By Todd Ceisner
BassFan Editor


Denny Brauer says he feels as good as he has in some time. He’s fishing more now than he ever has before. No, the legendary flipper is not planning to end his semi-retirement and return to regular tour-level competition. He’s perfectly content to wake up every day and have a cup of coffee while looking out over Lake Amistad along the Texas-Mexico border.

Come August, though, Brauer will be back in the limelight as one of the 50 competitors at the Forrest Wood Cup, slated for Wheeler Lake on Aug. 4-7 in Huntsville, Ala.

Brauer has known since last December that he had a spot in the Cup secured. It’ll be his fourth career Cup. His best finish was 8th in 1998, the same year he won the FLW Tour Angler of the Year title.

“I’m actually very excited about it,” he said. “Having semi-retired a few years ago, I didn’t know if I’d get another opportunity like this so having the opportunity to fish against some of the best in the Forrest Wood Cup is very special.”

Since leaving the Elite Series after the 2012 season, he has been a regular on the Southwestern FLW Series circuit, formerly the Texas Division, and posted a win at Toledo Bend in 2013. Last year, he finished 3rd in the division’s Angler of the Year race on the strength of two top-5 finishes (Lake Amistad and Sam Rayburn Reservoir).

When Florida angler Trevor Fitzgerald was ruled ineligible for the upcoming Forrest Wood Cup, Brauer’s 10th-place finish at the Series championship on the Ohio River near Paducah, Ky., put him next in line for an invitation. A 17-time winner in B.A.S.S. competition, Brauer never thought that he’d be back in one of the sport’s marquee events.

“Not really, but I enjoy tournament fishing,” he said. “I don’t enjoy coast-to-coast travel anymore and I’ve had some health issues that told me it was time to slow down. That said, I’ve always had the tournament bug and I enjoy the competition and getting to see the other guys. When I started fishing regionally, I was not thinking that it would lead to something like this, but it’s a nice surprise.”

Prep Work

Brauer’s prep work for the Cup has already begun. He’s working out some and trying to watch what he eats. He’d like to shed a few pounds and be a little more fit so he’s prepared for the harsh and hot summer conditions most are expecting in Huntsville, Ala., in early August.

Brauer will bypass attending ICAST this year and will instead spend time at Wheeler getting reacquainted with the venue where he won the 2003 Southern Open. He’s never fished there in late summer so making a pre-practice trip will be important.

“I’m trying to tone up a little because I know conditions will be tough weather-wise,” he said. “I just hope to have more stamina built up. I have fished there a lot over the years. I know the lake, but I have not fished it during the summer. It will be a new ball game. I know my way around, but I’m hoping to gain some knowledge.”

Brauer has competed in seven tournaments (all B.A.S.S. events) at Wheeler and cashed a check in all but two of them.

“The whole TVA chain has been good to me over the years, but traditionally, we didn’t have a lot of tournaments at that time of year in that part of the country,” he said. “When we get late in the season like that, we’d be up north in New York. Scheduling alone has sheltered me from doing much fishing on that river during the summer. In the end, though, it’ll be basic bass fishing.”

While several qualifiers will be making their Cup debut this year, Brauer is veteran of these sorts of events. He competed in 21 Bassmaster Classics, winning the 1998 event at High Rock Lake, so he knows what it takes to manage all the distractions.

“I think it’s an event where you almost have to learn how to fish and deal with the added media and spectators,” he said. “And if you’re in contention, there’s the anticipation of winning all that money. You have to manage all of that and the more you do it, the less your worry about it. From my perspective, it’s about me and the fish.”

Clean Bill of Health

Part of the reason Brauer stepped away from the Elite Series was his health. He suffered from a number of ailments during his career and had numerous back surgeries and a knee replacement. In 2013, he had a serious health scare when it was discovered a virus had infiltrated his heart. He later endured a bout of pancreatitis and last year, he had his right knee replaced for a second time. He also had one of his shoulders replaced with a titanium joint, which prompted him to joke, “If they let me weigh in all my titanium, I’d win every time.”

Just last week, his cardiologist gave the 67-year-old former bricklayer a clean bill of health.

“(My health) is probably as good as it’s been in 10 years,” he said. “I feel as good as I have in a long, long time. I’m sure I’ll probably be the oldest guy in the (Cup) field and physically, I probably can’t do some of the things I used to, but I’m still as mentally competitive as I’ve ever been. I will approach this tournament no different. I’m not going to look good. I’m going to win and I hope everybody who’s there feels the same way.”

With his extra free time, he’s able to help sponsors work on new product testing more than he had been able to in the past and he’s able to do it at Amistad, where he says the fishing is on the upswing after it experienced a downward cycle.

“I do fish more now than I ever have before in my life,” he said. “Living on Amistad with the temptation of giant bass, it’s hard to resist. I’m sitting here looking out at the lake now actually.

“We’ve had stable water for a couple years. The lake is 24 feet low, but we’ve had good spawns and there’s plenty of cover in the lake between brush and pond weed and hydrilla. There are little fish everywhere, but with that said, there are a lot of 6- and 7-pounders showing up and I think it’s a year or 2 away from being back to the heyday.”

Notable

> Brauer has not been surprised at the recent resurgence of Kevin VanDam. He believes the schedule has benefitted VanDam this season with certain lakes falling at particular times that would favor his strengths.

“I don’t think he ever disappeared,” Brauer said. “I think you get a little snowed under with the success he’s had and all the things pulling at his time. He’s such a good competitor, though, and I know from experience that you can be fishing very well, but catch a couple bad breaks and wind up in 50th. Once in a while things have to line up and with the scheduling, there will be some tournaments that set up right for your strengths. I am not shocked at it. I know he’s capable of getting on a roll and feeding off the success.”