This year Hackney had his first tour-level win, at the Bassmaster Tour event on Missouri's Table Rock Reservoir, and won the FLW Tour's Angler of the Year points race title -- after finishing an amazing 2nd in both the FLW Tour and Bassmaster Tour point races in 2004.
Is it any wonder that he's the No. 1-ranked angler in the world -- by an amazing 17-point margin?
"It's awesome," he said of being No. 1. "Put it this way: I wanted to do this, at this level, but I never dreamed I'd be where I am right now."
Still, he said his No. 1 ranking gives him confidence, a key part of any individual sport, including pro bass fishing. "When I first got to be No. 1, I thought it was a bad position (in terms of pressure). But it's kind of a driving force now. I kind of like it. It's a little pick-me-up when I get down."
As far as his chances at Hot Springs, Ark.'s Lake Hamilton, site of next week's Forrest L. Wood Championship, he said "it's too early to tell." He's from Arkansas originally (he now lives in Louisiana), but he's fished that lake only once before.
The FLW Tour's Forrest L. Wood Championship is the first of the two tour championships: The Bassmaster Tour's Bassmaster Classic is later this month. Both championships are the final qualifying events for the inaugural Cabela's Top Gun Championship, which for the first time ever will put the Top 25-ranked anglers in the world from both tours on one lake, Eagle Mountain Lake near Ft. Worth, Texas.
Hackney is a shoe-in for that event, but whether he remains No. 1 after next week remains to be seen.
To see the entire State Farm-BassFan.com World Rankings list click the link above, and to see more info on the Top Gun click that link.
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