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Louisiana’s Hackney Storms to Lead on California Delta at Bassmaster Elite Series Season Opener

 March 13, 2010 - The only thing that has been predictable at the Trokar Duel in the Delta, the Bassmaster Elite Series season-opener, has been the unpredictability.  Leaders nearly zero while others zip from the middle of the pack with little explanation.  Greg Hackney of Gonzales , La. , was the hero Saturday, advancing from eighth to first with a 25-plus pound day, bringing his three-day total to 57 pounds, 5 ounces, enough for a 2-plus pound lead.

Changing weather conditions, unpredictable tidal flow and finicky fish have mystified anglers but Hackney was able to capitalize Saturday save for a slow morning. The eight-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier said that he was able to rule out different patterns in the morning through experimentation before settling in with the flipping stick.

And when he committed, the move paid off in spades.  Of his limit, three were massive – one weighed more than 8 pounds – and if not for two smaller ones, Hackney could have a sizable lead.  Alas, the BASS millionaire is not the type of angler to think about what could have been.

“I’m not really worried.  I just plan to go fishing,” said Hackney, a three-time BASS winner.  “Here, you just never know what is going to happen. One flip can result in an 8-pounder or a 2-pounder.  Honestly, I just want to fish mistake-free.  If I do that, I will be pleased with the results.”

Hackney, 36, has been able to exploit three areas that he has largely to himself. 

He is switching up line choice between braid and fluorocarbon based on water clarity in the areas.  Navigating a nearly 45-minute run from the launch site, Hackney is scouring his areas with short casts to the shallows. 

The 2004 Rookie of the Year only managed eight bites Saturday – landing seven of them – but is comfortable in terms of technique and area.

“The areas that I have, they just suit me,” said Hackney, who declined to reveal his lure choice.  “I would consider them textbook deals for the way I am fishing.”

Still, the conditions will throw another curveball to the 12 final-day qualifiers on Sunday.  The forecast calls for slick, calm conditions -- something that the competitors have yet to see during the competition. 

For Hackney, that is encouraging news.

“That rules out a lot of things that other guys could do that could end up hurting me,” said Hackney.  “It makes things a little simpler.  Definitely not easy though.”

A fast start to the season was vital for the veteran Hackney.  He is looking at the ultimate goal of qualifying for the 2011 Bassmaster Classic on another Delta, the Louisiana , which Hackney considers his quasi-home waters. 

And that is the fishery that Mike Iaconelli scored his landmark 2003 Classic victory.  The nearest challenger to Hackney this week is Iaconelli, with a three-day total of 54-10.  Even though he was unable to move up, Iaconelli, the 2006 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year was happy he was still in contention.

“I went nearly six hours without a bite.  It was really embarrassing,” said Iaconelli, 37.  “It was just an unbelievable struggle.  I’m still not sure how I was able to scratch out a limit.  I just don’t know.”

Experimenting with a bevy of baits, Iaconelli – like Hackney – finally worked the flipping stick and found late success.  His margin of deficit is minimal and on a place like the Delta, one big bite could turn the tables on Hackney.

With calm, slick conditions in store, Iaconelli was still confident in his area.  He has it to himself and was planning to use his late-day flurry as the groundwork for his plan on Sunday.  Part of that strategy will be to stick with a bait alteration that he made that resulted in his late success. 

Moving up to third was local favorite Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif, with 52-10.  Reese is looking for redemption after a frustrating 2010 Bassmaster Classic and his local knowledge makes him a dangerous contender. 

Slipping from third to fourth was John Crews of Salem, Va., with 51-14.  In the surprise of the tournament, Stephen Browning, who had a 5-plus pound lead heading into Saturday, registered only one tiny, legal fish.  Browning, who finished the day in fifth, didn’t have the tide with him and lamented a decision he made to stick with his area when he had originally planned to pack his bags and try new water.  The one-time BASS winner put the humbling experience in perspective.

“I guess I’m just so good that I caught every single one of the fish in that area,” Browning joked.

Behind Browning was a murderer’s row of accomplished veterans including Shaw Grigsby of Gainesville , Fla. (7th); 28-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier Gary Klein (8th); four-time Classic champion Rick Clunn (9th); Zell Rowland (11th) of Austin , Texas and 1998 Classic champion Denny Brauer (12th).

