Greg Hackney appreciates options, but he’s also a fan of simplicity, especially when it comes to his swim jig tactics. A true utility player, this narrow-nosed jig is made to navigate just about any type of cover and play any role — it just takes a game plan based on functionality.
Case in point, Hackney’s namesake Strike King Hack Attack Heavy Cover Swim Jig comes in 1/4-, 3/8- and 1/2-ounce sizes, but the Elite pro from Gonzales, La., says he can do just about everything he needs to do with that middle option.
“It’s a really user-friendly size,” Hackney said of the 3/8-ounce swim jig. “It casts good, and it’s easy for me to fish it shallow and mid-depths. It’s just an efficient size for casting, pitching or skipping.”
Essential to shallow water operation, a collared Perfect Skirt flares broadly and helps keep the bait up higher in the water column.
“That’s one of the reasons I’m able to fish extremely shallow with a 3/8-ounce jig, even in colder water when I need to reel the bait slow,” Hackney notes. “(A swim jig) is as effective on fish in 40-degree water as it is on a fish in 90-degree water.”
That being said, considering the bait’s reputation as a nearly year-round option (weather and water body depending), Hackney’s keen on assigning that bait different roles. To accomplish various missions, he simply manipulates the running depth by varying the trailer.
Keep it high
For those shallow, slow presentations, Hackney leverages the lifting dynamics of that Perfect Skirt and a 4-inch Rage Craw’s significant action for a surface-level waking presentation.
“I’ve caught largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass on this jig and trailer combination,” Hackney said. “I’ve caught them as well in New York as I have in Florida and California. It works anywhere a bass exists.”
Tip: Hackney typically bites off the Rage Craw’s top two segments for a shorter profile. The strategy here is to bring the fish’s focus closer to the hook area.
Hackney’s quick to point out that “shallow” does not only refer to meager depths close to the bank. He’ll often use the Rage Craw package to target the holes and lanes scattered amid lily pad fields.
Depending on distance and the size of the opening, he’ll use a sidearm cast or make a short pitch to the target zone. Either way, the swim jig presents an enticing profile with the urgency of a sudden appearance.
“I’ll pitch that swim jig like just like I would a flipping jig,” Hackney said. “What you’re doing is getting a reaction bite. You could flip that hole and let (a bait) go to the bottom, but a lot of times, pitching and suddenly swimming the bait through that hole will cause those fish to react.
“A lot of times, that’s the best way to get that jig into the cover. I’ll skip it under limbs or under boat docks. I’m basically target fishing that swim jig; fishing little cracks and crevices in lily pad fields, in weeds, around wood.”
Paddle plan
When summer’s swelter or high fishing pressure call for slow rolling the swim jig in 5 to 10 feet of water, a heavier paddletail swimbait style trailer like the Rage Swimmer keeps the bait low.
“I’ll vary between the 3.75- and 4.75-inch (model) depending on forage size,” Hackney said. “If I think those fish are feeding on bigger shad or bigger baitfish, I’ll use the 4.75, but in a situation where it’s colder water and I’m fishing that bait deeper, I’ll throw the 3.75.
“Both trailers have one thing in common — they’re both heavy and that keeps that swim jig down. Usually, in this scenario, I don’t need a lot of erratic action. It’s figuring out the right rate of speed and keeping it slow and steady.”
Super size
When Hackney’s around giant fish but he still wants his bait running high in the water column, he’ll use a larger craw style trailer (ex: Rage Lobster). Resembling the Rage Craw, but made with a longer, bulkier physique, this 4.75-inch trailer helps keep his jig running high, while stepping up the action and thereby boosting the big-fish appeal.
Pushing more water than its smaller cousin, this trailer’s also a strategic choice in dirtier water, when visibility declines.
Grubbing about
“I use a grub-style trailer when fish seem to be feeding on smaller prey, or in extremely clear water,” Hackney said. “The Strike King Menace has great action, but it’s a much smaller profile.
“I could also downsize to the Baby Rage Craw, but typically I just go to that grub style trailer when I need that smaller profile. The Menace has similar action; it’s just a lot more subtle.”
Tackle tips
For the right balance of flexible tip and fish-whipping strength, Hackney uses his signature 7-2 Lew’s Hack Attack swim jig/frog rod. Adding a 7.5:1 or 8.3:1 Lew’s BB1 Pro reel helps him keep the slack out of his line when a fish hits on a fast retrieve.
Also, a faster reel allows him to manipulate his swim jig’s performance with varying speed bursts. A slower reel would make this an arduous task, Hackney said, but when winter finds him fishing deep and slow, a 6.4:1 reel gets the call.
Most of the time, Hackney’s throwing his swim jig on 50-pound Gamma braid for its snappy response and shallow-cover effectiveness. The only exception is that deep-and-slow deal, in which case 14- to 20-pound fluorocarbon does a better job.
A final swim jig selling point — the easy follow up.
“The cool thing about a swim jig is, if miss a fish on the swim jig, a lot of times I can pitch it back to him and fish it like a traditional jig,” Hackney said. “I can make it look like any type of forage out there by matching the color to the bait that the fish are feeding on.
“I can put the action I want into the bait. It’s not like throwing a plug or a bladed jig where the bait has the action. I actually am giving the swim jig its action: a steady retrieve, I can hop it or pop it, stop and go. That’s what makes it so versatile — you can do so many things with it.”
