Entry 217-2
Greg Hackney Finishes in the Top-10 at the Bassmaster Legends Tournament
Editor’s Note: Greg Hackney of Gonzales, Louisiana, one of the top contenders on the B.A.S.S. circuit, has moved up fast in the tournament standings. He had a good finish at Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, Arkansas, in the Ray Scott Memorial Bassmaster Legends Tournament the last week in August. This week, Hackney will tell us how he fished, and the patterns that worked for him to produce an 8th-place finish, earning him $16,000.
Part 2: Day Two of Practice
Question: Greg, what did you do on day two of practice?
Hackney: I started my day fishing the river for a couple of hours, and then I decided to go to the backwaters, which was where I usually fished best. When I was growing up on the river, I almost always fished the backwaters. I learned that the fish in the backwater were generally bigger, and you were more likely to win a tournament fishing the backwaters than you would fishing on the main river. Starting about 9:00 am on the second day of practice, I fished the backwater pretty strong. Over the next day and a half of practice, that was about the only type of water I fished.
Question: What did you learn on the river that morning of practice?
Hackney: I really didn’t catch very-many bass. I caught a few fish that were shorter than 15 inches, which was the length limit, and one 4-pound keeper. As soon as I started fishing the backwater, I immediately caught a 3 pounder, which helped my confidence. 
Then I caught a few short fish and a 5 pounder. I was flipping a bleeding-bait tube through heavy grass. In the next backwater section I fished, I caught a 5 pounder on a black-neon bleeding bait Strike King tube with a 3/4-, a 1- or a 1/2-ounce Tru Tungsten weight on 65-pound-test braided line. I was fishing a 7-foot, 11-inch Quantum Tour Edition PT Signature Series Greg Hackney rod and a 6.3:1 gear-ratio Quantum Tour Edition PT reel.
I looked for really-thick vegetation, like alligator grass, heavy vines, water willows and lily pads with coontail moss mixed in it. I was searching for the thickest grass I could find. After my tube went through the grass, I’d let the tube fall completely to the bottom. Then I’d bring the tube up and shake it under the mats of grass. Using that technique, I caught two, 5 pounders.
On the last half day of practice, I tried to find as many backwater areas as I could with really-heavy grass to fish. The last day of practice I caught a 3 pounder, two, 4 pounders and a 5-1/2-pounder. I was fishing really fast, but I felt like I had the winning pattern. I could run to any backwater I’d located, spot the thickest grass, and usually catch a bass.
On the last half-day of practice, I caught a fish I was able to catch again in the tournament. I really believed I knew where to fish and how to fish, and that I could bet on that Strike King tube punching through the grass to catch enough big bass to win the tournament. I went to bed confident that if the weather held, I really had the fish dialed in, giving me a good chance to win.
Contents:
- Part 1: The Game Plan
- Part 2: Day Two of Practice
- Part 3: The First Day of Competition
- Part 4: Day Two of the Tournament
- Part 5: Day Three of the Tournament