Elite anglers are competing on the California Delta for a $100,000 first-place prize, points toward qualifying for the Bassmaster Elite Series postseason and 2011 Bassmaster Classic, and the title to the first of eight tournaments of the Elite Series’ fifth regular season.

Stockton, the state’s 13th largest city and seat of San Joaquin County, is situated on the San Joaquin Delta Waterway — also known as the California Delta because the area forms a triangle with the three points being Sacramento, Stockton and Pittsburg, Calif. The Delta encompasses 1,000 miles of navigable, fishable water in a labyrinth of sloughs, canals, channels and islands, one factor that makes tournament fishing there so tough — and so good.

TROKAR DUEL IN THE DELTA- DAY 3 STANDINGS

2010 Stockton , CA 3/11-3/14

California Delta, Stockton   CA .

(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 3

 

   Angler                   Hometown              No./lbs-oz  Pts   Total $$$

 

1.  Greg Hackney           Gonzales , LA             15  57-05  305

  Day 1: 5   14-14     Day 2: 5   17-00     Day 3: 5   25-07  

2.  Michael Iaconelli      Pitts Grove, NJ         15  54-10  295

  Day 1: 5   14-00     Day 2: 5   25-12     Day 3: 5   14-14  

3.  Skeet Reese            Auburn , CA              15  52-10  290

  Day 1: 5   15-01     Day 2: 5   18-13     Day 3: 5   18-12  

4.  John Crews             Salem , VA               13  51-14  285

  Day 1: 4   15-02     Day 2: 5   21-13     Day 3: 4   14-15  

5.  Stephen Browning       Hot Springs , AR         11  46-01  290

  Day 1: 5   21-11     Day 2: 5   23-09     Day 3: 1   00-13  

6.  Dustin Wilks           Rocky Mount , NC         15  45-12  276

  Day 1: 5   14-11     Day 2: 5   14-06     Day 3: 5   16-11  

7.  Shaw E Grigsby         Gainesville , FL         13  45-12  272

  Day 1: 5   14-08     Day 2: 5   18-14     Day 3: 3   12-06  

8.  Gary Klein             Weatherford , TX          13  44-03  268

  Day 1: 5   13-09     Day 2: 5   21-10     Day 3: 3   09-00  

9.  Rick Clunn             Ava , MO                  13  43-12  264

  Day 1: 4   09-13     Day 2: 5   18-15     Day 3: 4   15-00  

10. James Niggemeyer       Van, TX                 11  42-07  260

  Day 1: 1   02-08     Day 2: 5   18-09     Day 3: 5   21-06  

11. Zell Rowland           Austin , TX               11  41-08  257

  Day 1: 2   05-07     Day 2: 5   23-04     Day 3: 4   12-13  

12. Denny Brauer           Camdenton , MO            15  41-00  254

  Day 1: 5   12-05     Day 2: 5   17-01     Day 3: 5   11-10  

13. Greg Vinson            Wetumpka , AL             14  41-00  251

  Day 1: 5   12-12     Day 2: 5   20-06     Day 3: 4   07-14  

14. Derek Remitz           Grant , AL                13  40-11  248

  Day 1: 5   15-13     Day 2: 5   15-08     Day 3: 3   09-06  

15. Kevin Short            Mayflower, AR           14  40-02  245

  Day 1: 4   09-02     Day 2: 5   14-11     Day 3: 5   16-05  

16. Jeff Kriet             Ardmore , OK             13  39-12  243

  Day 1: 5   14-03     Day 2: 5   17-01     Day 3: 3   08-08  

17. J Todd Tucker          Moultrie, GA            13  38-06  241

  Day 1: 5   13-05     Day 2: 5   16-01     Day 3: 3   09-00  

18. Mark Davis             Mount Ida , AR           15  37-15  239

  Day 1: 5   15-03     Day 2: 5   09-14     Day 3: 5   12-14  

19. Peter E Thliveros      St Augustine, FL        15  37-10  237

  Day 1: 5   13-08     Day 2: 5   10-15     Day 3: 5   13-03  

20. Dave Wolak             Wake Forest , NC         12  36-11  235

  Day 1: 5   19-08     Day 2: 2   04-07     Day 3: 5   12-12  

21. Scott Rook             Little Rock , AR         10  36-10  233

  Day 1: 2   04-07     Day 2: 5   25-11     Day 3: 3   06-08  

