Entry 111-5
Chad Brauer On Getting A Berth In The Classic
How Chad Brauer Prepares For the Classic
Editor's Note: Preparing for the Bassmaster Classic is unlike preparing for any other bass tournament that an angler may fish. The Classic has more press, more television, more spectators and more distractions than any other tournament does. One of the biggest elements determining the Classic winner is how well the pro handles the distractions. This reason often is why sometimes a Classic contender that no one expects to win will have a better chance of winning than a favorite does. A dark-horse contender usually won't be interviewed as much by the press, won't have TV crews climbing in and out of his boat all day long, won't have a legion of spectator boats spooking his bass and won't have the sponsor pressure that some of the older veterans have. For all these reasons, Chad Brauer just may have a really-good chance to win the 2004 Classic, especially if his prayer for rain works. Let's look at how he will get ready for one of the biggest tournaments in his life.
Question: How will you prepare for the Classic?
Brauer: I really won't start preparing until after the practice, when we can no longer be on the water. The first step in my preparation will be to watch the Weather Channel every day to try and determine what type of weather to expect when I am at the Classic. I will be calling to get lake levels at Lake Wylie to determine whether the water level is coming up or falling just prior to the Classic.
I have started paying more attention to my physical condition too. I have started working out three to four times a week, when I am at home, just to get myself physically prepared for the tournament. I want to lose about 12 pounds before the Classic, because I have learned that by being in better shape and getting my body weight down, I am not physically as tired after a 12- or a 14-hour day as I am when I am a little bit overweight. I will also really concentrate on my tackle, my line, my rods and my reels to make sure all of my equipment is in the best-possible shape it can be in before the tournament begins.
I am excited about the Classic. I've been fishing since I was 2- or 3-years old, and I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to earn a living in a sport that I love like bass fishing. Even though I love bass fishing, I treat it as a job and not as a recreational past time. To make a living at bass fishing, you have to take a lot of the elements out of the sport that makes bass fishing so much fun. For instance, if I'm fun fishing, and the bass aren't biting, I simply go home. But, when I'm at a tournament, and the bass aren't biting, I have still got to work just as hard and fish even harder for 12 to 15 hours, including preparation time before and after the tournament, as I'll fish if the bass are biting, and I'm having a great day.
As a tournament bass fisherman, when I go home, I don't leave my job at the lake. When I get home, I still have to continue to study, practice and work with my equipment. I've learned that my success is directly related to the amount of work I put in to being a bass fisherman. Hopefully if I continue to work hard enough, one day I may win the Classic, become Angler of the Year and earn a very-good living as a bass fisherman.
