Greg Hackney is a no-bull, all-business, passionately focused bass angler who leaves nothing to chance. Those are the core characteristics that have made him one of the most respected competitors in the sport during the past decade.
Hence, Hackney takes fishing line very seriously. Let’s face it -- it’s the only direct connection between himself and a hooked bass. And Hackney chooses to use red Cajun Braid 60% of the time.
“If there’s any way I can use Cajun Braid, in any given fishing situation, I do. People think of braid primarily for flippin’ and pitchin’ – but I use it for deep cranking, shallow cranking, just about everything,” said the 2005 FLW Angler of the Year, and 7-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier.
For big-billed crankbaits Hackney uses 20-pound Cajun Braid. He uses 30-pound for shallow crankbaits, and 50-pound Cajun Braid is his dominant flippin’ and pitchin’ line. The Louisiana pro said that he admires Cajun Braid for its perfect blend of abrasion resistance and casting smoothness, which stems from the line’s proprietary Cajun Guard coating.
Hackney cautions that if you’re going to use braid, you have to pair it with the right rod; otherwise, you risk ripping hooks loose from a bass’ mouth. The Quantum PTC7117FGH rod is one that he custom designed for use with braid. Its got plenty of backbone, yet a forgiving tip. The “Hack Attack” says the rod allows him to set the hook with all the grit he normally does, without fearing that he’s tearing the lure out of their mouth. Hackney spools his red Cajun Braid on to an E100HPT reel.
So what about this red colored line? “When I first started using it, I thought well, I can always paint it green with a Sharpie. But as I experimented with it, I realized that my bites were just as plentiful with the red as they were with green or black. Red is actually one of the first colors that becomes close to invisible underwater. This is funny, but I’m so confident in the red, that when it gets sun-faded, I re-color it with a red Sharpie,” said Hackney.