BassMasters
Brauer Scores Dramatic CITGO BassMaster Win
Blaukat Falls Short by 1 Ounce at Lake Eufaula
by B.A.S.S. Communications
05/11/2002 – EUFAULA, AL. …. It may have been the CITGO BASSMASTER Tour season finale, but Denny Brauer hopes that it signals a bright, new beginning for a career gone sour.
The 53-year-old Missouri pro had won every major honor in competitive fishing, including the BASS Masters Classic championship, B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year award, 13 victories, as well as making 17 Classic appearances and earning more than $1.5 million.
But the last two seasons have been frustrating for Brauer, who has been somewhat debilitated with a back injury despite three surgeries and a lengthy rehabilitation. During that time, he has not threatened to win a tournament or even make a run at another Classic appearance.
So you can imagine Brauer’s emotions when the scales stopped spinning Saturday on the weigh-in stage of the $478,000 Alabama CITGO BASSMASTER Tour event on Lake Eufaula, indicating that his final-round catch had put him 1-ounce ahead of his nearest competitor. That 12-pound, 14-ounce five-bass limit gave Brauer a four-day total of 55-13 and secured the $110,000 top prize.
But this was about more than money.
“I don’t know what to say,” Brauer said, battling his emotions. “It’s just been an awesome week after an awful year. It’s been an embarrassing year the way I’ve fished. But this means an awful lot, and it gives me momentum for next year.
“The biggest thing was that I just didn’t give up.”
While the 90-degree temperature and relentless sun seemed to hamper both man and bass during the tournament, Brauer said the heat actually helped loosen his back throughout the week.
His success came a 1/2-ounce Strike King jig pitched to lily pads and willow bushes in 3 to 4 feet of water. He only had a single bass at noon Saturday, but finished strong enough to pull out one of the most important victories of his illustrious career.
“This was a good shot for me mentally,” Brauer said. “I’m going to spend some time with the doctors getting my back worked on, and hopefully come strong next season.”
Randy Blaukat’s frustration was not just that he came up 1 ounce short (with 55-12), but that he had the winning bass on the end of his line several times. On Saturday, the 40-year-old Missouri pro caught seven keeper-sized bass, but lost six others – including a 4- to 5-pounder that he hooked on two consecutive casts.
“That makes coming in second even more disappointing ,” he said. “I had more bites today than I had all tournament, but I didn’t execute.”
Blaukat caught most of his bass on a Megabass’ Pop-X topwater plug, as well as a Luck ‘E’ Strike tube and crawfish.
Newly crowned Angler of the Year Davy Hite of South Carolina brought Saturday’s largest catch to the scales (16-5) to finish third (55-9), followed by Arkansas’ Ron Shuffield (55-1) and Dan Morehead of Kentucky (50-7). Hite’s catch was anchored by the day’s biggest bass (5-4).
“It’s just been an awesome year,” said Hite, who won two tournaments and reached the top-10 finals in four of the six Tour events this season. “I wish I could freeze time in the moment.
“I was really concerned with winning Angler of the Year this week, and never even thought about having a chance to win the tournament. I won Angler of the Year yesterday, and I went fishing today completely relaxed.”
Classic qualifiers from the Tour include: Hite; Kevin VanDam, Michigan; Tim Horton, Alabama; Mark Davis, Arkansas; Larry Nixon, Arkansas; George Cochran, Arkansas; Bud Pruitt, Texas; Chuck Economou, Florida; Roland Martin, Florida; Dustin Wilks, North Carolina,; Alton Jones, Texas; Gary Yamamoto, Texas; Edwin Evers, Oklahoma; David Wharton, Texas; Carl Maxfield, South Carolina; Kotaro Kiriyama, Japan; Mike Wurm, Arkansas; Rick Lillegard, New Hampshire; Kelly Jordon, Texas; Kevin Wirth, kentucky; Scott Rook, Arkansas; Tom Biffle, Oklahoma; Randy Howell, Alabama; Michael Iaconelli, New Jersey; Robert Lee, Calfornia; Jay Yelas, Texas; Tommy Martin, Texas; Gary Klein, Texas; John Murray, Arizona; Frank Scalish, Ohio; O.T. Fears, Oklahoma; and David Walker, Tennessee.
Classic qualifiers from the Western Open Division: Aaron Martens, California; Jack Gadlage, Nevada; Luke Clausen, California; and Mike O’Shea, California. Eastern Open qualifiers: Chris Daves, Virginia; Jason Quinn, South Carolina; Jeff Coble, North Carolina; and Tracey Scroggins, Florida; Central Open qualifiers: Todd Faircloth, Texas; Brent Chapman, Kansas; Charlie Hammack, Texas; Jimmy Mize, Arkansas; and Stephen Browning, Arkansas.
Virginia’s Woo Daves qualfiied automatically as the 2000 Classic champion.
Qualifying from the CITGO B.A.S.S. Federation Championship: Ken Christ, Missouri; Ron Colby, Utah; Erhardt Tulgestka, Michigan; Jamie Horton, Alabama; and Chris Price, Maryland.
The Alabama CITGO BASSMASTER Tour event on Lake Eufaula will be televised on ESPN2 Saturday, June 1 at 10:30 a.m. ET and will be re-aired on Friday, June 7 at 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. ET.
By sanctioning over 20,000 tournaments worldwide through its B.A.S.S. Federation, B.A.S.S. is the world’s largest fishing organization. The CITGO BASSMASTER Tournament Trail is the oldest and most prestigious pro bass fishing tournament circuit. It continues to set the standard for credibility, professionalism, and sportsmanship after more than three decades.
Sponsors of the Alabama CITGO BASSMASTER Tour include: CITGO Petroleum Corporation, Chevrolet Trucks, Mercury Marine, Yamaha Outboards, Triton Boats, Skeeter Boats, Lowrance Electronics, Flowmaster Exhaust Systems, Kumho Tires, Long John Silver’s, Gore-Tex Outerwear, MotorGuide Trolling Motors, Bass Pro Shops, Armstrong Industrial Hand Tools, GMAC/ B.A.S.S. Vehicle & Boat Insurance, B.A.S.S. Platinum Visa/First USA.
Associate Sponsors include: Bass Cat Boats and G3 Boats
The Alabama CITGO BASSMASTER Tour event is presented locally by the State of Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel, the State of Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources-State Parks Division, and the Eufaula-Barbour County Chamber of Commerce 800) 524-7529