Hackney Maintains Lead; Points Plot Thickens

By BassFan Staff

On a day when his reign as Angler of the Year more or less officially came to an end with this year’s trophy being presented to Aaron Martens, there was Greg Hackney still hovering over the 50-man field at the AOY Championship at Sturgeon Bay.

It’s been an oddly relaxing week for both Hackney and Martens – Hackney could’ve skipped the event and still qualified for next year’s Bassmaster Classic while Martens could’ve skipped it and still gone home with his third career AOY title. But Hackney has come into some quality fish during a challenging time at Sturgeon Bay. He added 18-05 to his 21-plus from yesterday and maintained his lead with a 2-day total of 39-12.

While there’s no monetary reward for winning this week’s tournament – the money handed out is based on AOY points finish – Hackney is focused on winning.

“I don’t have anything else to do,” he said with a chuckle. “These are the 50 best Elite (Series) guys and a lot of them have a lot riding on it so they’re putting a lot into it. A Bassmaster win is a Bassmaster win, regardless, but it won’t be easy.”

Martens, meanwhile, has yet to catch a limit – and is 38th so far with 17-03, but he was all smiles today as he got to hoist the AOY trophy with his wife and two children by his side.

“It’s surreal to stand here and think about my season,” Martens said. “Taking home two wins and the Angler of the Year title is so satisfying, but it’s hard to put this feeling into words right now. You really can’t hope for more than that; it’s very humbling to compete against the best in the world and win.”

The only 20-pound bag today belonged to Chris Zaldain, who moved into 2nd with a 20-03 stringer that bumped his total to 38-05. Chad Pipkens continued his second-half tear with 16-03 today to move into 3rd with 34-04.

Todd Faircloth, meanwhile, climbed two spots to 4th behind a 15-07 effort that gave him 33-12 and some breathing room in his quest to qualify for his 14th career Classic. He came into the week 40th in points, but is now up to 29th.

Jason Christie slid two spots to 5th following a three-fish, 12-11 day that gave him 33-10.

Here's a look at the Top 12 after 2 days of competition, with deficit margin from Hackney indicated by red numbers in parentheses:

1. Greg Hackney: 39-12
2. Chris Zaldain: 38-05 (1-07)
3. Chad Pipkens: 34-04 (5-08)
4. Todd Faircloth: 33-12 (6-00)
5. Jason Christie: 33-10 (6-02)
6. Bill Lowen: 30-14 (8-14)
7. Ish Monroe: 30-12 (9-00)
8. Brandon Palaniuk: 30-10 (9-02)
9. David Walker: 30-01 (9-11)
10. Alton Jones: 29-12 (10-00)
11. Mark Menendez: 28-15 (10-13)
12. Keith Combs: 28-09 (11-03)

It has not been all that relaxing for those continuing to jockey for position in the bottom third of the points standings as the race for the final Classic berths will come down to Sunday on a body of water that appears to be in the midst of a heavy transition phase.

As expected, the wind shifted around today and blew from the north before switching around throughout the afternoon. The fish continue to be scattered throughout the depth zones, making it difficult to stay on groups of biting fish. Several competitors remarked about getting bites out of big schools of fish today, only to find the schools had vanished or dissipated after catching one from the group.

On day 1, 27 anglers caught a limit. Today, that number dropped to 23.

Brett Hite rebounded from a one-fish day on Thursday with a 17-12 bag today that moved him from 39th to 33rd in points.

While Faircloth has made the biggest move in points over the first 2 days, Mike Iaconelli has picked up 10 spots – he’s 14th after catching 16-10 today – and is currently 35th in points.

Gerald Swindle also improved upon his day-1 catch (limit for 12-11) and he moved up four spots to 40th in points, one point ahead of Ish Monroe for the projected final Classic berth.

