Hack attacks Falcon

FLW records fall again at Falcon Lake; East leads West 18 to 12

ZAPATA, Texas – Yesterday it was the Fritts Blitz; today it was the Hack Attack. If it sounds like there is an all-out war going on at the Walmart FLW Series East-West Fish-Off, there is.

Fish-Off pros continued to dismantle the foundations of FLW record books with explosive limits of Falcon bass on day two.

David Fritts’ all time one-day heaviest limit record of 37 pounds, 2 ounces set yesterday lasted only 24 hours as Louisiana’s Greg Hackney set the bar even higher today with five bass weighing an astounding 39 pounds, 11 ounces.

The two biggest bass in Hackney’s hog trough consisted of a 9-11 and an 11-3 brute. He now holds the all-time FLW Outdoors record for a heaviest single-day five-bass limit.

After Hackney’s pig show, Koby Kreiger of Florida also stepped over Fritts’ day-one record and weighed in five bass for 37-4 to take the second-heaviest five-bass limit position in the record books.

And all this happened despite a drastic 30-degree drop in temperature. Yesterday, Zapata’s air temperature was 83; today, anglers endured a wet, drizzly 50-degree high.

Although Fritts and Hackney are not matched against each other in the head-to-head matchups, they are now the two top contenders for the $25,000 top prize.

Hackney has slim lead in the overall tournament with a two-day total of 71 pounds, 11 ounces to Fritts’ 70 pounds, 9 ounces. Behind them is Terry Bolton with 66 pounds, 9 ounces.

Here’s a closer look at the leaders and their brackets:

Hackney going to 2009 Forrest Wood Cup

In addition to rewriting FLW Tour record books, Hackney is pretty much a shoo-in for a 2009 Forrest Wood Cup Berth. His matchup opponent, Western pro John Billheimer of Discovery Bay, Calif., has amassed just 7 pounds, 2 ounces in two days, giving Hackney a 64-pound lead.

“I’m telling you, this is a surreal experience,” Hackney said. “I caught a 9-11 and an 11-3 on back-to-back casts … man, at that point I was a little scared to make another cast out there because I was not real sure what was going to happen next.

“I know this sounds crazy, but it’s entirely possible to catch a 50-pound limit on this lake,” he suggested. “I’m not claiming I’m going to do it, I’m just saying that with so many 9- to 11-pound bass in this lake, it’s not outside the realm of possibility to see a 50-pound bag here someday.”

Despite such a monster bag today, Hackney claims he lost three more giants.

“Yesterday I broke off one on heavy fluorocarbon line, so I went to 50-pound braid today and still broke one off on that same spot,” he said. “But I don’t think it’s necessarily my fault. There’s something down there that’s cutting my line; it wouldn’t matter what I use. With the weather the way it was today and the way the big ones were biting, I really thought I might be able to weigh 45 pounds if I got everything in the boat, but it didn’t happen that way; everything has to go just right to get those giants hooked up right and in the boat.

“I’m fishing the exact same kind of stuff on each spot I visit,” he continued. “I have three or four different spots, and I’m fishing different depths at each spot, but it’s all the same kind of structure.”

Hackney did say he is catching his fish on a Strike King Hack Attack jig and a Rage Tail Anaconda worm.

“Those are the only two baits I’ve showed them so far,” he added. “Tomorrow, I’m going to really sit on them and show them a lot of different lures. Man, is that going to be fun.”

Fritts looking to win

After adding another 33 pounds, 7 ounces to his weight of 37-2 yesterday, David Fritts now has nearly a 50-pound lead over his Western competitor, Cody Meyer of Redding, Calif., and is a certain lock for the 2009 Forrest Wood cup as well.

But Fritts has made it known verbally that he has come here to win – and with a two-day total of 70 pounds, 9 ounces, that’s certainly possible.

“I still have not gotten used to culling 6-pounders,” Fritts laughed. “It’s like being in the `Twilight Zone.’ I caught a lot more fish today, and every time I toss a 5- or 6-pounder back, it’s the weirdest feeling in the world; you wonder how that’s possible.

