it has helped me to become successful. I have always had to work really hard at being a good fisherman. My biggest fear, and my biggest motivating and driving force is that I wouldn't be successful, and I'd have to quit the life I love so much. If I had ever had to quit professional bass fishing, I would've been devastated, because I love the sport so much. So, I never allowed myself the luxury of thinking I've made it. I believe when you think you've made it, you start relaxing and you lose the fire that makes you successful.

Question: What other motivating factors did you use in order to attain success as a professional fisherman?

Brauer: The fact that I was basically broke was definitely a motivating factor to make me want to do well in tournaments and win money. But in 1987 I finally got over that hump of having to make enough money to eat, pay my bills and go to tournaments. When I won the Angler-of-the-Year title, in 1987, I felt like then I probably would not be forced out of the sport of fishing because of the lack of income. Sponsors and endorsements at that time were at a level that I felt like I could now concentrate totally on my fishing and not have to fight so hard to pay the bills.

Tournament fishing is a very expensive sport, not only because of the entry fees, but motel bills, food, gas, equipment and all the elements of travel that cost money. Without sponsors who believe in you and who will support you, being a tournament fisherman is really a struggle. In those early days having sponsors who would help me really enabled me to not only continue to fish, but to really devote myself to my fishing, to learn more about bass fishing, and to start doing better in tournaments

Question: Denny, when was your biggest year in fishing?

Brauer: In 1992 and 1993 I was really happy with the way I was fishing. Those were the best two years of my career as a fisherman, although they were not the most financially rewarding. My biggest year as far as dollars earned was of course, the 1998 season. That year I won 4 out of 5 big tournaments. In that year I won the FLW Angler of The Year title, the Bassmaster Classic, my picture was on the Wheaties Breakfast of Champions box. Because of all of those honors and awards, I had a high seven-figure income

Question: Did you ever look back during that time of 1998 and say to yourself, "Wow, I've come a long way from earning $15,000 a year as a bricklayer to making this kind of money"?

Brauer: I've looked back many times over my career to the days of being a bricklayer and almost envied that lifestyle and wished I could go back to the simplicity of it. Life as a professional fisherman can really become hectic. I know that there are many fishermen who look at my lifestyle and say, "Boy, he's got it made." But what they don't see is those thousands and thousands of hours of long, lonely highway driving from tournament to tournament, and the endless stream of airports, headlines, hotel rooms and restaurant food.

There are some things that come with being Denny Brauer, the professional fisherman, that are not always easy to deal with. Don't get me wrong. I have a lot of appreciation for being able to make a living as a fisherman. But I also appreciated my job as a bricklayer. Being a bricklayer is not a bad way to make a living. There are plenty of bricklayers out there, and I was one of them, who totally enjoy what they are doing. If I ever had to go back to that lifestyle, I think I would be perfectly happy laying bricks and going home every night. Happiness is not what you do. It's what you are.

Next: Brauer's Comeback

Contents:

• Part 1: From Brick Laying to Bass Fishing
• Part 2: Me, The Guide
• Part 3: My First Break
• Part 4: My Motivation
• Part 5: Brauer’s Comeback