Entry 287-2
Denny Brauer Predicts How the Strike King Pros Will Do in the 2009 Classic
Editor’s Note: With the 2009 Bassmaster Classic only a few weeks away in Shreveport, Louisiana, on the Red River, Strike King asked its pro Denny Brauer to analyze the conditions that the four Strike King Pros, who will be fishing the Classic – Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Michigan; Shaw Grigsby of Gainesville, Florida; Mark Davis of Mt. Ida, Arkansas; and Greg Hackney of Gonzales, Louisiana – will face. A professional angler for 28 years, Brauer has fished with and against these pros during their careers. Brauer, who has participated in 19 Bassmaster Classics since 1980 and took home first place in 1998, was also named Angler of the Year in 1987.
Part 2: Shaw Grigsby
Question: How do you think Shaw will fish in the 2009 Bassmaster Classic?
Brauer: I give Shaw a really-good chance to win this tournament for several reasons. Shaw’s from Florida, and to consistently catch bass in Florida, you have to know how to fish slowly. If the Red River has cold, windy and muddy conditions, the contestants will need to pick the cover apart to get the bass to bite. So, those types of conditions will play to Shaw’s strengths. Another factor is that Shaw is extremely deadly if he’s fishing vegetation, another characteristic of Florida lakes. Shaw’s a great flipper and pitcher, and he can pick grass apart as well as any man I know.
I don’t think Shaw will have nearly as much spectator pressure as some other anglers will, like Kevin VanDam.There are so many people expecting Kevin VanDam and Greg Hackney to win this tournament, that those two fellows will have much-more spectator pressure on them than Shaw will have on him.Shaw may be one of those anglers who’s overlooked in the tournament, but Shaw has proven over the years that he can win any tournament on any lake on any day. Under bad-weather conditions, don’t be surprised to see Shaw Grigsby up there with the leaders.
Question: If the weather and the water play to Shaw’s strength of flipping, pitching and picking cover apart, what lures do you think he’ll use?
Brauer: Shaw can fish any lure, but I know he’s a really-good flipper and pitcher. I’ve had to fish head-to-head against him in tournaments before, and I’ve seen him work with a flipping stick. If the water’s clear and warm, Shaw may be fishing a Strike King Z Too and some of Strike King’s shallow-running crankbaits. But if the weather’s bad, I’ll bet on Shaw’s flipping stick. Shaw is a master of flipping soft plastics and putting those soft-plastic lures in many different spots on the same piece of cover. He’s deadly with Strike King’s Rage Craw and the Space Monkey. If he finds shallow wood and vegetation that’s holding bass, he’ll be a real threat to win.
Question: How will Shaw handle the spectator pressure?
Brauer: Shaw won’t have any problems with spectators, and he’s extremely level-headed. But if on the tournament’s last day Shaw has a chance to win, the pressure of winning his first Bassmaster Classic may get to him. 
Shaw’s never won a Classic, and I’m sure he feels like his resume as a fisherman is really lacking because he doesn’t have a Classic win. So, under those conditions, Shaw may start piling pressure on himself that he doesn’t need to do.
I believe the pressure that Shaw may put on himself will be a greater problem to Shaw than spectator pressure, because he knows how to handle and deal with spectator pressure. You’ve got to remember that, all four of the Strike King Pros in the 2009 Bassmaster Classic have competed in previous Classics. They know what to expect and how to deal with the pressure. So, I really don’t think spectator pressure will be a factor for any of these Strike King Pros.
Next: Mark Davis
Contents:
- Part 1: Kevin VanDam
- Part 2: Shaw Grigsby
- Part 3: Mark Davis
- Part 4: Greg Hackney
- Part 5: Denny Brauer on Classic Pressures