Below is an updated rundown of places 35 through 45 in the points entering the final day with their tournament position in parentheses):

35. Mike Iaconelli: 483 (14th)
36. Marty Robinson: 482 (26th)
37. Brandon Lester: 481 (43rd)
38. Mark Davis: 476 (37th)
39. Billy McCaghren: 475 (39th)
40. Gerald Swindle: 475 (28th)
41. Ish Monroe: 474 (7th)
42. Brandon Card: 472 (43rd)
43. Mark Menendez: 471 (11th)
44. Steve Kennedy: 466 (33rd)
45. Brandon Coulter: 463 (42nd)

Scott Rook was 38th in points before this week, but two dismal days has dropped him to 47th, meaning he’ll need a big rally Sunday (and others to struggle) to punch his Classic ticket.

The competitors will participate in Bassmaster University seminars on Saturday before the tournament concludes on Sunday when the weather is expected to offer up a mix of clouds and sun with temperatures in the low 70s. The wind is supposed to be out of the southwest at 10 to 15 miles per hour.

Hackney Hoping Key Spot Gets to Rest

> Day 2: 5, 18-05 (10, 39-12)

Hackney said the area that produced 20-pound stringers for himself, Bobby Lane and Jacob Powroznik on day 1 still held potential Friday morning, but he suspects the increased boat presence around the spot may have spooked the fish.

“I only caught three there,” Hackney said. “I think it was the pressure and not necessarily from us. There were so many camera boats and locals and guys who magically came up with the waypoint today. It was real rough, too, and I think the hull slaps started to take a toll.”

Hackney said he and Powroznik turned their boats sideways and drifted across the area that way in order to minimize the waves’ impact on their boats.

“The other boats wanted to see what was going on and they all turned nose in and were all hull-slapping the water,” he said. “I caught one quick and saw two or three more down there, but I think the 27 depth finders pinging got to be too much for them. I was fortunate to catch the three I caught. They were definitely there right off the bat and then they split.”

He hopes that with the off day Saturday and some sketchy weather in the forecast that the fish in the area will have time to regroup and get settled back down without much, if any, fishing pressure.

After plucking three off the key spot, Hackney moved to a couple different places. One didn’t produce while the other kicked out more quality than he was expecting as he finished his limit there and culled with a 4-pounder in the last hour. He’s caught all of his fish so far with a spinning rod in his hand.

2nd: Zaldain Getting Dialed In

> Day 2: 5, 20-03 (10, 38-05)

Zaldain is starting to get a real solid feel for the area he’s fishing and he’s confident that he can catch another sizeable stringer off of it Sunday as he looks to move up in the points standings. He’s currently 8th, two points behind Hackney.

“I think I can do it again,” he said. “The area is fairly large and it’s not a one-drop or one-eddy situation. It’s about a 100- by 50-yard flat that’s 14 to 16 feet deep.”

He said the boulders that are scattered around the flat are the key pieces of structure as the fish are setting up around them, depending on the wind direction and current.

“There are no contour lines on it so it’s a real discreet place,” he added. “Every morning, I’ve been able to catch a big one on the Megabass Spark Shad swimbait and as the day goes on, I can pick off a few on a dropshot.

“The big key is staying on my graph and trolling motor and moving around. The fish are getting right up tight against the side of some of these boulders.”

He’s caught at least 15 fish each day and has been largely fishing off by himself.

“It’s a real simple game plan,” he said. “I’m just keeping that swimbait moving down there and making as many casts as I can. There’s a lot of bait in the area. It’s just a classic smallmouth scenario.”

3rd: Pipkens Not Giving In

> Day 2: 5, 16-03 (10, 34-04)

Pipkens didn’t let a less-than-stellar practice get him down. He tried to expand on what little he had confidence in and over the first 2 days, he’s been able to work his way into the Top 5, a familiar place for the Michigan native who’s looking to close the year with three straight Top-4 finishes.

“It feels awesome,” he said. “When I caught my first fish on day 1, I was like, ‘Good, I get to weigh one,’ because I didn’t know enough about this place. Then, I was like, ‘I have a chance to do well.’ I want to win this thing too, but I’m on a good run. I’d hate for it to fall apart at the end of the season. I hope to have a good day Sunday and just enjoy myself.”

He came into the tournament 32nd in points and is now up to 26th with 1 day of competition remaining.

