Entry 274-4
Chad Brauer Fishes the Wake Shad, the Burner and the Bottom Dweller
Editor’s Note: Chad Brauer of Osage Beach, Missouri, is a tournament fisherman and has been for most of his life, even when in college. In the last few years Brauer has turned more of his attention to hosting the Academy Outdoors Television show, which covers both hunting and fishing. This week, we’ll find out what lures Brauer’s been fishing, why his career has changed, and what’s in the future for him.
Part 4: Bet on the Monkey for Flippin’ and Pitchin’
Question: You’ve mentioned using the Anaconda for flipping and pitching. But I also know that you fish the new Space Monkey.
Brauer: The Strike King Space Monkey is a creature-style bait that fits into those little tight places that I want to flip or pitch and finesse fish. For instance, right after a front moves through, and the bass may be a little lethargic, oftentimes a smaller-profile bait like a Space Monkey will generate more strikes than a jig will.
Question: Why do you like the Space Monkey more than you do other creature baits?
Brauer: New baits like the Space Monkey usually have a different type of action than the other kinds of creature baits do that have been on the market for years. 
The Space Monkey also generates a lot of action on its own, without my having to make the bait move. By the bait being able to move on its own, I can make a much-more subtle presentation and not have to pull the line to make the bait move. Often I’ll get more strikes. The Space Monkey gives me more action than other baits do, and I have to give it less action. I like the green-pumpkin Space Monkey when I’m fishing clear water and the black with blue flake when I’m fishing more-stained water. Most of the time I’ll be fishing the Space Monkey on 20-pound-test fluorocarbon.
Now, if I’m fishing in grass or other types of vegetation, I’ll be fishing braided line. 
But any other time, I prefer fluorocarbon because the fluorocarbon has more sensitivity than the braid. I can detect the strikes better with fluorocarbon than I can with braided line. The reason I like fluorocarbon better than monofilament is because it doesn’t have any memory. So, when I pitch the Space Monkey out, I can feel the bait as it falls from the time it hits the surface till the time it hits the bottom, because there’s no slinky-type action with fluorocarbon and those coils of line that often occur on the surface when you’re fishing monofilament. That action can decrease the sensitivity of the line. Fluorocarbon’s pretty much invisible in the water, and it slides through the cover better than monofilament does.
Next: I’m a Lobster Man
Contents:
- Part 1: Here Comes the Wake
- Part 2: Why the New Spinner Baits are Better
- Part 3: Bet on the Big Snake
- Part 4: Bet on the Monkey for Flippin’ and Pitchin’
- Part 5: I’m a Lobster Manq
