Entry 196-5
How Mr. Money Finds Bass in Three Stories of Water
Part 5: Bottom Bass and Other Keys to Pinpointing Bass
Editor’s Note: George Cochran has received his nickname Mr. Money because fishermen know when a tournament pays out big money that they can bet on Cochran. He’s won more than $1.2 million on the B.A.S.S. circuit and at two Bassmaster Classics through the years. Cochran now fishes the FLW circuit, where he’s won over $700, 000. According to Cochran, “The first world championship I won paid $50, 000, and the last world championship (the FLW title in 2005) paid me $1/2-million. So, I’m well aware that tournament bass fishing has really grown nationwide.” Cochran names his ability to find bass no matter where they’re holding – the top, the middle or the bottom story of water – and to fish Strike King Lures as the secrets to his success.
Bass on the bottom are usually feeding on the bottom. For instance, once you identify that bass are feeding on crawfish, then you know they’ll be at the bottom, searching for something to eat and will hit most anything crawfish-colored, including crankbaits, jigs and worms. Early spring when the crawfish start coming out of clay banks is when crawfish fishing will be the best. Bass also like rocky banks and any part of the lake with stained water. Red is also another good color to key in on with your crankbaits or jigs because red’s easy for bass to see, and it’s crawfish-colored.
Other Keys to Pinpointing Bass
Look for shad, especially in the fall, when you spot birds diving on shad, white bass busting the surface and killing shad or shad on your depth finder. Generally the bass will be under those pods of shad. 
When white bass break the surface, cast past the school of white bass with either a lead-headed spinner or a crankbait. Get your lure below the shad and the white bass, because that’s the depth where the largemouth will be suspended below the white bass and feeding. The same is true if you see birds diving. Then you need to fish under or over the schools of shad.
Bottom Line
Most fishermen fish backwards. They go fishing and hope to find the bass. But a more-productive technique is to locate the bass first, know what story of water they’re holding in and learn what type and what color of lure the bass prefer and what kind of structure they want to hold on that day. Once you have that information, you’ll know where to look for bass in the three stories of water, and your chances of catching bass will be 100% better.
Contents:
- Part 1: George Cochran’s Fishing Philosophy
- Part 2: The Quickest Way to Find Bass
- Part 3: Fishing Shallow Water
- Part 4: Suspended Bass in the Middle Story
- Part 5: Bottom Bass and Other Keys to Pinpointing Bass
