Weed Whacking in August for Bass with George Cochran
Day 3: Fish Worms in the Grass to Catch Bass with George Cochran
 Cochran explains that on some days, you just can't beat the effectiveness of a plastic worm. "For more than 30 years, plastic worms that you can flip or pitch into the holes in the grass have been one of the top lures for catching bass," Cochran says. When the worm falls into a hole in the grass, Cochran lets it lay on the bottom and then starts twitching or jumping it up off the bottom. He wants the worm to appear lifelike as it moves around the hole.
 "My favorite color of plastic worm when I'm fishing in the grass is the red shad with green metal flake in it," Cochran explains. If Cochran fishes very thickly matted grass or grass just under the surface, he'll fish with a light sinker and a spinning rod and cast the worm as far back into the grass as possible. He keeps his rod tip high and swims the worm just under the surface or on the surface until he comes to a hole in the grass. He then drops his rod tip and lets the worm fall into or across the hole in the grass. "Most often the bass will attack the worm as it falls into the hole," Cochran says. "Since a bass may inhale the worm and blow it out quickly, you must watch your line and be ready to set the hook as soon as you see the line jump."
 Cochran has found that this tactic works best during the spring spawning season, but this strategy will catch bass year-round. He warns that often springtime bass fishermen make the mistake when fishing 4- to 6-inch worms around the grass of casting the bait right into the hole in the grass. "If you're fishing for bedding bass, the fish won't usually be sitting right on the bottom but will be cruising right up off the bottom, attempting to keep bluegills out of their beds," Cochran comments. "Casting the lure so that it lands well away from the hole, swimming it just under the surface and then letting it fall into the hole will make the lure fall naturally and cause no splash or straight vertical drop that will spook the bass."
 If a bass doesn't take the lure, Cochran will move his boat to the outer edge of the grass and fish that outer edge right on the bottom. "When the bass are on the bottom in 5 to 6 feet of water, I like to use a heavier sinker than usual – like either a 3/16- or a 1/4-ounce sinker – to get my worm down to the bottom," Cochran instructs. Cochran allows the lure to sit on the bottom motionless for about a minute before he moves it, watching his line for a strike. If the bass doesn't inhale the bait, then Cochran will jump the worm across the bottom about 1 foot per jump. After he's worked the bait for about 4 feet from the edge of the drop-off out toward the deeper water, he'll reel the bait in and make his next cast. Once spawning season ends, Cochran fishes an 8- to 10-inch worm along the outside edge of the grass near some type of deep-water drop-off.
  To learn more about how to fish for bass, click the titles for the new books by John E. Phillips, “How to Bass Fish Like a Pro” and “Catch the Most and Biggest Bass in Any Lake” , or go to http://www.amazon.com/kindle-ebooks, and type in the names of the books to buy them. Too, you can download a Kindle app for free and buy the book from Amazon to read it on your iPad, Smartphone or computer.
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