Hackney leads as FLW Tour on Pickwick heads into final round

John Jacobs nets Greg Hackney’s bass. photo by Brian Lindberger

Greg Hackney expanded his lead to 7 pounds, 13 ounces over Brent Ehrler as the FLW Tour on Pickwick Lake goes to the final day tomorrow.

Hackney had 22 pounds, 4 ounces today and while that’s strong, it was a far cry from his 31-plus he weighed-in on Friday. Still, his total weight stands at 75-14.

Most anglers want current on TVA lakes. Today they may have gotten too much of a good thing as rainy afternoons have sent enough water through the system to raise the lake level. Hackney suspects that may be the reason his spot didn’t produce as well today. He did catch fish, did take the lead, but it took him all day.

Hackney also noted that big schools of gizzard shad did not show or the little ledge he has been fishing. On days 1 and 2 they were stacked in unusually large schools over live mussel beds. That’s what the 5-pounders are eating and hackney doesn’t even have a bait big enough to emulate the shad. But when bass go nuts for a few minutes Hackney capitalizes. That only required about 4 hours of combined effort over the first two days. Tomorrow his prime spot may become just one more in a rotation of areas he has confidence in – a couple of which he has not fished yet during the tournament.

Braxton Setzer of Auburn, Ala. won the co-angler division with a limit that weighed 21-5 (heaviest of the week for a co-angler). His total weight was 51-7, almost a pound ahead of fellow Alabamian and Day 2 leader John Jacobs (50-8). Setzer used a drop shot and shakey head to do most of his damage all week, noting that he also caught fish on a G Man football jig. The drop shot sported a Robo Worm in Morning Dawn color. Shakey head weights ranged from 1/2 oz. with a Zoom magnum trick worm to 1/4 oz. with a standard Zoom trick worm. Green pumpkin and watermelonseed were the colors of choice. Setzer used 10-pound line on the drop shot; 8-pound on the shakey head.