Entry 231-3
Wintertime Bass Fishing with George Cochran
Editor’s Note: George Cochran of Hot Springs, Arkansas, one of the most-consistent Strike King pros on the professional fishing circuit, has won more than $1.2 million on the BASS circuit and two Bassmaster Classics through the years besides winning the FLW Championship. Regardless of weather or water conditions, Cochran usually finds a way to catch bass in shallow water. Let’s learn where and how he’ll fish this month.
Part 3: It’s Not Too Cold for Top-Water Fishing
Question: George, you’re a top-water fisherman, so what top-water tactics will you use in December?
Cochran: At this time of year, many people think the water’s too cold to fish top-water lures and minnow baits. But it’s not. When the water temperature is 47 to 48 degrees, I still can catch plenty of bass in the middle of the day on the Strike King Spit-N-King. But my favorite bait is the Strike King Wild Shiner in white or shad. This lure can be deadly effective in the middles of bays and above creek channels. I make long casts, rip the Wild Shiner down, twitch it, stop it and let it sit still. Then I’ll rip it about 5 more feet, stop it, twitch it and allow it to sit still.
Most people don’t understand that during December the Wild Shiner can be a search bait. This is my go-to bait when the bass are holding in the middles of bays. Remember that the Wild Shiner resembles a shad, moves like a shad and will sit still and hold in the water like a shad. 
So, when the bass are feeding in the middles of bays during December, and they don’t want baits with continuous wobbles like a crankbait or a bait with a lot of flash and movement like a spinner bait, the Wild Shiner is the bait of choice.
Sometimes in the winter, for no particular reason, you may decide not to go to work or to skip breakfast. The next morning, you may wake up before the alarm clock goes off, grab a cup of coffee and eat a bagel on the way to work. Bass are much the same way. On some days bass want a fast presentation like the spinner bait. Other days the bass want a bait that wobbles a lot like the crankbait. And, some days the bass want a bait you can dead stick like the Wild Shiner, especially when they’re suspended. Remember that suspended bass aren’t hiding behind or in any type of cover. 
They’re just out there in the water. The bass’s mood determines how actively they will chase bait on any given day.
If the bass aren’t in the mood for the crankbait or the spinner bait, my third lure of choice is the Wild Shiner. To catch bass this month, make sure you have the right-sized lure for the bass to eat. The Wild Shiner is the perfect size of baitfish the bass eat during the month of December.
Question: What’s your favorite color of Wild Shiner this month?
Cochran: You can’t go wrong with a green back and white body. If the sun is shining, I’ll use chrome. If it’s cloudy, I prefer either a white- or a bone-colored Shiner.
Contents:
- Part 1: Cranking Up Wintertime Bass
- Part 2: Spin Them Up
- Part 3: It’s Not Too Cold for Top-Water Fishing
- Part 4: Dead Stick the Jig When the Bass Batten-Down the Hatches
- Part 5: Use This When All Else Fails
