Watch this site for tournament reports as the Strike Pro Team
competes on the pro circuits throughout the 2012 season!
Editor’s Note: George Cochran of Hot Springs, Arkansas, has been a Strike King Pro for more than 30 years. Often referred to as Mr. Money, Cochran has claimed two Bassmaster Classic Championship titles and won two Wal-Mart FLW Tour Forrest Wood Cup championships. He also has helped to design and to create the Strike King Mr. Money, which is sold exclusively in Wal-Mart Stores.
Part 1: George Cochran Tells Why He Exclusively Fishes the FLW Circuit
Question: George, what does Strike King’s coming onboard as a sponsor of the FLW Tournaments mean to you?
Cochran: Having Strike King as a sponsor for the FLW means a lot to me. Strike King was one of my first sponsors when I started bass fishing more than 30-years ago, and all my other sponsors are FLW sponsors. When Strike King decided to support the FLW, I was excited and proud. I’ve loved my relationship with Strike King and the people at Strike King for many years, from the president, John Barns, to the entire crew at the Strike King Company. Wal-Mart is also a big supporter of Strike King, and the company carries many of Strike King’s lures in their stores.
Question: At one time, many of the professional tournament anglers fished the FLW and the BASS tournament circuits. Why did you decide to solely fish the FLW circuit?
Cochran: To be honest, the FLW pays more money than BASS, and as a businessman and a family man, I have to do the things that produce the most money for me and my family. 
I like the FLW organization, and I’ve fished their circuit since they started. I do like BASS. I’ve earned a lot of money fishing the BASS circuit, a number of my friends fish the BASS circuit, and I started my career with BASS. I switched to FLW, because the payback to the anglers was higher. Too, because most of my sponsors are also FLW sponsors, I needed to help support them. I plan to stay with FLW until I retire.
Question: What’s the difference between fishing the FLW and the BASS circuits?
Cochran: There are great fishermen on both circuits. As far as competition, there’s not much difference.
