Entry 113-4
George Cochran On How To Overcome A Bummer Tournament
Why Bass Fishing Is A Relearning Sport
Editor's Note: There's so much to learn and to know about bass fishing that just about the time you think you know it all, you have to remember some of the things you've forgotten to stay in the competition. George Cochran, two-time Bassmaster Classic Champion from Hot Springs, Arkansas, has been a tournament bass fisherman for 25 years. Cochran has fished in all kinds of weather and water conditions, all over the North and the South. Cochran's vehicle, boat and trailer have crossed through almost every state at least once or twice. Therefore if anyone should know how, when and where to catch a bass, it should be George Cochran. We asked George, "What did you learn new this year, or what did you relearn that you had forgotten?"
Cochran: I relearned that the most-critical factor in catching bass each day that you fish is not the cover the bass is holding on, the lure the bass seem to prefer, the water depth that you believe the bass to be in, or the water color you think is the most productive. The most-critical ingredient in successful bass fishing is reading the weather on that day, all day long, during the day and letting the weather tell you where to fish, what lure to fish, what color of lure to fish, what type of retrieve to use and what kind cover to target.
Weather affects water and light conditions, the depth where the bass are holding, whether the bass are going to bite aggressively or non-aggressively, and what colors the bass prefer. The weather is constantly changing all day, because many elements affect the weather. Wind, rain, temperature, cloud cover and time of day are all factors that are constantly changing. Understanding what effect weather changes are having on the bass you are trying to catch, dictates the lures, the color of lures, the types of presentations, the depths of water and the speed of the retrieve that you need to use to catch those bass. I think that many times, one of the biggest factors we all overlook that can either cause us to catch or not catch bass is the weather conditions we have at the very moment we are fishing.
This year I've learned that adapting my fishing to the weather conditions I've encounter each hour of each day I've fished has been the most-important factor in whether or not I catch bass. If you will reevaluate the weather every hour and determine how the weather changes probably are affecting the way you fish, I believe you will find and catch more bass every time you go out on the water.
Contents:
- Part 1: What I Learned from a Bad Tournament
- Part 2: Riding the Roller Coaster
- Part 3: How to Come Down Off the Mountain Top
- Part 4: Why Bass Fishing Is A Relearning Sport
- Part 5: The Key to Successful Bass Fishing
