Entry 240-2

Who Will Win the 2008 Classic with Shaw Grigsby

Shaw GrigsbyEditor’s Note: Shaw Grigsby of Gainesville, Florida, the host of “One More Cast” TV show on the Versus Channel, has won over $2 million in tournament bass fishing, been a professional bass fisherman for 25 years, fished 10 Bassmaster Classics and been the color commentator for the Classic for many years. Grigsby’s one of the most well-respected tournament anglers on the BASS circuit. We’ve asked Grigsby to handicap the 2008 Classic and tell us who will win. Here are Grigsby’s picks of the anglers he believes will do well or win the Classic this year. He’ll also tell us how he’d fish the Classic, if he were competing this year.

Part 2: Greg Hackney

Shaw GrigsbyQuestion: Shaw, we asked you to look at the Strike King Pros competing in the 2008 Bassmaster Classic. Yesterday, we talked about Kevin VanDam. Today, we’ll look at Greg Hackney through your eyes. Tell us how you think Hackney will fish the Classic, and what lure he’ll probably fish.

Grigsby: Hackney will fish a jig. It doesn’t matter whether the fish are shallow or deep. Hackney will fish a jig. I don’t know whether he’ll pick a Premier Elite or a Premier Pro-Model jig, both from Strike King. However, he’ll probably put the Rage Craw or the Rage Chunk behind whichever jig he chooses. Hackney probably will either be pitching that jig to cover, if the bass are shallow, or he’ll be casting it out to deep water and dragging it along the bottom. Regardless of the weather and water conditions, and where the fish are holding, Hackney will be fishing a jig.

Question: Lake Hartwell is a deep, clear lake. How will this play to Hackney’s style of fishing?

Grigsby: Hackney will fish really strong, giving him a great chance to win this tournament. The jig is a big fish bait. If those big bass bite Hackney’s jig, and he can put them in the boat, he can win the Classic. When Jay Yelas won the 2002 Bassmaster Classic on Lay Lake in Alabama, he caught three big bass in three consecutive days. If Hackney finds a spot holding big bass, and he hooks them up, hold on to your hat because Hackney will win. Greg HackneyYou can catch big fish for three consecutive days with a jig. Hackney is one of the masters of fishing the jig. Tommy Biffle, Gary Klein and Casey Ashley are the only ones in the Classic who can match Hackney when it comes to fishing a jig.

So, if the bass are hitting a jig, Hackney is ranked with the guys who can win it on a jig. Hackney has fished six, back-to-back Classics, but he’s still a fairly-young angler. Hackney hasn’t won a Classic yet, so he has a lot to prove. He also will have an advantage in the Classic if we get cold, nasty weather. The worse the weather is, the better Hackney fishes. If a blizzard hits and the bass are on the slow bite, Hackney can wear out the bass with the jig. But if we have a sunny day and warm weather, watch out for VanDam.

Next: Mike Wurm




 

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