“There is so much dead water here,” he said. “I’d never been here before, but I had a general idea of where to start and in practice I’d get a bite here and there and I told myself that by the time the tournament started, I wanted to be in the right area. I didn’t want to have it all figured out.”

He’s focused on one area and expanded on it, changing each day with the conditions. He caught nine keepers today after boating a dozen on Thursday.

“I’m just exploring more each day,” he said. “It’s a typical fall transition. Those schools that have been out here since after the spawn are broken up and there are some shallow and some deep.”

14th: Iaconelli Sticking to Plan

> Day 2: 5, 16-10 (9, 28-01)

Iaconelli is one decent stringer away from wrapping up his 15th straight Classic berth. Getting to this point, though, has been anything but a breeze.

Despite losing 2 hours of fishing time Thursday morning due to lower-unit issues and not catching a limit, he moved up seven spots in the points standings to 38th. Today, he climbed another three positions with his 16-10 stringer. On Sunday, he thinks another bag in the mid-teens should secure his ticket to Grand Lake.

“It’s been a stressful 2 days,” he said. “The first day, with how it played out, that was a tough thing for me,but I kept my head in it. After I weighed in, I was shocked. I couldn’t believe that less than a limit moved me up a few spots. I thought if I keep my head in it, I can be okay.”

He’s topping out at 10 to 12 bites per day so execution has been crucial and he sees no reason to veer from the game plan that’s gotten him to this point.

“I’m trying to stay focused,” he said. "This is a very important thing to me and I want to make it here. I don’t want all of that pressure going into (the Lake Erie Northern Open). I’m in position to do it and I’m not going to play it safe and change plans. I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing.”

Because of the lost fishing time Thursday, he was fishing faster than he’d have liked so today he was able to settle down and expand on the areas he targeted.

“That was a good thing,” he added.

Another good thing will be the day off, not only for him, but he believes it’ll allow the fish to get comfortable again.

“Letting the fish rest for a day is huge,” he added. “I can’t just go catch them at will. I have a certain deal and I’m glad they have a chance to regroup

“I want to close this out. It doesn’t matter if I’m 33rd or 35th or 40th, I just want to get in.”

37th: Davis Struggling

> Day 2: 2, 4-10 (7, 17-12)

Mark Davis says Sturgeon Bay is his favorite place to fish anywhere, but it was very unkind to him today and he’s faced with having to catch a good stringer Sunday to preserve his shot of making the Classic.

He was 35th in points before the tournament, but is now 38th, one point ahead of 39th and 40th.

“The fish are really fickle right now,” he said. “The fish I’m around are just real hard to catch. I’m around them, but I just can’t catch them.

“I’m just trying to make the Classic like everybody else. Right now, I’m one point in so I’ve got to somehow catch a good stringer Sunday. I couldn’t make it happen today.”

He said he lost a couple fish that would’ve taken a bit of pressure off as far as points go.

“It’s frustrating when you think you’re going to do well and then you don’t,” he added. “It’s a fine line between a good day and a bad day here.”

43rd: Lester Looking to Rebound

> Day 2: 0, 0-00 (5, 13-13)

Catching short fish was no problem for Brandon Lester today. He figures he caught about two dozen 12- or 13-inch smallmouth, but not once did a keeper-sized bass eat his bait. He was one of four anglers to take a zero and it pushed him down nine spots in the points to 37th entering Sunday.

“It was just one of those days,” he said. “It’s the first time I can ever remember zeroing in a big tournament. It’s definitely not a feeling I want to feel very often. It was just a frustrating day. It’s just hard to get bit here.”

After three straight finishes in the 60s to close the season, Lester is hoping to turn things around Sunday and claim his second career Classic berth.

“That’s how the second half of my season has been going,” he said. “Fishing’s funny that way. Sometimes, you get in a rut where you feel like you’re making the right decision and over the past three tournaments there were several times I made the wrong decision.

“I don’t feel like I'm doing anything wrong here. I’m capable of catching them. It’s just one of those deals everybody goes through.”

