Photo: Operation Bass A bad back has given Denny Brauer a tough 2 years, but he's turning that around.

Brauer Feels Good Now And About Future

Wednesday, September 26, 2001

After unsuccessful back surgery and 2 years of frustrating fishing literally sitting down, Denny Brauer decided to undergo a third back surgery this summer. So far the surgery seems to be a success, and Brauer feels good about regaining -- and even surpassing -- his top form.

Standing At St. Clair

Since the BASS Masters Classic championship in early August, the only pro tournament has been the BASSMASTER Tour event on Lake St. Clair. Brauer's back was X-rayed before he left and "everything looked good," he says.

But the water at St. Clair was extremely rough, especially the first two days. "I was limited as to what I could do, moving around in rough water, so I committed to stay within a couple of miles of the takeoff site," Brauer says.

That included practice. "I was hoping to have smoother weather, but we didn't have it in practice and I didn't find that much," he says.

During the competition he managed the first day or two standing up, but on the third day he alternated between standing and sitting down. Still, that's "tons better" than before the surgery, notes Brauer's son and fellow pro, Chad.

Tough Finish

Brauer finished 122nd in the St. Clair tournament, with 10 bass weighing 19-10 (the best weight after 3 days was Larry Nixon's 50-01).

"The fish just weren't close (to the ramp) and I didn't do very well," Brauer says. "But I wasn't going to mess up the future on one event so I elected to take my lumps and go on.

"I got off to a pitiful start, needless to say. But I'm able to stand now -- the surgery has helped quite a bit in that way -- and I feel good about the future."

Cancellations No Help

Despite fishing well under his top form, this year Brauer qualified for the FLW Championship on Lake Champlain, and he was scheduled to fish that and the Hudson River BASSMASTER Tour event this month. It would seem that the cancellation of those tournaments would help Brauer rest his back.

But Brauer says, "It's not really helping. I felt I was on potential winning groups of fish at both places, so I was a little disappointed.

"But as far as healing, it's certainly not a negative. Anytime you can give a condition like this more time without getting out there and fishing, you're probably better off.

He's Hungry

Counting St. Clair and practicing for the above tournaments, Brauer says he fished 20 days in a 23-day period. "I've really been trying to get back into shape, and I feel good about it."

But fishing 20 out of 23 days would be exhausting for an Olympic athlete, let alone one that had major back surgery mere months before. "They had me up walking the day after surgery and I've just expanded on that," he says.

That comment is made with Brauer's typically humility. Though he won't say it, that amazing self-imposed schedule is his competitive fire showing.

He walks religiously, and says that right now his legs "are probably in better shape than they've been in the last 10 years. I'm not back to where I was in high school, but I've lost 20 pounds."

He also says he's "more aware of what it's going to take to get back to where I was -- or better than where I was."

Better? "It makes you hungry when you get it taken away from you for a couple of years," he says. No doubt. Watch for Brauer to steadily climb the BassFan.com World Rankings over the next few years.

Brauer was scheduled to have another checkup today.