Entry 288-3
Making Critical Decisions with Chad Brauer
Editor’s Note: Chad Brauer of Osage Beach, Missouri, longtime member of the Strike King professional bass fishermen’s team, has competed in numerous bass-fishing tournaments and been in the outdoors for most of his life. Most anglers want to catch the most bass and the biggest bass in the least amount of time, whether in a tournament, filming a TV show or just hanging out with their buddies. This week, Brauer will tell us how he makes critical decisions while bass fishing and hosting the “Academy Outdoors Show” on TV.
Part 3: To Move or Not to Move, That’s the Question
Question: Chad, how do you decide to leave biting bass to pinpoint bigger or more bass?
Brauer: I make that decision before I get on the water. I decide what kind of fish I need for that day, whether it’s for a TV show or to win a tournament. I try to set a goal weight for the day and determine whether I can win by catching 18 pounds, or if I’ll need a bag of fish weighing 22 pounds or more to win. If within the first 2 or 3 hours of a tournament, I catch bass weighing a total of 10 to 12 pounds, but I need 20 pounds to do well in the tournament, I’ll stay with that school of fish for 30 minutes to 1 hour to try to catch larger bass. If I don’t catch any larger bass, I’ll move.
I’m more of a pattern fisherman. I’d rather catch bass at four or five-different spots than find one place with a lot of bass and stay there. If by running the pattern I’ve decided to run for the day to catch my goal weight, I may have to leave that pattern or area to search for bigger bass. I may look for thicker cover holding bigger bass, which will require my using a bigger lure.
Setting a goal weight for the day is the best tactic a fisherman can employ. Many times a goal weight will tell you how, where and what lure you need to fish to win. 
Base your goal weight on a reasonable expectation for your location. Research on the Internet to learn the weigh-in weights of bass of the first five-place winners on that lake during the month you’ll be fishing there. From that information, you can tell the reasonable expected weight of a five-fish limit during the time you’ll be on that lake. Knowing the weight you need to catch each day on a lake will let you know whether you should leave the bass you’re catching or the pattern you’re fishing to move and catch more or bigger bass.
