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Yamaha Pro Todd Faircloth Explains Why Pros Carry So Many Rods

Category: npaa

 Sep 27th, 2011 by OutdoorsFIRST 

Modified Sep 27th, 2011 at 12:00 AM

When Yamaha Pro Todd Faircloth begins
a day of fishing, he may strap as many
as 15 different rods on his boat deck,
each rigged with a different lure or type
of line. To many this might seem excessive, but to
Faircloth it’s often a shortcut to success.
“Certainly, I change lures when I’m not getting
strikes,” Faircloth acknowledges, “but I usually
change lures when I do start getting strikes, too,
primarily to learn if the bass will hit something
else a little better. Gradually, as the day continues,
I’ll begin putting certain rods and lures away, but
initially, I want everything available immediately so

I don’t use up time having to rig a rod when I’m on
the water. “Most of the time, when I’m still trying to figure out
where the fish are and which lure they prefer, if I
don’t have a particular lure ready to cast, I just won’t
take the time to rig it.”
Faircloth’s on-deck lure
selection includes jigs, different
sizes of crankbaits,
and soft plastic worms
and creature baits rigged
in various styles. In the
summer, he’ll also have
topwaters and probably
one or more swim baits.
He’ll have casting rods,
spinning rods, and flipping
sticks, too.

The order in which Faircloth
rotates through
his lures depends on the
water temperature and the
season of the year, both of
which largely determine
what the bass should be
doing. Nevertheless, he
always begins by fishing
with one of his “confidence
lures,” such as a jig or a
Carolina rig plastic worm.
“I think a fisherman should
always start by trying to
catch bass with a lure
he really likes and feels
confident using,” explains
the Yamaha Pro, “because he’ll usually work it more
efficiently. The problem is making yourself put that
favorite lure away when bass aren’t hitting it.
“It’s important to remember that not getting any
strikes is not necessarily bad, because it definitely
tells you you’re doing something wrong. You have
to analyze every situation and try to adjust for it.
For example, if you’ve been fishing a crankbait and
retrieving it fast, maybe a different lure and presentation,
such as a jig crawled along the bottom, will
be more effective.

“This is why I have both
jigs and crankbaits available
on my boat deck.
I can make that change
immediately.”

Faircloth also emphasizes
the importance of changing
lures even when bass
are biting. This is particularly
true when you’re
catching only small bass,
which usually tend to be
more aggressive. Catching
those fish indicates
you are around a group
of bass, but making a
slight change may result
in catching large fish.
“When I catch two or
three small bass from the
same general spot, I usually
change to a slightly
larger lure and also try to
fish a littler deeper,” he
notes. “Catching smaller
bass tells me I am doing
something right, but I
have to figure out what
that is, so I also change
retrieve speeds.

“On the other hand, if the bass I catch are quality
fish in the three to five pound class, I may change
lures to see if there’s something else they’ll hit better.
The type of strikes I’m getting may tell me what
I need to do. Very light strikes, for example, might
indicate that my lure is too large, so I’ll change to a
smaller one.

“Rotating through different lures also keeps the
fish from becoming accustomed to always seeing
and hearing the same lure,” Faircloth continues.
“Schools of bass often stop biting after you’ve
caught several of them, but by continually showing
them a different lure, you may be able to keep them
active longer.”

Still another reason the Yamaha Pro keeps so many
rods and lures available for immediate use is that it
allows him to fish faster. As he works his way down
a shoreline or a long point, he’s able to fish vegetation,
rocks, boat docks, or whatever type of cover
or structure he encounters, simply by putting down
one rod and picking up another.

“I know the boat deck looks crowded, and I have
accidentally kicked a rod overboard,” Faircloth
laughs, “but overall, I’m convinced having everything
right in front of me like I do makes my fishing
much easier.”