Every so often someone coins a phrase for a bass fishing technique that is so descriptive it accurately defines the method. Good examples are the terms flippin’ and pitchin’. Bassmaster Elite Series pro Greg Hackney of Louisiana recently came up with another winner: plinkin’. To traditional outdoors enthusiasts, plinking means shooting at cans, bottles and other makeshift targets with a .22 rifle. Hackney expanded the word’s definition to include pitching with downsized, lightweight baits. Plinkin’ provides the same accuracy and soft landing as when pitching with flipping tackle, but it tempts bass with a bait that sinks more slowly. “Plinkin’ isn’t power fishing and it’s not finesse fishing,” Hackney said. “It fits the void right in the middle.”
Lew's Signature Series casting rods in the heavy-action 7-foot, 6-inch model handles Hackney’s plinkin’ duties. He matches these rods with a 8.3:1 gear ratio Lew's Super Duty reel filled with 12- to 16-pound Gamma fluorocarbon. The clearer the water, the lighter the line.
