Hot Springs, Arkansas Pro, George Cochran set the bass fishing world on fire when he caught nearly 100 pounds of bass during a four day tournament at Alabama's Lake Guntersville recently. Harsh weather and mid 40 degree water temperatures made fishing extremely difficult for most of the 175 pros entered in the tournament. Going in to the event, many pros reported catching only sporadic numbers of Guntersville signature giant largemouth bass on lip less, rattling crank baits. Texas pro, Kelly Jordon who won this event in 2002, reported that "the cold water has these fish kind of messed right now, they don't seem to be doing anything that you can pattern."

The tournament started with predictable results, only a few anglers caught fish with great consistency, most pros were only able to scratch a few here and there. However, as the event unfolded it became apparent that a couple of anglers were doing something different than the rest of the field. After the second day, word spread that the leaders were catching their fish on jerk baits. Jerk baits, sometimes called rip baits are minnow shaped lures that are usually fished with a twitching or jerking action supplied by the angler. The quick, erratic movement of a darting jerk bait often triggers a violent strike by a bass. But with water temperatures in the 40's how fast can you work a lure and still expect a bass to intercept it? "Back home with have a technique we call soaking it" stated Cochran. "The idea is to throw the bait out, twitch it two or three times to get the lure down and then just leave it alone for ten seconds or so."  Other parts of the country may call this dead sticking but the technique is all the same. Pull that minnow bait down near some cover, and leave it there.

Cochran used a Strike King, Wild Shinner, which is a suspending minnow type bait. The key to the presentation is the lure's ability to hover or suspend when stopped without floating up or sinking. Big bass cannot stand when an intruder invades their territory. The suspending bait, just sitting there, and not leaving works on a bass' natural territorial instincts. Cochran would cast the bait out, twitch it two or three times to get the bait down next to a piece of cover, and then he would slowly count to six before moving it again. It is now clear that many of the competitors at that Lake Guntersville event were fishing their lures far too fast. Remember, when the water temperatures are in the 40's, a bass' reactions will be slowed. Working a lure too fast can yield poor results. George Cochran's win at Lake Guntersville is remarkable because he figured out what other anglers were missing. He also took a lure that is normally worked very fast and added his own touch to the technique. Cochran adjusted to the conditions he was fishing. A true example of fishing in the moment.