Entry 253-4
Denny Brauer Bass Fishing on Clarks Hill Lake
Editor’s Note: Dealing with problems at tournaments, suffering with illnesses and winning even when you lose is a part of the tournament fisherman’s world. In the Bassmaster Elite Series at Clarks Hill Lake, near Augusta, Georgia, on May 1 – May 4, 2008, Denny Brauer had to overcome many obstacles to finish 10th. But in doing, Brauer of Camdenton, Missouri, earned as much money as 3rd place. Now how do you finish 10th in a tournament and win as much as the person who finished 3rd? This week you’ll learn that and plenty more from this Strike King veteran.
Part 4: The Third Day of the Clarks Hill Lake Tournament
Question: So what did you do on the 3rd day of the tournament, Denny?
Brauer: I had to really scramble. I had to look for new water and try different tactics. I was lucky enough to catch two keeper bass early in the morning. I was still able to put together a limit of five, but I didn’t cull a single fish. I had to work hard for the five bass that I caught, and they only weighed 9-pounds total. The other three bass that I caught, I caught on a Strike King Football Head jig.
Question: Denny, what kind of places were you fishing that Football Head jig?
Brauer: I was mainly fishing rocky points. Rocky bottoms are where the Football Head Jig’s design does best. It can come through those rocks without getting hung up like a round-headed jig will. 
Since the third day of the tournament was Saturday, I had another situation to deal with because on the first and second days, hardly anybody was fishing in the areas I was fishing.
But on the third day, there was a major local tournament being held on the water. Most of the competitors were in the region that I was fishing. While there were hardly any contestants from the tournament I was fishing in those spots, they were jam-packed with local anglers participating in the local tournament. I hadn’t really planned on or known about this other tournament, so I felt real lucky to get through the day and end up with a limit of bass.
Question: Denny, how do you deal mentally with having a bunch of spectators fish out in front of you or behind you, or have a local tournament with many local anglers fishing the same places that you’re fishing?
Brauer: I fish the fishermen. By that I mean that I pay attention to the type of water that the anglers around me are fishing, I try to pay attention to the types of lures they’re using, and then I look for places they’re not fishing and probably won’t fish. Instead of searching for schools of bass, I’ll look for spots that are holding one fish and target sites where I expect to catch only one bass.
I try and find enough of those one-fish places to put together a limit of bass and salvage the tournament. The real secret to out-fishing the fishing pressure is to fish where the other people aren’t fishing, use baits they’re not using and instead of looking for schools of fish, find spots that only hold one fish.
Another tactic that I use is if I see a fisherman working a point, I’ll figure that he’s already fished up to three points below that spot he’s fishing. 
So I don’t fish the points he’s already fished. I locate those banks that probably haven’t been fished. I pay a lot of attention to fishing pressure. I look for subtle areas that most fishermen won’t pay any attention to, and that they won’t fish.
Question: Denny, how much weight did you have on the third day of the tournament, and what place were you in going into the fourth day in the tournament?
Brauer: I had 9 pounds and some change, and I dropped to 9th place. But I still made the 12-cut and was still able to fish the last day of the championship. I was a little worried that I might drop out of the top 12, but lucky for me, fishing was tough for everybody, and there weren’t any big stringers.
