Entry 99-3

George Cochran On Strike King Lures

The Triple Wing Buzzbait

Editor's Note: George Cochran of Hot Springs, Arkansas, one of the truly-nice guys on the professional bass-fishing circuit and a longtime member of Strike King's Pro Fishing Team, doesn't call attention to himself. But when tournament day arrives, the quiet Cochran becomes one of the fiercest competitors on the tournament trail. The winner of two Bassmaster Classics in 1987 and 1996 and the 2004 BASS Lake Guntersvi nation. This week, he will tell us some of his go-to baits that have brought him success on the tournament trail.lle tournament, Cochran is one of the best shallow-water anglers in the business.

Cochran: The new 1/8-ounce Strike King Triple Wing Buzzbait is one of the hottest new buzzbaits on the market because it is a small profile buzzbait. Even though it's only a 1/8-ounce lure, it casts like a 1/4-ounce lure. This bait leaves a trail of bubbles for the bass to follow. So, if a bass hears the bait and doesn't see it, he can spot the trail it's left and follow that trail up to the lure. Once again, when there are days with no wind, this time is perfect to use this little lure. On those still, calm, flat days, I've found that this small Triple Wing Buzzbait will out-catch many other lures.

Another thing I like about the Triple Wing Buzzbait is that it has double action. Because it has holes in the wings, it spits as well as bubbles. Therefore you have a bait that spits out in front of itself and leaves a trail behind. You can modify the bait by putting more cup in the wings to slow it down if you want to fish slower, or open up the wings a little if you want to fish the bait faster. On cloudy days or late in the afternoon, when I can see bass breaking on top of the water, this Triple Wing Buzzbait is my go-to bait. I believe that this lure is usually at its best right after the spawn when bass are feeding on fry because I think it looks like a small minnow or bass. Then again, in the fall of the year when bass are feeding on shad, this lure is hard to beat since it looks like a little bitty shad or little bitty minnow. It flat calls bass.

Most of the time, I'll be using a steady retrieve. I like the bait because it comes up on the surface really quick after it hits the water, which means there's not a big delay in the action from the time the lure enters the water until it begins to swim. When I'm fishing the lure through flat water, I'll use a fast-slow retrieve. I'll speed the bait up for a few cranks, slow it down for a few cranks, and then speed it up. I mix up my retrieves so that I'm fishing it fast, slow, almost stop and go, and with as many different actions once more. I can give the bait until I determine what retrieve the bass like best. I let the fish tell me the way they want the bait presented to them.

I really like to fish this lure in and around lily pads. When the buzzbait hits the lily pads and bounces off the leaves or the stems, it really looks life-like. The big bass will come out from under the pads or explode through the pads to take this bait. I also really like to fish it around wood cover. I like to bump and bounce it off the cover. I think that when the buzzbait hits that cover, bounces off of it and begins to swim again, the bass just can't stand it. They have got to eat the bait. My favorite line for this lure is 15-pound-test, P-line. If I have to fish really clear water and make really long casts, I will use smaller line, like 12-pound test, which allows me to cast the bait much further.




 

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