George Cochran and Larry Nixon are tighter than a couple of crankbaits with intertwined hooks buried at the bottom of an old tackle box, and that won't change before, during or after their upcoming visit to Alabama.
They've been best friends for more than 2 decades, they're related by marriage and they fish and hunt together all the time. They talk to each other nearly every day throughout the year, room together at tournaments and always share pattern information.
Both are Arkansas residents, and both are among the legends of the sport. And they'll square off against each other on day 1 of the FLW Tour Championship (FLWTC) on Aug. 2 at Lake Logan Martin
Of the 24 first-round FLWTC matchups, perhaps none is more intriguing than No. 8 Nixon against No. 41 (and defending champion) Cochran. Between them, they've fished more than 600 pro tournaments, compiling 25 wins (including three Bassmaster Classics) and more than $4 million in earnings.
"I'll be matched against my best buddy, but as far as I know, we'll be keeping our same routine," said Cochran, whose wife, Debby, is Nixon's third cousin. "Whoever wins, the other will be rooting him on (during the remainder of the event).
"We both think the winner has a real good chance of going all the way."
Contrasting Styles
The biggest contrast between the 56-year-old Cochran and the 55-year-old Nixon might be their preferred styles of fishing. The former is a dedicated shallow cranker these days, whereas the latter prefers to work offshore structure.
Nixon said he'll be in big trouble if Cochran gets on a strong shallow bite at Logan Martin.
"The one thing I know is there's not a better shallow-water fisherman than George," Nixon said. "If there's a lot of fish shallow, he'll probably win (the first-round matchup). He's real tough to beat in shallow water in the summer, plain and simple."
Cochran returned the compliment, and noted that he'll be hurting if Nixon finds the right ledge-oriented fish.
"Larry's the best at fishing offshore, and you can be pretty sure he's going to find them," he said.
Larry Nixon has had a lot of great practices at Logan Martin, but not many high finishes.
Due to their style preferences, Nixon practices a lot more than Cochran. Nixon will arrive at Logan Martin this weekend, whereas Cochran will spend several solitary days making physical and mental preparations at his cabin near Stuttgart, Ark.
"It takes more time to fish the way he likes," Cochran said. "When you fish deep, that means you have a massive amount of areas to try. You can go for miles on creek-channel beds, and you might find one spot that's 10 yards that's got the right fish on it.
"The way I fish, I can eliminate a lot of places in a window of about 2 hours. And I don't like to know what's going on (at a lake) way ahead of time because things can change, even if the weather stays the same. Four or 5 days right before the tournament starts is enough practice for me."
Lake History Favors Cochran
Both Cochran and Nixon competed at Logan Martin four times in the 1990s, including three Classics. Cochran's 6th in the '93 Classic was the only Top 10 for either.
Cochran has finished 14th there twice ('97 Classic and '98 Alabama Top 150) and was 25th in the '92 Classic. Nixon has finished 12th ('93 Classic), 19th ('92 Classic), 30th ('98 Top 150) and 32nd ('97 Classic).
"I've been on a lot of good fish there not to do any better than I have," Nixon said. "There was one Classic that I thought I had won during practice (about a month beforehand), but when we came back, things were dramatically different. There'd been some freaky weather that changed everything.
"There was another one when I should have had a 20-pound sack by 11:00, but instead I didn't have a fish. That was back in the days before braid, and with all the stretch in that monofilament and those fish down there 15 or 17 feet, I couldn't get a hook in them. They all jumped off the jig."
Cochran's record in the FLWTC is also a bit better. In addition to his win last year, he was 4th in 1998.
Nixon also has a 4th on his ledger (2000), and he finished 11th twice (last year and in 2003).
"I always get pumped up and excited for the big events, and I tend to fish better in them," Cochran said. "I'd hate to say that I downplay a regular event, but at this stage in my career, I really look forward to championships and tournaments of that magnitude.
"When you're young, you think, 'Heck, I've got 20 more championships to fish. But now that I only have maybe five or six left, I want to win every one."
Notable
> Nixon has a few statistical advantages over Cochran, including nearly twice as many tour wins (16 to 9). With a 3rd and two 8ths, he's also fared better in the FLW Angler of the Year races (Cochran has never finished higher than 30th). Cochran leads 2-1 in Classic victories.
> In another bit of irony, the winner of their first-round matchup could face another Arkansan, Rob Kilby, in round 2. Kilby, who'll take on Glenn Browne first, is a close friend of both and often rooms with them on the road.
> Cochran is in an FLWTC in an even-numbered year for the first time since 1998. He failed to qualify in 2000, '02 and '04.
