Entry 74-4
Fishing With Chad Brauer
When A Lure Stops Producing
Editor's Note: Chad Brauer of Osage Beach, Missouri, son of fishing pro Denny Brauer, has grown up in a fishing family and has fished professionally for almost a decade. Brauer has made a name for himself on the professional bass-fishing circuit, finishing in the top-10 in many tournaments, and has competed in the Bassmaster Classic. This week he discusses with us how he reels in success in situations where most fishermen want to bring in their reels.
Question: What do you do when the lure you’ve been fishing stops producing fish?
Brauer: If the lure or the technique I’m fishing stops being effective, I’ll switch techniques so that I’ll stay in the same area, but utilize a different approach to get the fish to bite. The next thing I’ll try is to move deeper or shallower. If that doesn't pay off, if I have confidence in another area, I may move there. You have to go with what the situation dictates. Deciding when to switch and when to stay with what we’ve been doing is the toughest decision fishermen have to make because there is no right or wrong answer. You just have to go with your gut instinct. It’s frustrating when there's not a textbook to follow, and you can only rely on experience.
Question: What if there’s someone sitting in your fishing hole?
Brauer: When that happens, you’re awfully disappointed. Ideally, I fish patterns more than spots. I try to get a feel of what the fish are doing in different areas throughout the day so I don't stay in one spot too long. There are lakes in the country where that isn't what you need to be doing to win, and sometimes you end up sharing hotspots with other fishermen. When that happens, you pay attention to what the other guy is doing so you don’t throw the same baits. You want to work the water differently from your competitor, to catch the fish that he misses. If the other guy is catching more, pay attention to what bait he’s using and throw the same thing.
Contents:
- Part 1: Cloud Cover Fishing
- Part 2: Fishing the Unexpected
- Part 3: Muddy-Water Fishing
- Part 4: When a Lure Stops Producing
- Part 5: Fishing Un-Ideal Conditions
