Entry 307-1
Handling the Highs and the Lows with Strike King Pro George Cochran
Editor’s Note: George Cochran of Hot Springs, Arkansas, has bass fished for more than 50 years, has won the FLW Cup and finished first in two Bassmaster Classics. Cochran says, “I just love what I do for a living.” Cochran’s known in fishing circuits as Gentleman George, the Gentle Bear and Mister Persistent. Cochran, a quiet railroad man, got into tournament bass fishing because he loved the sport. Each professional bass fisherman who stays in the sport for a number of years develops a style of fishing and a way of fishing that suits him. Kevin VanDam is a run-and-gun, high-energy, fast-casting, fast-running bass fisherman. Denny Brauer loves thick cover that probably nobody in his right mind can get to, let alone fish. But when you’re riding down the lake with a tournament angler, and he looks over at the bank and says, “That’s a George Cochran place,” that means that to all who see it, the place looks like there’s absolutely no reason to fish it. These spots are where Gentleman George fishes and wins tournaments. Cochran is patient, persistent and thorough. On TV, you’ll see some professional fishermen jump up and down, scream, shout and roll around the bottoms of their boats when they catch fish, but not Cochran. Whether Cochran puts a 2 pounder or a 10 pounder in the boat, he has the same quiet demeanor. This week we’ll look at how Gentleman George stays cool, calm and collected in the biggest bass-fishing tournaments in the world.
Part 5: When You’re Hot
Question: George, so far we’ve talked about the negative side of tournament bass fishing, and how you deal with it emotionally. But you’ve had some very-impressive world-championship wins. How do you keep your head screwed-on right when the world’s telling you you’re the, “Best there ever was,” at least for a time?
Cochran: Earlier we talked about being in a slump. The flipside of being in a slump is being on a hot streak. Those times are what you live for. Everything you’re doing seems to be working well. You’re not losing fish, you’re placing high in the tournaments, you’re finding the right areas, and you’re fishing the right baits. The world is great. I can look at a half dozen of the biggest tournaments I’ve ever won, and in those tournaments I just couldn’t do anything wrong. Mentally, I want to ride that wagon as long as I can. I’ve had several tournaments where everything I’ve planned has gone exactly as I’ve planned it. 
Those tournaments are the rarest ones of all the tournaments, and you savor those kinds of tournaments.
Question: What happens when the streak ends, and the wagon stops?
Cochran: You just take a deep breath ad say to yourself, “I’ve got to get back on track again. I’ve liked the way the streak feels and I’m going to do what I can to recapture that feeling.” Most tournament bass fishermen will tell you that to win, you have to focus on the things you can control and not worry about the things you can’t control. You can learn to control your emotions to keep from getting too high when you’re winning and too low when you’re losing. Many times, the way you control your emotions determines how you finish in a tournament.
Strike King can build all the great lures in the world. You can learn how to fish each lure 100-different ways. You can be in the right place at the right time with the correct lure to win a tournament. However, if your emotions interfere with your concentration, you won’t perform as well as you thought you would. The emotional side of bass fishing is that undercurrent that very few people see from the pros. Yet the best of the best know that controlling your emotions and learning to forgive yourself when you make a mistake often determines the success or the failure of your fishing career.
Contents:
- Part 1: Swing for the Fence
- Part 2: A Slump is Only in Your Mind
- Part 3: Surviving Equipment Breakdowns
- Part 4: Catching Fish Isn't Everything
- Part 5: When You're Hot
