Entry 217-3

Greg Hackney Finishes in the Top-10 at the Bassmaster Legends Tournament

Part 3: The First Day of Competition

Question: Greg, what happened on the first day of competition?

Hackney: On the first day of competition, I’d made my mind up that I’d have to fish three or four backwater areas each day to get the bass I knew I needed to win the tournament. But when I pulled up on the first spot I’d planned to fish on the first morning of the tournament, which was the last spot I’d fished on the day before, I really got into the bass.

My first spot was the closest place I had to fish to the ramp – only about 12 miles from the launch site. So, I decided that after I fished that spot, I’d continue down the river and fish the other areas I’d chosen. I thought after I’d reached my last spot, if I didn’t have enough fish, I’d return to my first spot and start all over again. I really didn’t know which one of the places that I’d found would be the best to catch bass. I thought they were all about equal. However, when I pulled up on that first spot, I decided to fish really slowly and fish for one bite at a time.

I caught 11 keepers in the first 3 hours. All five of my best fish were just a few ounces less than 4 pounds, giving me a total of 18 pounds and 10 ounces. After the first 3 hours of fishing and with 18 pounds in the boat, I practiced. I didn’t go to any of my other holes to catch a better strain. I went to areas I hadn’t fished. I lost one 4-1/2-pounder that would have added weight to my stringer, if I could have put it in the boat. At the other sites I fished, I had quality bites, but none of those fish would have added weight to the stringer.

Question: Why did you decide to start practicing after you’d only fished 3 hours in the tournament?

Hackney: I’ve been a competitive fisherman long enough to know that you can never have too many good sites to fish. By practicing, you may discover a more-productive place. I knew that any new spots I could find during the tournament would be much better than any of the areas I’d found during practice, because those bass on the new regions would be biting right now. I caught all the bass I weighed-in on the first day of the tournament on the Strike King black-neon tube bait.

Question: Why did you decide to fish black neon?

Hackney: The water was off-color, and I really like the color in any bait I fish.

Question: What place were you in at the end of the first day of the tournament?

Hackney: I was in second place.

Question: When you got ready for bed that night, what was your game plan for the next day?

Hackney: I knew I’d have to catch 8 or 10 pounds of bass to make the top-12 cut. I had a pretty-good cushion with that second-place finish, and if I could put 8 to 12 more pounds of weight on my total, I felt certain I’d make the top-12 cut.

Next: Day Two of the Tournament

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