Bill Lowen had just put his fourth 2-pounder in his livewell and lamented the “bag of peanuts” he’d caught this morning. Then everything changed, like it can on Pickwick Lake. Lowen was flipping near a boat dock when a game-changer bit.
“Denny Brauer sent me a message last night and told me to catch him a 7-pounder on a black-and-blue jig,” Lowen said after landing a giant. “Oh, my gosh, look at he size of that thing! I think it’s bigger than 7. It might be close to a 10. I don’t know how big it is.”
Lowen didn’t weigh it, saying, “It don’t matter how big it is. Let’s just keep fishing.”
Bassmaster legend Denny Brauer, now retired, and Lowen go way back. Brauer took Lowen under his wing, so to speak, when Lowen joined the Elite Series. They were frequently practice partners for several years. And they remain in close contact. This feels like a string connecting B.A.S.S. history, from yesterday to today.