Entry 334-1
Greg Hackney – Five Ways I Hate to Bass Fish
Editor’s Note: The Strike King professional fishing team is made up of some of the most-successful tournament bass fishermen in the nation. They all have favorite ways of fishing. Denny Brauer of Camdenton, Missouri, likes flipping and pitching. Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Michigan, prefers using crankbaits, buzzbaits and spinner baits. And, Greg Hackney of Gonzales, Louisiana, can be classified as a power-bait fisherman. However, every member of the Strike King professional fishing team is also extremely versatile and will use any technique necessary to catch bass and win tournaments. This week we’ve asked Greg Hackney the five tactics, weather conditions and/or lures Hackney hates the most and how he’s learned to overcome these issues to win bass tournaments.
Part 1: Crankbaits and Deep Ledges
Question: Greg, what was one of the most-difficult tactics for you to learn, and how did you learn it?
Hackney: Fishing crankbaits on deep ledges like you find on many of the Tennessee River lakes was tough for me. I knew the least about this tactic when I became a professional fisherman. Until I really learned how to fish ledges with crankbaits, I always caught bass off deep ledges with some type of cover, such as deep grass, stumps or rocks. But at the Tennessee River, we have to fish open water with no cover on the ledges, and I had the most difficulty with this type of fishing. Because there were no stumps, grass or standing timber on those deep ledges on the Tennessee River, but instead just rocks with drop-offs, I felt like I was fishing in outer space.
Question: How did you learn to fish this way?
Hackney: Last year, I decided I’d take it on the chin and fish deep ledges. I decided I could retrieve a crankbait just like all the other competitors. And, on Lake Guntersville in Alabama, I finished 13th. I didn’t fare as well on Kentucky Lake, but I did catch every bass I weighed-in fishing off deep ledges.
Question: What lure helped you solve this problem?
Hackney: At Guntersville, I fished a Strike King Series 5, and on Kentucky Lake, I fished a Strike King Series 6.I also fished the Sexy Spoon and the Tour-Grade Football Jig. When I decided to learn how to fish these deep ledges, I allowed myself to get excited about fishing that way and to start looking forward to tournaments where I could use this tactic. I’ve developed the confidence in this style of fishing now. I know if I can find bass on those deep ledges, I can catch them. A fisherman overcomes a particular style of fishing, weather condition or any other hindrance to his ability to be versatile by attacking that problem until he or she whips it and knows he can fish that way. I have confidence that if I have to fish deep ledges to win, I can fish them as good, if not better, than anyone else.
Next: I Hated Suspended Bass
Contents:
- Part 1: Crankbaits and Deep Ledges
- Part 2: I Hated Suspended Bass
- Part 3: Fishing in a Foreign Country
- Part 4: Don't Try and Catch Other People's Fish
- Part 5: I Hate a Crowd