“I’ve got two more spots I have not hit yet, and I’m really hoping to get 35 or 40 pounds tomorrow. I think that’s possible.”

Bolton keeps the hammer down on Riehl

Imagine for moment being Western pro Rob Riehl of Tracy, Calif. You have caught a 25-1 bag on day one and a respectable 18-9 bag on day two for a two-day total of 43-10, and you are still some 23 pounds behind in your matchup.

That’s what Riehl is facing since he happens to be paired against Terry Bolton, who has sacked 66 pounds, 9 ounces in two days.

“I don’t even know what to say anymore,” said Bolton after catching another 29-12 today after yesterday’s 36-13. “This has been the most incredible two days in my bass-fishing career.”

One thing Bolton found comical was the size of the “arches” he has seen on his depth finder the last two days.

“I’ve seen a lot of fish on depth finders over the years,” he laughed. “But when one of those Falcon giants swims under the transducer, it leaves a big old squiggly line on the graph.”

Kreiger speechless too

After weighing in the second-biggest five-fish limit in FLW Outdoors history today – 37-4 – Koby Kreiger was also at a loss for words as how to explain what just happened.

Instead of words, Kreiger’s eyes told the story. He had a facial expression that read something like this: Did that just happen? Am I dreaming?

“This is just unbelievable,” said Kreiger, who is now in fourth place overall. “I had no idea I had that much weight. I’ve never had the experience of having to add up that kind of weight in my head. I mean I figured I had enough to get to 30 pounds, but after that I just didn’t know what was in there.”

Kreiger said he is fishing a Zoom Brush Hog and an Oldham’s 1-ounce spinnerbait around trees.

“But it’s just not any trees,” he explained. “I’m looking for a certain kind of tree set up a certain way in the pockets. I ran into a pocket I’ve never fished today and saw the exact kind of tree that fit the pattern and caught a big one.”

Kreiger’s matchup, Randy Mcabee of Bakersfield, Calif., made a run at Kreiger with a 33-pound, 13-ounce limit today, but unfortunately Mcabee got a bit behind yesterday with just 8 pounds, 12 ounces. Despite his giant limit today, Mcabee still faces an uphill climb of some 22 pounds to catch Kreiger.

Baumgardner handling Hawk

In the fifth-place position, Eastern Division pro Chris Baumgardner of Gastonia, N.C., broke the 30-pound barrier today with 33-11. Add that to his 25-10 from day one, and he has a two-day total of 56 pounds, 5 ounces.

This has allowed Baumgardner to amass a 30-pound margin over his competitor, Western Division pro Roy Hawk of Salt Lake City, Utah.

Baumgardner said he is fishing the outside bushes with a 1/2-ounce spinnerbait.

Texas shootouts

The whole idea of the East-West Fish-Off was to create a head-to-head battle for Forrest Wood Cup berths. After day two, several of the head-to-head matchups have turned into real shootouts for a Forrest Wood Cup ticket.

Here’s a quick summary of some of the particularly close battles with weights after day two:

Jake Deeds of El Dorado, Ark., (E) 43-7 vs. R.J. Bennett of Roseville, Calif., (W) 42-15.

Jon Strelic of Alpine, Calif., (W) 46-3 vs. Dion Hibdon of Stover, Mo., (E) 45-9.

Jason Borofka of Salinas, Calif, (W) 39-0 vs. Keith Combs of Del Rio, Texas, (E) 36-12.

Shin Fukae of Mineola, Texas, (E) 37-15 vs. Brent Lyon of Reno, Nev., (W) 37-0.

Jim Davis of Lumas Lake, Calif., (W) 31-7 vs. J.T. Kenney of Palm Bay, Fla., (E) 30-6.

David Walker of Sevierville, Tenn., (E) 46-3 vs. Brett Hite of Phoenix, Ariz., (W) 43-15.

Dan Morehead of Paducah, Ky., (E) 33-7 vs. Cameron Smith of Dana Point, Calif., (W) 30-15.