Bass-Fishing Tactics with Greg Hackney
Drag a Jig, and Drag in Bass
 Editor’s
Note: Greg Hackney of Gonzalez, Louisiana, one of the
hottest tournament fishermen on both pro circuits, has
finished in the top-10 in four tournaments with nine
more tournaments left to compete in this year. Hackney
won the Lake Sam Rayburn Bass Tournament, and so far
this year, he’s earned $192,000 on the Bassmaster
circuit and is ranked No. 1 statistically on www.bassfan.com
as of May, 2006.
Question: How else are you catching bass fishing slow
at this time of year?
Hackney: I’m dragging a jig on the bottom.
Question: What color jig are you using?
 Hackney:
I like the bream pattern in blue, black-and-blue and
even white. I like white because sometimes the bass
are feeding on shad. I drag the jig like you will a
Carolina-rigged worm or lizard. I drag it slowly across
the bottom so that I can feel every rock or stump that
it hits.
Question: What size jig are you using?
Hackney: I’m using a Denny Brauer 1/2- or 3/4-inch
jig, depending on the water depth. If I’m fishing
in 12 feet or less, I fish a 1/2-ounce jig. If I’m
fishing deeper than that, I use a 3/4-ounce jig. The
main reason I’m using the heavier jig in the deeper
water is so that I can make sure the jig stays on the
bottom and that I can feel the bottom.
Question: Are you using a trailer on the jig?
 Hackney:
Yes, I am. The size of the trailer varies depending
on how active the bass are. If the bass are fairly inactive,
I’ll be fishing a Strike King Denny Brauer Chunk
Trailer. If the bass are more active, I want a Strike
King Split Tail Trailer. This puts a lot of action on
the back of the jig.
Question: On what kind of areas are you fishing the
jig?
Hackney: I fish the jig on points, channel swings,
humps out in the middle of the lake and any type of
structure on which I think the bass may be holding.
I’m dragging the jig really slowly with my rod
tip. I want to feel it crawl over every stump and log,
and drop in every hole in the bottom. You want to drag
that bait really slowly.
 Question:
How do the bass take the bait?
Hackney: The bass usually slack the line. The bass
will come up behind the bait and hit the bait as they
move forward, which usually throws slack in the line.
So, to catch the bass when I see my line has slack in
it, I usually reel down and try to feel the weight of
the fish before I set the hook. Many times I’ll
be casting 50 yards where there will be a lot of slack
in my line, so if I don’t reel down before I set
the hook, I won’t know I’ve got contact
with the fish. I’ll actually pull the bait out
of the fish’s mouth. When you’re using this
tactic, always remember to reel down, feel the weight
of the fish, and then set the hook. Most people don’t
reel down before they try to set their hooks when they’re
dragging jigs. This reason is why many people don’t
catch the bass they should catch using this tactic.
When you’re making a long cast and a bass takes
your bait, you’ve got to make sure that you reel
down and get that slack out of the line before you set
the hook. I use fluorocarbon line when I’m fishing
like this because the fluorocarbon has less stretch
and puts much more power on the point of the hook than
monofilament does under these conditions.
Question: Why are you making such long casts?
Hackney: I want to cover a lot of water and catch as
many bass as I can. You may be fishing a point that
runs from 5- to 15-feet deep, so I’m casting up
into 5 feet of water and fishing that jig all the way
out to 15 feet of water.
Question: What color jigs are your favorites?
Hackney: A black blue accent and a perch color, or
something brown like a pumpkin green or a perch color
are my favorite.
Tomorrow: Hop It If They Don’t
Bite It Dragging
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