22. Bradley Hallman         Norman , OK              15  36-08  231

  Day 1: 5   08-10     Day 2: 5   11-15     Day 3: 5   15-15  

23. Dean Rojas             Lake Havasu City , AZ    14  34-15  229

  Day 1: 4   11-10     Day 2: 5   08-07     Day 3: 5   14-14  

24. Guy Eaker               Cherryville , NC          12  34-14  227

  Day 1: 5   15-02     Day 2: 5   12-14     Day 3: 2   06-14  

25. Edwin Evers            Talala, OK              11  34-13  225

  Day 1: 2   10-00     Day 2: 5   11-14     Day 3: 4   12-15  

26. Alton Jones             Waco , TX                 15  34-12  223

  Day 1: 5   13-05     Day 2: 5   08-09     Day 3: 5   12-14  

27. Bill Lowen             North Bend , OH           12  34-04  221

  Day 1: 4   09-09     Day 2: 5   17-08     Day 3: 3   07-03  

28. Paul Elias             Laurel , MS               13  33-08  219

  Day 1: 5   13-05     Day 2: 3   06-12     Day 3: 5   13-07  

29. Kevin VanDam           Kalamazoo , MI           14  33-03  217

  Day 1: 4   09-06     Day 2: 5   14-08     Day 3: 5   09-05  

30. Mark Tucker            Saint Louis, MO         12  33-00  215

  Day 1: 4   09-10     Day 2: 5   11-15     Day 3: 3   11-07  

31. Todd Faircloth         Jasper, TX              14  32-09  213

  Day 1: 5   12-15     Day 2: 4   07-00     Day 3: 5   12-10  

32. Steve Kennedy          Auburn , AL               15  31-13  211

  Day 1: 5   12-10     Day 2: 5   11-11     Day 3: 5   07-08  

33. Clark Reehm            Russellville , AR         11  31-13  209

  Day 1: 4   07-04     Day 2: 5   19-06     Day 3: 2   05-03  

34. Jeff Connella          Bentley , LA              12  31-03  207

  Day 1: 5   13-01     Day 2: 4   13-05     Day 3: 3   04-13  

35. Kotaro Kiriyama        Moody, AL               10  31-01  205

  Day 1: 5   15-02     Day 2: 4   12-11     Day 3: 1   03-04  

36. Jason Quinn            Lake Wylie , SC           10  30-09  203

  Day 1: 3   05-14     Day 2: 5   19-07     Day 3: 2   05-04  

37. Russ Lane              Prattville , AL           9  29-07  201

  Day 1: 5   18-10     Day 2: 4   10-13     Day 3: 0   00-00  

38. Kevin Wirth            Crestwood , KY            11  29-03  199

  Day 1: 5   14-09     Day 2: 5   13-06     Day 3: 1   01-04  

39. Pat Golden             High Point , NC          10  28-09  197

  Day 1: 2   05-08     Day 2: 5   16-03     Day 3: 3   06-14  

40. Brian Snowden          Reeds Spring, MO        10  27-14  195

  Day 1: 4   09-11     Day 2: 5   12-12     Day 3: 1   05-07  

41. Pete Ponds             Madison, MS             12  27-12  193

  Day 1: 5   09-15     Day 2: 5   12-00     Day 3: 2   05-13  

42. Matt Herren            Trussville, AL          12  27-05  191

  Day 1: 5   08-05     Day 2: 5   14-13     Day 3: 2   04-03  

43. Vince Fulks            Purcell, OK             12  26-04  189

  Day 1: 4   07-04     Day 2: 5   15-00     Day 3: 3   04-00  

44. John Murray            Phoenix , AZ              8  25-13  187

  Day 1: 3   14-06     Day 2: 3   05-12     Day 3: 2   05-11  

45. Jami Fralick           Martin , SD               11  25-09  185

  Day 1: 3   04-14     Day 2: 5   15-13     Day 3: 3   04-14  

46. Chad Griffin            Cresson , TX              11  25-07  183

  Day 1: 3   03-15     Day 2: 5   16-08     Day 3: 3   05-00  

47. Mike McClelland        Bella Vista , AR          11  24-11  181

  Day 1: 3   05-03     Day 2: 5   14-08     Day 3: 3   05-00  

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Totals

Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight

 1        30       289       738-08

 2        55       375      1079-04

 3        17       163       461-11

----------------------------------

         102       827      2279-07

 

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