Entry 46-5

When Strike King Saved the Day for George Cochran

Fight the Strike

Editor's Note: George Cochran of Hot Springs, Arkansas, a longtime member of Strike King's Pro Fishing Team, has won the BASS Masters Classic twice and has qualified for this World Series of bass fishing numerous times. Cochran has proven himself as one of the best shallow-water anglers in the nation. Many fishermen consider Cochran the master of finding overlooked places to fish and using under-utilized tactics to catch bass. We'll find out from Cochran about when Strike King has saved the day for him.

Cochran: Over the years, I've learned if I try and set the hook when a bass blows up on the King Rat, I'll only catch 50 percent of the bass that attack the rat. However, if when the bass blows up, I drop my rod tip, giving the line slack, count to three before I reel up the slack and set the hook, I'll catch 75 percent of the bass that attack the rat.

I was fishing Lake Okeechobee in Florida under cold-water conditions. I was fishing along thick matted grass and wasn't getting as many bites as I normally would because the cold front had shut the bass down. I started fishing the King Rat over the grass, and I caught two, 5-pound largemouths. Those two 5-pound fish enabled me to get a check in this tournament. If I hadn't caught those fish, I would have gone home with empty pockets.




 

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