Strike King pro Greg Hackney shares why April is one of his favorite times of year to fish and where he targets the largest bass in Zone 1.
“By April, we start to get rain. April is more of the rainy season than March, to me,” shares Hackney. “By this time, a lot of the fish are through spawning and then it’s time for the shad spawn in Zone 1. Now, the fish are only concerned with eating,” Hackney says. This makes for some of the best fishing in Zone 1, explains Hackney. “The shad spawn at night, so fishing early in the morning is best for catching the end of it. The first hour or two after daylight, it can be really, really good,” offers Hackney. One of Hackney’s secrets to finding huge bass – look for the birds. “Typically, the birds will gang up in places where the shad are spawning. The bass are also ganged up there,” says Hackney. Other places anglers in Zone 1 can go to find bass will be areas near spawning shad – clay banks, clay points, rock areas on the bank, grass, in the weeds, and in Cypress trees.
If the water is clear, Hackney prefers White. In stained water, he switches to Black Blue. For muddy water, he will favor Chartreuse Sexy Shad.
Strike King’s Hack Attack Heavy Cover Swim Jig is designed for navigating the heaviest of cover. The strong and durable weed guard easily moves through thick vegetation and grass. The Rage Craw trailer causes more disruption in the water for attracting larger bites.
Hackney’s choice for clear water is White, while he opts for Summer Craw if the water is stained. Black is Hackney’s go-to when water conditions are muddy.
The Tour Grade Buzzbait is made with premium components, such as a sculpted quick-planing head and an exclusive Gamakatsu® hook, making it a go-to in Hackney’s lineup.
He opts for Green Pumpkin in clear water, and switches to California Craw if the water is stained.
Crafted for superior action, the Strike King Rage Bug is made of a customized, hi-grade plastic for enhanced action and exaggerated noise to attract more bites.
If the water is clear, he will throw Green Pumpkin Gill, while more stained water calls for White. Hackney prefers Black in low-vis conditions.
Resembling an injured baitfish, the Popping Perch skips, walks, splashes, and pops like wounded prey, resulting in the finest topwater, hollow body, popping lure.
He opts for White/Silver in clear water. If the water is stained, he will throw Chartreuse/White, while he will switch to Spot Remover if the water is muddy.
The Tour Grade Spinnerbait can be an ideal choice for covering water quickly on structure-filled flats. It can be worked through vegetation, bounced off wood cover, and burned just beneath the surface to create a wake.
Hackney is a fan of Black/Blue in clear water and switches to Green Pumpkin in stained water. California Craw is his choice in muddy conditions.
The Rage Scounbug is a compact, crawfish imitation lure that is built with two Rage Flange pincers that wiggle and swim, imparting a life-like, natural action and six legs for a realistic crawfish appearance.
Shaw tips the bladed jig with a Blade Minnow or Rage Menace trailer around cover and when quickly covering banks.
If the water is clear, Shaw prefers the Olive Shad. In stained water, he switches to the Chartreuse Blue Glimmer. For muddy water, he will favor a Black Blue Thunder Cricket.
Shaw fishes the Thunder Cricket on a Lew’s KVD Composite Rod, pairing it with a Lew’s HyperMag 7.5:1 reel. He fishes the rig on 17 to 20 lb fluorocarbon line, but will use braid in muddy water.
