Entry 231-1
Wintertime Bass Fishing with George Cochran
Editor’s Note: George Cochran of Hot Springs, Arkansas, one of the most-consistent Strike King pros on the professional fishing circuit, has won more than $1.2 million on the BASS circuit and two Bassmaster Classics through the years besides winning the FLW Championship. Regardless of weather or water conditions, Cochran usually finds a way to catch bass in shallow water. Let’s learn where and how he’ll fish this month.
Part 1: Cranking Up Wintertime Bass
Question: George, where will you find bass this month, and how will you catch them?
Cochran: In most lakes, in the middle of the Unites States where I live, like Arkansas and the northern half of Texas, you can use this pattern I’ve used to win three tournaments. It’s definitely my-go to pattern at this time of year. Remember that in November and December, the water starts to cool down and all the shad and baitfish move upstream. I start scouting for the bass by surveying the creeks. If I go into a creek and see shad flipping on the surface, I know I’ll catch bass that day. Bass have a very-simple migration plan. They hang out wherever they find their dinner table, and where you locate shad, the bass won’t be very far away.
My favorite lure for catching bass at this time of year in these conditions is Strike King’s Series 4S crankbait in the shad colors or the Series 1 crankbait in a shad pattern. At this time of year, bass are feeding strictly on shad. If you fish from the back of a creek to the mouth of a creek and down the bank, you’ll see shad flipping. If you don’t have wood cover on the bank, search for rocky banks or any kind of cover that will hold shad. If you’ll fish those two crankbaits I’ve suggested from the backs of creeks to the fronts of those creeks, you’ll catch bass. 
Although this seems to be a simple pattern, you’ll be surprised how many people want to make wintertime bass fishing difficult.
Always remember that regardless of the time of year or the weather or the water conditions, bass will always be close to their dinner table. Once you know what baitfish the bass are feeding on, identify the bait’s location, and you’ll catch the bass. I really enjoy crankbait fishing, and December is the time of year when it’s the most productive.
Next: Spin Them Up
Contents:
- Part 1: Cranking Up Wintertime Bass
- Part 2: Spin Them Up
- Part 3: It’s Not Too Cold for Top-Water Fishing
- Part 4: Dead Stick the Jig When the Bass Batten-Down the Hatches
- Part 5: Use This When All Else Fails
