Strike King Journal - How I'll Fish the Classic with Greg Hackney/title> <meta name="Description" content="Strike King Journal - How I'll Fish the Classic with Greg Hackney" /> <meta name="Keywords" content="Strike King Lure Company, fishing, bass, Bassmaster Classic, Greg Hackney" />  <link rel="stylesheet" href="/stylesheet.css" type="text/css">   <script type="text/javascript" src="/skl_js_library.js"></script> </head> <body> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="container"> <tr> <td class="header"> <table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" background="http://www.strikeking.com/images/gui/header_top_bkg.jpg"> <tr> <td width="188"><a href="http://www.strikeking.com/"><img src="http://www.strikeking.com/images/gui/headshots/rotator.php" width="188" height="125" border="0" /></a></td> <td width="572"><a href="http://www.strikeking.com/"><img src="http://www.strikeking.com/images/gui/header_top_static.jpg" width="572" height="125" border="0" /></a></td> <td width="100%"> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr valign="top"> <td width="170" class="menu"> <div> <img src="/images/gui/header_menu_allstar.gif" width="170" height="30" /> <ul> <li><a href="/team/chad_brauer.php">Chad Brauer</a></li> <li><a href="/team/denny_brauer.php">Denny Brauer</a></li> <li><a href="/team/george_cochran.php">George Cochran</a></li> <li><a href="/team/mark_davis.php">Mark Davis</a></li> <li><a href="/team/clay_dyer.php">Clay Dyer</a></li> <li><a href="/team/shaw_grigsby.php">Shaw Grigsby</a></li> <li><a href="/team/greg_hackney.php">Greg Hackney</a></li> <li><a href="/team/debra_hengst.php">Debra Hengst</a></li> <li><a href="/team/mark_menendez.php">Mark Menendez</a></li> <li><a href="/team/james_niggemeyer.php">James Niggemeyer</a></li> <li><a href="/team/mark_rose.php">Mark Rose</a></li> <li><a href="/team/kevin_vandam.php">Kevin VanDam</a></li> </ul> <img src="/images/gui/header_menu_bottom.gif" width="170" height="5" /><br /> <img src="/images/gui/body_bkg.gif" width="170" height="15" /><br />  <img src="/images/gui/header_menu_info.gif" width="170" height="30" /> <ul> <li><a href="/catalog/2009/index.php">2009 Strike King Catalog</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.costore.com/strikeking">Strike King Clothing</a></li> <li><a href="/dealers/index.php">Dealer Locator</a></li> <li><a href="/press/press_releases/index.php">Press Releases</a></li> <li><a href="/products/ads/index.php">Print Ads & Commercials</a></li> <li><a href="/info/history.php">Company History</a></li> <li><a href="/info/Strike_King_Credit_Application.pdf">Strike King Credit Application (pdf)</a></li> <li><a href="/press/pressroom/">Strike King Pressroom</a></li> <li><a href="/contact/regional_sales.php">Regional Sales Team</a></li> <li><a href="/contact/contact.php">Contact Strike King</a></li> </ul>  </div> </td> <td width="100%"> <div id="content"> <div id="journalEntry"> <p>Entry 187-2</p> </div> <div id="journalBody">  <h1>How I'll Fish the Classic with Greg Hackney</h1> <h2>Part 2: Shorts and T-Shirts</h2> <div class="editorsNote"> <p>Editor’s Note: Greg Hackney of Gonzales, Louisiana, a competitive fisherman for 6 years, never has won a Bassmasters Classic, but he’s won two tour events, one open tournament and the FLW Angler-of-the-Year title. If he wins this year’s Classic in Birmingham, Alabama, he’ll reach one of his most-highly-anticipated fishing goals. "I have only two major titles left to win – the B.A.S.S. Angler-of-the-Year title and the Bassmaster Classic championship," Hackney says. This week, we’ll learn why Hackney’s praying for 20-degree weather, muddy water and high winds for the Classic.</p> </div> <p><strong><img src="/images/journal/00187/05a.jpg" alt="Greg Hackney" width="150" height="200" border="0" class="imgRight" />Question:</strong> Greg, how will you fish if you get to the Classic and a warm front shows up, bringing 70-degree weather, clear skies and a bright day, every day of the Classic?</p> <p><strong>Hackney:</strong> I’ll be fishing for largemouth. The weather, more than any other factor, will determine whether I fish for largemouth or spotted bass on that day. The good news is that Lay Lake has good populations of both. If we have 70-degree weather, I’ll be looking for those big pre-spawn largemouth that I know hold in Lay Lake.</p> <p><strong>Question:</strong> Where will you look for those big largemouth bass, and what baits will you use?</p> <p><strong>Hackney:</strong> I’ll be searching for the first flat coming out of deep water, which will usually be pockets and coves, or, I’ll be fishing halfway back in the creek channels. I’ll be looking for the first type of cover that the bass will want to move up on to get ready for the spawn. </p> <p><strong>Question:</strong> What lures will you be using?</p> <p><strong><img src="/images/journal/00187/06a.jpg" alt="Fishing with Strike King Lures" width="200" height="150" border="0" class="imgLeft" />Hackney:</strong> I’ll probably be fishing a Denny Brauer jig in a natural-brown color with a Denny Brauer 3X Chunk trailer. I plan to fish to dead grass, banks, lay-downs and boat docks. </p> <p><strong>Question:</strong> Why will you be pitching?</p> <p><strong>Hackney:</strong> By pitching, I can get a little bit further back in the cover than I can if I’m flipping. If the bass are fairly shallow, where I expect them to be, I don’t want to get too close to those fish with my boat and run the chance of spooking them. That’s the reason why I’ll be pitching instead of flipping.