Denny Brauer on Lake Eufaula: ‘Guys Can Pick Their Poison’

Lake Eufaula will host the kickoff to the 2020 Bass Pro Tour season, and it’s a fitting venue. The town of Eufaula, Alabama, is known as the “Big Bass Capital of the World” and the community surrounding the lake is bass crazy.

The lake itself has gone through ups and downs over the years and right now is an “up” as far as the fishing goes.

One angler who has seen it evolve and change over the years is legendary pro Denny Brauer, who scored two major career wins on the lake that borders Alabama and Georgia.

Three Lakes in One

One of the reasons Brauer has a fondness for Eufaula, besides his multiple wins, is how the lake sets up.

“It’s basically three lakes in one, and guys can pick their poison and fish their strengths,” he said. “Plus, the field can spread out because the lake is big and there are so many good areas to fish.”

In general, he classified the upper third as dominated by river characteristics like backwaters, laydowns, and current. The mid-section includes some of those features, but also some vegetation. The lower end still has some ledges, but plenty of grass.

If he were fishing this event, the middle and upper section of the lake would be the first place Brauer would target during practice, but he was quick to say that it can be won anywhere on the lake.

Changes Over The Years

Eufaula was the site of Brauer’s first taste of a big-time tournament fishing as he qualified for the 1978 Federation National Championship before he became a full-time professional angler.

“Back then, it was known for giant stringers of fish and was primarily known for current-related fish on the river channels and ledges with crankbaits and big worms,” he said. “After that, the grass in the lower end became the place to be with all of the vegetation, but it disappeared after that.”

Since then, the grass has rebounded nicely, and Brauer said the lower end was full of beautiful hydrilla the last time he fished an event there, the 2017 Challenge Cup.

Part of the reason some sections of the lake become more well-known, according to Brauer, is simply due to the time of year the events take place.

“In the summer, with the warmer water, the river channel bite dominates,” he said. “Earlier in the year, it is mainly the shoreline structure and vegetation.”

The Cycles of Eufaula

The disappearance and reemergence of vegetation are two of the significant changes over the years here, but the lake has also fought off bouts of the largemouth bass virus that put a big dent in the bass population.

“There have been a few different periods over the years where the fishing wasn’t very good, but that is natural for fisheries to go through cycles,” Brauer said. “I can think of a few times when it was on a downturn, and one was when the virus knocked the fishery in the head. But, the lake is fishing a lot better now, and I really like the lake because it has always treated me well over the years.”