Entry 155-4

How to Catch Bass Now with George Cochran

Bet on the Crankbait

Geoge Cochran and Strike King CrankbaitEditor’s Note: George Cochran has won many professional bass tournaments, including two Bassmasters Classics and his recent $500,000 win in the FLW Championship. Cochran has proven that he can find and catch bass at any time of the year, so we’ve asked Cochran to tell us where and how he fishes during the month of December.

Cochran: I never go fishing with only one or two lures in my tackle box. I always carry at least three lures with me when I fish. My three favorite lures are the spinner bait, the buzzbait and the crankbait. I use these in the backs of creeks where shad are located. If you fish in these locations with these lures, you’ll find Mr. Bass not far from his dinner table. One of the crankbaits I use most often, is the Strike King 4S in the shad color. One of my favorite baits is the white belly with chartreuse back or the white belly with green back crankbait. With 12- to 15-pound-test line, this lure will usually run 12- to 15-feet deep. I fish this lure in shallow cover in the backs of creeks.

While fishing in Texas, during the month of October, I nearly won a tournament using this tactic. It was a cloudy day and I was fishing the 4S crankbait. On the first two days of the tournament, I caught all the bass I weighed in on the 4S crankbait. On the third day of the tournament the skies and the wind were light, but the water was still a bit stained, and I couldn’t get a bite on the 4S.

Strike King CrankbaitYou might ask why the bass would bite the 4S crankbait on two consecutive days and then on the third day not bite at all. The answer is simple, and let me use an example to explain. If you and your buddy are sitting at the dinner table about to eat a steak dinner, and your buddy sticks his fork in the steak and then either vanishes or gets slapped, more than likely you’re not going to stick your fork in the steak as well.




 

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