THE LAKE COULD be Wheeler, Hartwell, Chickamauga, Lewis Smith — it doesn’t matter, because John Cox will fish them all the same way. He’ll find a shoreline he likes and move down it, rarely venturing deeper than 5 feet. To him, offshore fishing means if he can’t hit that shoreline in one cast, he’s out too far.
It’s old-school fishing in its purest form, and he knows how to make it work. He’s been a tournament pro for a dozen years and won major tour-level events, including the 2016 Forrest Wood Cup, on each of the above-listed lakes. He was in contention for the Progessive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year title for much of this past season.
“I don’t like throwing out there where I can’t see,” says Cox, 37. “I’ve always fished the bank. I’m a native Floridian, and today I live by one of the ponds I used to fish as a youngster. The water was clear and shallow, and I could see fish and catch them. It’s what I love to do.”
This style of fishing is not easy in today’s world. While many of his competitors are using their sonar to locate big schools of fish out in open water, Cox uses his electronics primarily for the GPS