Notable

> Day 1 stats – 50 anglers, 23 limits (4 fewer than yesterday), 8 fours, 8 threes, 3 twos, 4 ones, 4 zeroes (three more than yesterday).

Weather Forecast

> Sun., Sept. 20 – Mix of Clouds, Sun - 71°/53°
- Wind: From the SSW at 5 to 10 mph

Day 2 Standings

1. Greg Hackney -- Gonzales, LA -- 10, 39-12 -- 100
Day 1: 5, 21-07 -- Day 2: 5, 18-05

2. Chris Zaldain -- San Jose, CA -- 10, 38-05 -- 99
Day 1: 5, 18-02 -- Day 2: 5, 20-03

3. Chad Pipkens -- Holt, MI -- 10, 34-04 -- 98
Day 1: 5, 18-01 -- Day 2: 5, 16-03

4. Todd Faircloth -- Jasper, TX -- 10, 33-12 -- 97
Day 1: 5, 18-05 -- Day 2: 5, 15-07

5. Jason Christie -- Park Hill, OK -- 8, 33-10 -- 96
Day 1: 5, 20-15 -- Day 2: 3, 12-11

6. Bill Lowen -- Brookville, IN -- 9, 30-14 -- 95
Day 1: 5, 15-12 -- Day 2: 4, 15-02

7. Ish Monroe -- Hughson, CA -- 10, 30-12 -- 94
Day 1: 5, 15-03 -- Day 2: 5, 15-09

8. Brandon Palaniuk -- Rathdrum, ID -- 10, 30-10 -- 93
Day 1: 5, 13-08 -- Day 2: 5, 17-02

9. David Walker -- Sevierville, TN -- 10, 30-01 -- 92
Day 1: 5, 11-15 -- Day 2: 5, 18-02

10. Alton Jones -- Lorena, TX -- 10, 29-12 -- 91
Day 1: 5, 13-04 -- Day 2: 5, 16-08

11. Mark Menendez -- Paducah, KY -- 10, 28-15 -- 90
Day 1: 5, 14-02 -- Day 2: 5, 14-13

12. Keith Combs -- Huntington, TX -- 10, 28-09 -- 89
Day 1: 5, 12-13 -- Day 2: 5, 15-12

13. Josh Bertrand -- Gilbert, AZ -- 9, 28-07 -- 88
Day 1: 5, 18-05 -- Day 2: 4, 10-02

14. Michael Iaconelli -- Pitts Grove, NJ -- 9, 28-01 -- 87
Day 1: 4, 11-07 -- Day 2: 5, 16-10

15. Jordan Lee -- Vinemont, AL -- 10, 27-07 -- 86
Day 1: 5, 12-03 -- Day 2: 5, 15-04

16. Greg Vinson -- Wetumpka, AL -- 10, 27-05 -- 85
Day 1: 5, 14-05 -- Day 2: 5, 13-00

17. Bobby Lane Jr. Lakeland, FL -- 8, 26-14 -- 84
Day 1: 5, 21-04 -- Day 2: 3, 05-10

18. Ott DeFoe -- Knoxville, TN -- 10, 26-11 -- 83
Day 1: 5, 11-11 -- Day 2: 5, 15-00

19. James Elam -- Tulsa, OK -- 9, 26-05 -- 82
Day 1: 4, 11-04 -- Day 2: 5, 15-01

20. John Crews Jr -- Salem, VA -- 9, 25-06 -- 81
Day 1: 5, 16-00 -- Day 2: 4, 09-06

21. Kevin VanDam -- Kalamazoo, MI -- 9, 24-14 -- 80
Day 1: 5, 12-00 -- Day 2: 4, 12-14

22. Edwin Evers -- Talala, OK -- 8, 23-15 -- 79
Day 1: 3, 10-03 -- Day 2: 5, 13-12

23. Jacob Powroznik -- Port Haywood, VA -- 6, 23-03 -- 78
Day 1: 5, 20-01 -- Day 2: 1, 03-02

24. Clifford Pirch -- Payson, AZ -- 8, 22-14 -- 77
