Entry 307-3
Handling the Highs and the Lows with Strike King Pro George Cochran
Editor’s Note: George Cochran of Hot Springs, Arkansas, has bass fished for more than 50 years, has won the FLW Cup and finished first in two Bassmaster Classics. Cochran says, “I just love what I do for a living.” Cochran’s known in fishing circuits as Gentleman George, the Gentle Bear and Mister Persistent. Cochran, a quiet railroad man, got into tournament bass fishing because he loved the sport. Each professional bass fisherman who stays in the sport for a number of years develops a style of fishing and a way of fishing that suits him. Kevin VanDam is a run-and-gun, high-energy, fast-casting, fast-running bass fisherman. Denny Brauer loves thick cover that probably nobody in his right mind can get to, let alone fish. But when you’re riding down the lake with a tournament angler, and he looks over at the bank and says, “That’s a George Cochran place,” that means that to all who see it, the place looks like there’s absolutely no reason to fish it. These spots are where Gentleman George fishes and wins tournaments. Cochran is patient, persistent and thorough. On TV, you’ll see some professional fishermen jump up and down, scream, shout and roll around the bottoms of their boats when they catch fish, but not Cochran. Whether Cochran puts a 2 pounder or a 10 pounder in the boat, he has the same quiet demeanor. This week we’ll look at how Gentleman George stays cool, calm and collected in the biggest bass-fishing tournaments in the world.
Part 3: Surviving Equipment Breakdowns
Question: How do you handle equipment breakdowns during a tournament?
Cochran: That can wreck most fishermen’s mental attitudes. I’ve had very-few equipment breakdowns. I can count on one hand the number of times my equipment has failed when I’ve been fishing. The reason that I’m so confident in my equipment is because I make sure that all my equipment is the best it can be and that it’s performing the way it should perform before I leave the dock. Today in big tournaments, you can fish out of your own boat. In previous Bassmaster Classics, we’ve had to fish out of sponsor’s boats. You really can’t check them as closely as you can check and maintain your own boat and equipment. If you’re fishing out of your boat, there’s no excuse for a breakdown except for bad luck.
But thanks to cell phones, you can usually get back to fishing within an hour of almost any breakdown you may have on the major fishing circuits. A few years ago, I was fishing in a major FLW tournament and had a motor problem. I called back to the tournament director, and within 2 hours I was back fishing again. Tournaments have gotten better about making sure that if a fisherman breaks down, help’s not far away. The sponsors generally will send a team of mechanics with spare parts and even spare equipment that you can use if you have a breakdown.
Contents:
- Part 1: Swing for the Fence
- Part 2: A Slump is Only in Your Mind
- Part 3: Surviving Equipment Breakdowns
- Part 4: Catching Fish Isn't Everything
- Part 5: When You're Hot
