Top Bass Fisherman Denny Brauer Tells How He Picks the Lures He Fishes Year-Round
Finesse Fishing – A Style Denny Brauer Doesn’t Enjoy
 Editor’s Note: Denny Brauer of Camdenton, Missouri, one of the most-successful tournament bass fishermen in the world today, has earned over $2 million in tournament winnings from fishing BASS and other tournament circuits. Although there are many great flippers on the BASS circuit, Brauer is known as one of the all-time best. “I flip because I want to fish spots most bass fishermen won’t fish,” Brauer says. “I fish to win every tournament I enter, and fishing thick cover with big baits gives me the greatest odds to catch big bass and win tournaments.” But Brauer also flips tubes, creature baits and many othe r types of lures to catch bass. To become a better flipper, we asked Brauer to tell us how he decides when and what lures to flip.
Question: Denny, what’s your opinion of the shaky-head worm?
Brauer: I don’t fish it very often, and shame on me for not fishing it more. The shaky-head worm is a productive way to catch bass, and the people who fish it and consistently fish it catch a number of bass, especially the Strike King Shaky Head with little worms. But my mentality says that when I have to start fishing finesse baits, like the shaky-head worm, crappie jigs, little-bitty crankbaits, tiny jigs and other smaller lures, I’m committing myself to not winning a tournament. It’s easy for me to flip and pitch, but I’m just not comfortable fishing for little bass with little lures. Don’t get me wrong. The shaky-head lure is deadly effective for catching bass, and that technique often will catch bass when nothing else works. But if you look back at the tournament records, very rarely will you ever see a tournament won using a shaky-head worm or any of the other finesse tactics. Here’s the way I look at it. When I see a lot of tournaments being won by contestants with spinning rods in their hands and fishing shaky-head worm and other finesse tactics, then I may reevaluate what’s required to win a tournament and get out a spinning rod like other competitors. I’ll start drop-shotting and fishing the finesse worm  and using all those little tactics. Right now, I don’t see that happening, unless we go to a lake like Lake Erie. I fish to win. Even though Strike King makes great finesse baits, I rarely, if ever, use them, because they don’t apply to my style of fishing or my fishing mentality. 
Remember that Denny Brauer is not the only fisherman for whom Strike King makes lures, and my style of fishing is not the only way to catch bass or win tournaments. If that was true, I should win every tournament I fish. But because each fisherman is different, and every fisherman has his own favorite style and philosophy of fishing, Strike King has to produce lures for a wide range of fishermen. So, just because I don’t use certain lures or tactics doesn’t mean those other lures and tactics aren’t just as effective, and in some situations, more effective, than what I do. But I believe in dancing with the date you’ve brought to the party, and flipping and pitching using big crankbaits, spinner baits and power fishing have enabled me to make a good living in the fishing business for many years. So, I don’t think I’ll change my attitude or my style of fishing.
Tomorrow: What Denny Brauer Considers When He Picks a Spinner Bait for Bassing
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