Entry 264-1

Fishing Isn’t Just About Tournaments with Chad Brauer

Day 1: It Ain’t Just About Tournaments

Question: Chad, I know you’re a TV host, and you’ve fished on the BASS Elite Series. What circuit are you fishing now?

Brauer: I fish on the FLW Series, and we’re about halfway through our season. This is a four-tournament series. I had a good finish at Lake Okeechobee in Florida in the first tournament and a mediocre finish in the second tournament on Lake Wheeler in Alabama. We’ve got a tournament on Lake Champlain and a tournament on Clarks Hill Reservoir remaining.

Question: Chad, you’ve made a transition from being strictly a tournament pro into being a tournament pro/TV host, haven’t you?

Brauer: Yes, I did. I spent my first 10 years after college strictly being a tournament fisherman. In the last 3 years, I’ve transitioned into a part-time tournament fisherman and a full-time TV show host.

Question: How long have you been a member of the Strike King Pro Staff?

Brauer: I’ve been Strike King Pro since I started my professional fishing career about 10-years ago.

Question: Why did you make the move from a full-time tournament pro to a part-time pro, full-time TV host?

Brauer: As a TV host, I have a more-stable income than I had as a full-time tournament pro. As a tournament pro, you don’t know when or where your payday will come. You can work really hard and still not earn very-much money. You can put out that same effort the next year and have a great income. But I’ve really enjoyed having the opportunity to host the “Academy Outdoors” TV show. It’s a 26-week show per year and half of those shows are hunting episodes.

I grew up hunting and fishing, and love to do both. When you’re a full-time fishing pro, you miss out on a lot of hunting opportunities. So this way, I’m able get to continue to be a tournament bass pro, yet part of my income is derived from hunting. When I had the opportunity to host this TV show and get to continue in competitive bass fishing and hunt more, this opportunity was one I couldn’t pass up. Opportunity like this doesn’t come along every day. I wanted to grab it while it was coming by my way.

Question: Chad, one important part of the fishing industry that often an angler misses is that he has the notion that if he’s not a professional tournament pro 24/7, he can’t earn a living in the fishing industry. But that’s not true, is it?

Brauer: You’re exactly right. There are a lot of opportunities for good fishermen who want to work in the fishing-tackle industry, besides being a touring pro. What’s neat about being a bass fisherman is that there are a number of different levels to which you can take your fishing. You can be a weekend fishermen and just enjoy going out with your buddies and catching bass when you can, you can fish club tournaments and begin to work with sponsors, you can fish in state or regional tournaments, and/or you can fish the national circuits. You can earn a full-time living as a fishing-tackle representative working promotions for sponsors, doing TV shows or doing a wide range of other jobs available in the fishing-tackle industry. You can make bass fishing your hobby, part-time job or full-time career.

I fish from four to seven tournaments per year, and my tournament fishing creates a supplemental income to my hosting the TV show. With this system, I still can fish tournaments for fun. Then if I do well in the tournaments, I can make some serious money. When you focus on fishing as your full-time job, you’ll find a number of promotional opportunities you can take advantage of when working for boat, motor and fishing-tackle companies. Quite a few fishermen nationwide make all or a good portion of their living working with sponsors and doing promotions.

I guess the bottom line is that if you really love to bass fish, if you enjoy tournament fishing, if you like people, if you enjoy teaching people how to catch fish, and if you enjoy promoting and selling, there’s plenty of opportunity in our industry. I went to college to learn to be a better bass fisherman and businessman in the bass-fishing industry. For those who prepare themselves, there are jobs for you too in the sport and the industry I love.

Next: I’m Still a Jig Man

Contents:

• Part 1: It Ain’t Just About Tournaments
• Part 2: I’m Still a Jig Man
• Part 3: Fly ‘Em High on the King Shad
• Part 4: Strike King’s Best Sleeper Bait
• Part 5: Why and How Sexy Shad Works to Produce Bass