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 187-3</p> </div> <div id="journalBody">  <h1>How I'll Fish the Classic with Greg Hackney</h1> <h2>Part 3: Snowmobile Suit Weather </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/00187/08a.jpg" alt="Greg Hackney" width="150" height="200" border="0" class="imgRight" />Question:</strong> Greg, if you arrive at the Classic, and the weather’s been 20 degrees at night with only a high of 32 degrees during the day and you have to wear your snowmobile suit, helmet, goggles and gloves, how will you fish the Classic?</p> <p><strong>Hackney:</strong> I’ll look for deep rocks, deep boat houses and deep brush. I’ll be fishing for spotted bass, because that bite’s less affected by the cold than the largemouth bite. I’ll be using a 4-inch 3X Strike King Finesse Worm with a shaky-head jighead. Or, I’ll downsize to a Bitsy Bug Jig with a small 3-inch chunk on the back, and I’ll be fishing really slowly and deep in about 15 feet of water. Rock points, standing timber and boat docks should produce the most spotted bass with these two lures. I’ll also be looking for deep cover and channel swings, and I’ll be fishing more in the main lake than in the creeks. If the weather’s cold, as it very well could be, the tournament will be won with spotted bass. Now, if the weather’s mild or warm, then I feel that the largemouth will dominate the tournament.</p> <p><strong>Question:</strong> What will you do if you have cold nights and hot days, for instance, night temperatures in the 30s and day temperatures in the 50s?</p> <p><strong>Hackney:</strong> In the mornings, I’ll probably start fishing for spotted bass. However, as the day warms up, I’ll fish for largemouths in shallow water. <strong><img src="/images/journal/00187/09a.jpg" alt="Greg Hackney" width="200" height="150" border="0" class="imgLeft" /></strong>In the afternoons, I’ll be moving back up in the creeks and looking for big largemouth bites under those weather conditions. </p> <p><strong>Question:</strong> The worst thing that can happen to Lay Lake will be if we have cold weather and rain for several days during the Classic, and those conditions continue during the tournament days. If this happens, how will you fish?</p> <p><strong>Hackney:</strong> Chances are, under those conditions, I’ll continue to fish shallow, because getting a bite in deep water when the water’s dirty and cold is hard. Under those kinds of conditions, I’ll be fishing a Strike King Redfish Magic and slow-rolling a 3/8-ounce Strike King spinner bait with Colorado blades around shallow cover. I have plenty of confidence in this tactic. When I come to a serious piece of cover, however, I’ll still throw that Denny Brauer jig to the specific target areas.</p> <p><strong>Question:</strong> Why will you use Redfish Magic under these conditions? That lure puts out a lot of vibration and offers a fairly big silhouette, and it’s a sleeper bait.</p> <p><strong><img src="/images/journal/00187/10a.jpg" alt="Fishing with Strike King Lures" width="150" height="200" border="0" class="imgRight" />Hackney:</strong> It’s a lure only used in certain areas of the country, and Lay Lake’s an area where those bass have never seen that lure before. </p> <p><strong>Question:</strong> What colors will you use?</p> <p><strong>Hackney:</strong> If I’m fishing the Redfish Magic, I’ll be fishing black-and-chartreuse, because that’s one of my favorite colors for cold and muddy water. If I’m fishing the spinner bait, I’ll be fishing the solid-chartreuse color with gold Colorado blades. If I have to fish a jig, I’ll be fishing black or black-and-blue. Black will be the dominant color with a black-and-blue trailer. I’ll flip the jig on 50- or 60-pound-test braided line. I’ll be fishing the spinner bait and the Redfish Magic on 16- to 20-pound-test Gamma Fluorocarbon line.</p>  </div> <div id="journalNext">  <h4>Next: <a href="http://www.strikeking.com/journal/00187/4.php">Switch Hitting</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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