Entry 159-1

February Bass Fishing At Its Best

Punch Them Out

Editor’s Note: $65,000 and the title, Angler-of-the-Year on the Forest L. Woods (FLW) tour, prove that Greg Hackney knows how to catch bass. One of the newest members of the Strike King Pro Staff, Hackney from Gonzalez, Louisiana, has been fishing professional tournament circuits for 5 years. However, he’s been competing in bass-fishing tournaments since he was 11 years old.

Question: How did you become Angler-of-the-Year on the FLW tour?

Hackney: With a lot of praying and a lot of hard work. I won the tour event at Table Rock Lake and won $100,000, and I had the highest point average for the year. Last year and this year I’ve won about $300,000 each year.

Question: Why did you decide to become a Strike King pro?

Hackney: Strike King has the most-elite Pro Staff of any lure company in the fishing industry. I can’t remember when I haven’t used their products. Most of their products are designed for power fishing, and I consider myself a power fisherman. So, Strike King and I are a natural fit. I feel fortunate to be chosen to be among the elite group known as the Strike King Pros.

Question: Greg, during February, where will you be fishing, and how will you be fishing?

Hackney: If I’m fishing a grass lake at this time of the year, I’m going to fish a jig. I like to fish the Premier Pro-Model and the Premier Elite. If I’m fishing vegetation, I’m fishing the Premier Elite. The reason I like to fish vegetation with the Premier Elite is because it comes in heavier sizes like the 3/4-ounce and the 1-ounce. I’ll either fish a natural brown and green, or, a black, blue and purple. When I’m fishing with this jig, I’m usually using it to punch holes through grass mats and catch the bass that are holding under those grass mats. I’m flipping that jig into those grass mats and punching it through because at this time of the year, that vegetation will hold heat.

Most of the time, the bass will be suspended under the grass, so, I yo-yo the jig under the grass. If the water’s really shallow, I’ll let the jig fall to the bottom. But, if the water’s deep, I’ll only let the jig get 1 to 2 feet under the water, and give it a yo-yo type of retrieve to catch the bass. I like to either throw the jig and let it penetrate the grass, allow it to fall 1 to 2 feet and then shake it with my rod tip. Or, I’ll bang the jig against the bottom side of the mat. If the bass are really aggressive, they’ll take the bait as it first goes through the mat. If a cold front has hit the lake, I may shake and bang that jig for 30 seconds in the same spot before I pull it out of the grass and flip to a new spot.

Question: How do you get a big bass out of that grass?

Hackney: I use heavy tackle, including a 7-1/2-foot flipping stick and 65-pound-test braided line, and then I can drag that fish out of the grass. During February, we’re usually fishing in Florida where the chances of catching an 8- or a 9-pound bass are really good.

Question: Are you putting any type of trailer on the back of the jig?

Hackney: I’m using a Denny Brauer Chunk as a trailer. I fish big jigs and big trailers to catch big bass at this time of the year.

February Bass Fishing At Its Best

Punch Them Out

Next: Diamonds In The Grass

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