Today’s Throwback Thursday historical photo takes us back to 1985, and a local news story documenting the rise of Denny Brauer.
In the story, Denny mentions how he got set straight in the early 1980s after fishing an early event and doing well. Per the article, he said, “I got humbled in a hurry. I went to Toledo Bend and was scared to put my boat in the water. I didn’t know which stump I would hit first. Roland Martin won that tournament with something like 80 pounds, and I had seven or eight pounds for the three days. I found out I had a lot to learn.”
Of course, he got over any ‘fears’ pretty quickly. By the time of this story, they were crediting 1984 as his “breakthrough year.” He had won the Texas Invitational ($28,000) on Sam Rayburn; Fished his third Classic; Won the made-for-television, eight-man Match Play tournament the previous fall; won the Tennessee Invitational at Chattanooga in May ($28,000); Should have won an Invitational on Truman and another $45,000 if not for breaking off a big bass; and won the U.S. Bass Table Rock Invitational in March 1985, plus big bass, pocketing ($19,000).
“I think the key to what success I’ve had is I am willing to throw any bait. We are put on so many types of water that we can’t get hung up with one method. It might do real good at certain times, but not be consistent,” he was quoted as saying.
On the subject of travel, Brauer stated, “At first it was interesting, and I was like a tourist, but now it’s more like a truck driver and work. It’s definitely a drawback.”
Son Chad was in the picture, only 12 at the time, but they asked Denny about him following in his footsteps. “He’s been exposed to it all. He can read the water and tell you where the fish should be. If he can do that now, what can he do at 20? Two or three years ago, I’d have said no to the idea of him turning pro, but there have been so many changes and it’s expanding so much, that you can make a living and I wouldn’t discourage him.”
That would end up coming true when Chad started fishing professionally on the Bassmaster circuit (full-time) during the 1995/1996 season some 10 years later. Bassmaster records show that he had fished 118 events through 2010, winning just over $386,000, qualifying for 3 Classics, and garnering a win in the 1996 TN Top-100 and another at the 2010 Central Open in LA.
