Entry 336-4
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 4: I Hate to Fish Slow
Anytime you’re fishing a jig, especially in deep water, you’ll have to fish it slowly. When I’m fishing in water depths down to 15 feet, I can fish two- to three-times faster because I don’t have to fish through so-much water. But I’ve noticed that the fishermen who’ve learned to fish the Strike King Football Head Jig over deep trees, rocks, points and ledges catch a number of those deep bass I don’t catch. I’ve learned that not only can you fish the Football Head Jig deep, but when you find those schools of bass holding in deep water, many times the Football Head Jig will do your culling for you.
The Football Head Jig tends to catch deep bass. Therefore, when I’m fishing slowly and having to fish deep cover, I’ve got confidence in the Football Head Jig to not only catch bass, but to catch some of the biggest bass in the school. So, anytime I can fish the Football Head Jig on deep-water structure, I’ve got confidence in that jig to catch the bass I need to do well in the tournament, if I can just continue to make myself fish slowly. Since I’ve learned how to fish the Football Head Jig, I’ve been successful with it.
As companies like Strike King come out with new lures designed to fish specific water depths, types of cover, color of water or different fishing situations, try those new lures and techniques. 
You may still hate to fish slowly, but when you’ve learned a new technique or lure designed to catch bass under those conditions, you can feel good and catch bass in the places you don’t like to fish.
I know the Football Head Jig has been out for 3 or 4 years, but in the world of bass fishing, that’s not very long for a lure to establish itself as a proven producer. Since I’ve been fishing the Football Head Jig, I’ve learned that when I have to fish slowly and deeply, I can count on the Football Head Jig to produce the type of bass I need to catch to do well in those deep-water, slow-fishing tournaments. When I fish the Football Head Jig, and the bass are biting, that Football Head Jig will make me a hero.
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