</p> <p><strong>Question:</strong> What type retrieve will you be using?</p> <p><strong>Hackney:</strong> I’ll be slow-crawling the jig on the bottom.</p> <p><strong><img src="/images/journal/00187/07a.jpg" alt="Fishing with Strike King Lures" width="150" height="200" border="0" class="imgRight" />Question:</strong> What’s your No. 2 tactic in that 70-degree weather, if the jig isn’t working?</p> <p><strong>Hackney:</strong> I’ll probably depend heavily on slow-rolling a spinner bait. I’ll be using a 3/8- or a 1/2-ounce Premier Pro Model Strike King spinner bait with Colorado blades. I’ll be fishing a shad pattern or a chartreuse-colored spinner bait, and I’ll be slow-rolling that spinner bait on 16- or 20-pound-test Gamma fluorocarbon line in the same area I fish the jig. I’ll be fishing with a Quantum Tour Edition PT Signature Series 6-foot, 6-inch Kevin VanDam Rod with a spinner bait, and on the jig, I’ll be using the Quantum Tour Edition PT Signature Series Greg Hackney 7-foot, 11-inch flipping stick.</p>  </div> <div id="journalNext">  <h4>Next: <a href="http://www.strikeking.com/journal/00187/3.php">Snowmobile Suit Weather</a><a href="2.php"></a></h4>  </div> <div id="journalLinks"> <h4>Contents:</h4> <ul> <li><strong>Part 1:</strong> <a href="http://www.strikeking.com/journal/00187/1.php">Why I Don�t Pre-Fish Tournaments</a></li> <li><strong>Part 2:</strong> <a href="http://www.strikeking.com/journal/00187/2.php">Shorts and T-Shirts</a></li> <li><strong>Part 3:</strong> <a href="http://www.strikeking.com/journal/00187/3.php">Snowmobile Suit Weather</a></li> <li><strong>Part 4:</strong> <a href="http://www.strikeking.com/journal/00187/4.php">Switch Hitting</a></li> <li><strong>Part 5:</strong> <a href="http://www.strikeking.com/journal/00187/5.php">I�m Praying for Bad Weather</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </td> <td width="170" class="menu"> <div> <img src="/images/gui/header_menu_fans.gif" width="170" height="30" /> <ul> <li><a href="/forums/">Strike King Forums</a></li> <li><a href="/gallery/amateur023.php">Amateur Photo Gallery</a></li> </ul> <img src="/images/gui/header_menu_bottom.gif" width="170" height="5" /><br /> <img src="/images/gui/body_bkg.gif" width="170" height="15" /><br /> <img src="/images/gui/header_menu_journal.gif" width="170" height="30" /> <ul> <li><a href="/journal/00279/1.php">Winning Tournaments – Denny Brauer on Decision Making</a></li> <li><a href="/journal/00278/1.php">Kevin VanDam and the Creation of the Sexy Shad, the Burner and KVD Perfect Plastics</a></li> <li><a href="/journal/00277/1.php">How to Win with James Niggemeyer</a></li> <li><a href="/journal/00276/1.php">Why Strike King’s Lures Are the Way They Are with Shaw Grigsby</a></li> <li><a href="/journal/00275/1.php">Clay Dyer – Living Life Beyond the Limits</a></li> <li><a href="/journal/00274/1.php">Chad Brauer Fishes the Wake Shad, the Burner and the Bottom Dweller</a></li> <li><a href="/journal/index.php">More journal entries...</a></li> </ul> <img src="/images/gui/header_menu_bottom.gif" width="170" height="5" /><br /> <img src="/images/gui/body_bkg.gif" width="170" height="15" /><br /> <img src="/images/gui/header_menu_links.gif" width="170" height="30" /> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.wired2fish.com/">Wired2Fish</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.collegebass.com/">College Bass</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.anglerslegacy.com/">Anglers’ Legacy</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.costore.com/strikeking">Strike King Clothing</a></li> <li><a href="http://espn.go.com/outdoors/bassmaster/">BassMaster</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.bassfan.com/">BassFan</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.brauerbass.com/">BrauerBass</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.shawgrigsby.com/">Shaw Grigsby</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.kevinvandam.com/">Kevin VanDam</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.fishpickwick.com/">Roger Stegall</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.nighthawkpublications.com/">Night Hawk Publications</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.debrahengst.com/">Debra Hengst</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.fishersofmenministries.com/">Fishers of Men</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.bluebankresort.com/">Blue Bank Resort</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.anglerschannel.com/">AnglersChannel.com</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.toddwitt.com/">Todd Witt's Pro Guide Service</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.reellifeoutdoors.com/">Reel Life Outdoors</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.fishincountry.net/">Fishin’ Country</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.flatsclass.com/">FlatsClass</a></li> </ul> </div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="170" valign="bottom" class="menu"><img src="/images/gui/header_menu_bottom.gif" width="170" height="5" /></td> <td width="100%"> </td> <td width="170" valign="bottom" class="menu"><img src="/images/gui/header_menu_bottom.gif" width="170" height="5" /></td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <div class="footer"> <p>© 1996-2008 Strike King Lure Company</p>  </div>  <script type="text/javascript"> var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? 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