Entry 320-5
George Cochran and the Evolution of Bass Fishing with Tips On How to Make Your Fishing Better
Editor’s Note: George Cochran of Hot Springs, Arkansas, has had a tough year this year. He missed two tournaments this year on the FLW Series because of illness. “I’ve had to go to the hospital twice, but finally, I’m healthy and back fishing,” Cochran says. Even with his illness, Cochran barely missed the cut for the FLW World Championship. Cochran, a two-time Bassmaster Classic champion (1987 and 1996) and the 2005 FLW Cup winner, is still one of the most-competitive fishermen on the pro circuit, even when he’s sick. For 28 years, Cochran has maintained his high level of performance on the BASS and FLW circuits.
Part 5: Bet on Black; It Works for Me
Question: George, are there any other new Strike King lures about which you’re really excited?
Cochran: Strike King released two new spinner baits – the Bottom Dweller and the Burner. I’ve fallen in love with the Burner spinner bait. Besides these two spinner baits, Strike King also has introduced a number of new colors, which get me and the bass excited.
Question: What color of the new Burner spinner bait do you like best?
Cochran: I prefer the solid black-colored Burner the best. I use it early in the morning throughout the summer and the fall. If I’m fishing the Burner really fast, I open-up the blades a little to help it move faster through the water. If I’m fishing it slowly, I bend the blades down slightly, so they’ll make a whop-whop-whop type of noise. I use two-different retrieves on the Burner spinner bait. 
Early in the morning, under low-light conditions, I prefer to reel the Burner slowly by the cover.
But on cloudy days when the bass are still biting the spinner bait, I’ll speed-up my retrieve, so I can keep the bait up close to the top and really reel it fast. Remember, although the Burner’s designed as a fast-retrieve spinner bait, it still can be deadly effective when you reel it slowly. The first 2 hours of daylight in the summer and the fall is when the black-colored Burner really can be productive, if you reel it slowly. But as the day gets brighter, speed-up your retrieve and really get the Burner moving.
Question: You’ve told us all week that you like the many-different colors of lures Strike King introduces. Why do you like black spinner baits?
Cochran: I just catch more bass on black spinner baits than any other color. 
So, the bass tell me they prefer black, and I don’t argue with the bass.
Question: What other color of spinner bait do you like?
Cochran: I also prefer black-and-red spinner baits. I’ll start fishing black spinner baits early in the morning; then I’ll switch to white and often won’t get any bites. Then I’ll change back to black and start catching bass again. So, I fish exclusively with black or black-and-red spinner baits. I’m fishing these baits on the 7-foot Daiwa cranking rod with 12-pound-test line.
