Hackney under pressure

With a 15-point lead going into the season-ending Bassmaster Elite Series Toyota Angler of the Year tournament, Greg Hackney is obviously the favorite to win the title that will be decided after three days on Lake Michigan.

ESCANABA, Mich. — With a 15-point lead going into the season-ending Bassmaster Elite Series Toyota Angler of the Year tournament, Greg Hackney is obviously the favorite to win the title that will be decided after three days on Lake Michigan.

Being in that position comes with a mental burden.

"This is the biggest week of my career," said the 41-year-old Hackney. "You've got to feel a little pressure."

It's more than a little pressure, actually. But the 11-year B.A.S.S. veteran has found a way to ease the strain.

"It seems like when I'm fishing, I don't really think about it," he said. "I plan on spending all my time (Thursday) fishing."

After three days of practice in both Little Bay de Noc and Big Bay de Noc – the tournament waters – Hackney thinks he's capable of catching a five-bass limit weighing near the 20-pound mark.

"I'd be happy with that," he said. "I don't care what anybody else catches."

It's not that Hackney doesn't want to catch a bigger bag; it's simply that he doesn't have to. That 15-point lead gives him a cushion.

If he catches 20 pounds, he'll may need that cushion. After three days of practice the consensus among these 50 Elite Series anglers is that there will be some much bigger bags caught every day this week.

"It wouldn't surprise me if it took 25 pounds a day to win," said Bill Lowen.

That's a lot of weight for a smallmouth bass fishery.

But Lowen has seen evidence of what this area of Lake Michigan is capable of producing. He caught the biggest smallmouth of his life during Monday's practice.

"It was a 7-pounder," he said. "I don't know how much more it weighed than that, but it was at least 7 pounds. I've caught some 6 1/2s and 6s. It dwarfed those."

Hackney predicted the biggest smallmouth in B.A.S.S. history might go on the scales this week. He didn't catch one of those monsters, but he saw one.

"I saw one today," he said. "I didn't know they got that big. I tried to make it be something else at first. But it got right under the boat and let me look at it."

Mike Iaconelli has seen some giants as well.

"I thought they were carp at first," he said.

That seems to be the difference in this part of Lake Michigan versus, for example, Lake Erie.

"It's a unique part of the Great Lakes system," Iaconelli said. "We're used to seeing what comes out of Erie and places like that, where you'll have lots of 2-, 3- and 4-pounders.

"Here, I don't think you have the numbers. But you have real giants."

That creates a scenario where Hackney could stumble. If Aaron Martens, who is in second place in the AOY standings, or Todd Faircloth, who is third, 17 points behind Hackney, can capitalize on those giants and Hackney struggles, the AOY race could go down to the wire.

Martens, in particular, is accomplished on Great Lakes smallmouth bass fisheries.

"To me, Aaron is the guy in charge," said Steve Kennedy.

"Fifteen points in a short field (only 50 anglers instead of the usual 100-plus) is a lot. But Aaron is the man in this type of water. You don't associate Hackney with this kind of stuff."

When Iaconelli won his AOY title in 2006, he faced a similar situation to Hackney's now. Iaconelli finished 41st in the season finale at Missouri's Table Rock Lake. But that was enough to keep his closest competitors – Kevin VanDam and Kennedy – from overtaking him.

"I think Hackney is going to win," Iaconelli said. "I didn't have a good tournament (at Table Rock). But I had enough to hold off Kevin and Steve.

"I think Hackney is going to do the same thing. He's got enough of a cushion. He's riding a huge wave of momentum (coming off a win at Cayuga Lake). He's been close before.

"I think when you get this close, and you have that burning desire to win, you'll find a way to survive."

Hackney could relieve some pressure if he finds a few of those Lake Michigan giant smallmouth bass Thursday.