Day 1: 4, 10-10 -- Day 2: 4, 12-04

25. Chris Lane -- Guntersville, AL -- 7, 22-02 -- 76
Day 1: 2, 04-13 -- Day 2: 5, 17-05

26. Marty Robinson -- Lyman, SC -- 8, 21-10 -- 75
Day 1: 3, 09-11 -- Day 2: 5, 11-15

27. Jonathon VanDam -- Kalamazoo, MI -- 7, 21-09 -- 74
Day 1: 3, 06-02 -- Day 2: 4, 15-07

28. Gerald Swindle -- Warrior, AL -- 8, 20-15 -- 73
Day 1: 3, 08-04 -- Day 2: 5, 12-11

29. Brett Hite -- Phoenix, AZ -- 6, 20-01 -- 72
Day 1: 1, 02-05 -- Day 2: 5, 17-12

30. Brent Ehrler -- Newport Beach, CA -- 8, 19-13 -- 71
Day 1: 5, 11-10 -- Day 2: 3, 08-03

31. Jeff Kriet -- Ardmore, OK -- 10, 19-00 -- 70
Day 1: 5, 09-09 -- Day 2: 5, 09-07

32. Matt Herren -- Ashville, AL -- 5, 18-07 -- 69
Day 1: 5, 18-07 -- Day 2: 0, 00-00

33. Steve Kennedy -- Auburn, AL -- 8, 18-07 -- 68
Day 1: 4, 09-10 -- Day 2: 4, 08-13

34. Boyd Duckett -- Guntersville, AL -- 6, 17-15 -- 67
Day 1: 5, 15-11 -- Day 2: 1, 02-04

35. Justin Lucas -- Guntersville, AL -- 6, 17-13 -- 66
Day 1: 2, 03-14 -- Day 2: 4, 13-15

36. Russ Lane -- Prattville, AL -- 6, 17-12 -- 65
Day 1: 5, 14-11 -- Day 2: 1, 03-01

37. Mark Davis -- Mount Ida, AR -- 7, 17-12 -- 64
Day 1: 5, 13-02 -- Day 2: 2, 04-10

38. Aaron Martens -- Leeds, AL -- 7, 17-03 -- 63
Day 1: 4, 08-07 -- Day 2: 3, 08-12

39. Billy McCaghren -- Mayflower, AR -- 8, 17-02 -- 62
Day 1: 3, 05-11 -- Day 2: 5, 11-07

40. Morizo Shimizu -- Suita, Osaka JAPAN -- 7, 16-07 -- 61
Day 1: 4, 09-00 -- Day 2: 3, 07-07

41. Micah Frazier -- Newnan, GA -- 6, 15-09 -- 60
Day 1: 3, 10-00 -- Day 2: 3, 05-09

42. Brandon Coulter -- Knoxville, TN -- 5, 13-15 -- 59
Day 1: 4, 08-11 -- Day 2: 1, 05-04

43. Brandon Card -- Caryville, TN -- 5, 13-13 -- 58
Day 1: 0, 00-00 -- Day 2: 5, 13-13

43. Brandon Lester -- Fayetteville, TN -- 5, 13-13 -- 58
Day 1: 5, 13-13 -- Day 2: 0, 00-00

45. Scott Rook -- Little Rock, AR -- 5, 12-01 -- 56
Day 1: 2, 04-15 -- Day 2: 3, 07-02

46. Bernie Schultz -- Gainesville, FL -- 3, 11-14 -- 55
Day 1: 1, 04-06 -- Day 2: 2, 07-08

47. Skeet Reese -- Auburn, CA -- 4, 10-14 -- 54
Day 1: 1, 03-00 -- Day 2: 3, 07-14

48. Randy Howell -- Springville, AL -- 3, 08-05 -- 53
Day 1: 1, 02-10 -- Day 2: 2, 05-11

49. John Murray -- Phoenix, AZ -- 3, 07-08 -- 52
Day 1: 3, 07-08 -- Day 2: 0, 00-00

50. Dean Rojas -- Lake Havasu City, AZ -- 1, 01-13 -- 51
Day 1: 1, 01-13 -- Day 2: 0, 00-00