George Cochran told BassFan today that he will retire from tour-level competition following the Sam Rayburn Reservoir FLW Tour Open next month.
The two-time Bassmaster Classic champion (1987 and 1996) and 2005 Forrest Wood Cup winner from Hot Springs, Ark., will step away after a 32-year career that saw him collect nine victories, 60 Top-10 finishes and amass more than $2 million in winnings.
The 62-year-old Cochran, known as one the top shallow-water anglers of his time, said that he’d been giving retirement serious thought since winning the Cup 7 years ago.
“I guess everybody has their time when all good things come to an end and there’s nobody who’s enjoyed it more than I have,” he said. “I loved what I’ve done all these years and I still love it, but this is a time I’ve been getting ready for. I’d set a goal to retire when I was 62.
“I plan to spend more time with my family and grandkids and see the stuff that I missed with my kids because I was gone so much when they were growing up. I’m just ready to retire.”
His retirement announcement comes on the heels of the retirement of one of his contemporaries and friends, Denny Brauer, who announced over the weekend he was calling it a career on the Bassmaster Elite Series.
BassFan will publish a complete story on Cochran’s decision and career in the coming days.
