Entry 336-3
How I Hate to Fish with George Cochran
Editor’s Note: George Cochran of Hot Springs, Arkansas, winner of two Bassmaster Classic Championships, the FLW World Championship and many other tournaments over his long and illustrious bass-fishing career, is one of the most-versatile and knowledgeable fishermen on the professional bass-fishing circuit. Cochran is viewed as a tournament competitor who can create bass, meaning he catches bass in places that generally don’t hold bass to win tournaments. However, like other pro fishermen, there are certain types of fishing Cochran dislikes. But, he has to overcome those dislikes to win. The biggest secret in bass fishing is learning to catch bass under conditions you don’t like to fish.
Part 3: I Hate to Chase, but I Love the Sexy Spoon
I hate to chase schools of bass breaking the surface. This type of feeding activity generally takes place in September or October, which are my favorite months for shallow-water fishing. I don’t like to chase schools of bass that will pop-up here, vanish and then pop-up halfway across the lake and vanish again. Oftentimes I feel like I’m a half-step behind reaching the schooling bass before they stop feeding. I don’t like chasing schools of bass for the same reason I don’t like fishing for smallmouth in the North on natural lakes. I just don’t enjoy having to relocate bass every day I go fishing.
However, sometimes chasing schools of bass breaking on the surface is the most-effective way to get a quick limit of bass. When I have to chase schools of bass, my first lure of choice is the Spit-n-King. Now, when a school of bass vanishes, the bass generally have moved from feeding on the surface to feeding near the bottom. I use my Strike King Series 5 or Series 6 crankbait to try to relocate the school of bass and get them to start eating my lures. The Series 5 and the Series 6 crankbaits have been my old standbys. But recently, I’ve gotten really fired-up about the Strike King Sexy Spoon. 
That Sexy Spoon is a fish-catching bait when you’ve got to fish for schooling bass that have stopped feeding on top and moved to the bottom.
Once again, I put my confidence in the lure and not the tactic I have to use to catch the bass. This is why fishing with lures you believe in is so important, even when you’re having to fish in a way you don’t like to fish. I’ve fished the Strike King Lures in many-different ways, in various parts of the country, in places I haven’t liked to fish, and these lures have helped me fish well. I hate to fish for schooling bass, but I love to fish the Sexy Spoon.
Next: I Hate to Fish Slow
Contents:
- Part 1: Fishing Places You Really Don't Like to Fish
- Part 2: I Hate Deep-Water Fishing
- Part 3: I Hate to Chase, but I Love the Sexy Spoon
- Part 4: I Hate to Fish Slow
- Part 5: I Drop Out of Drop-Shotting
