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Jasper,
Tx. - Texas pro Todd Faircloth came of age in Jasper, Texas, hard on the shores of Lake Sam Rayburn and not far at all from the powerhouse known as Toledo Bend. During his formative years, East Texas may have been the epicenter of the tournament bass world.
At the very least, the piney woods of East Texas were the cauldron where power fishing techniques were developed. Ripping a big trap across the flats, punching a jig through the hydrilla, and slow-rolling a spinnerbait powerful enough to rattle the fillings out of your teeth all had their time on his home waters. The region’s reputation as a power fishing Mecca may have been cemented when Onalaska’s Randy Dearman introduced the bass world to braided line with a dominating BASS win on Big Sam.
So it may have boggled a few fans’ minds when Faircloth won his first BASS title last year on Table Rock with a dropshot and a spinning rod.
And it may further confuse them when he says that he’d be perfectly comfortable if the upcoming Classic on Hartwell sets up to be won deep.
“I feel comfortable doing both (fishing shallow and deep),” he said. “If conditions dictate, I’m prepared to fish either way.”
When he was there for pre-practice last fall, he spied a lot of visible cover that could prove valuable if the water level were to rise, but at this point he recognizes that’s unlikely to happen. While it could end up being a shallow flipping or cranking bite, he’s currently looking at the bright side if that doesn’t materialize.
“The more stable bite is usually deeper,” he said.
If that proves to be the case, be believes that a “dropshot could be a key pattern and a grub could also work, as could a jerkbait or a spoon.”
He sincerely hopes that if the fish are deep that they’re relating to the bottom rather than suspending somewhere in the water column.
How did an East Texas grass fisherman develop a comfort level with offshore angling? The answer is twofold: first, dropshotting offshore structure is really no different than plying the big flats on Rayburn. “I’ve spent my whole life fishing offshore,” he said. “Not necessarily structure, but away from the bank, and the things you look for are very similar.”
Second, he made a conscious effort to refine his deep water skills. “I started playing with it on Rayburn 2 or 3 years prior (to the Table Rock victory). Electronics play such a big role and I have a good understanding of what my electronics are telling me.”
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He’s fished BASS events since 1999, and made four consecutive Classics from 2000-2003, before he suffered a three year drought. As of last year, he got back in the groove, and now he’s riding a streak of two. Now, entering his 6th Classic competition, does he handle the preparation any differently?
“I don’t think so. Yes, it is a different scenario because you’re not just looking for numbers of bites; you’re looking for quality fish. But for me the key in every tournament is to catch a limit and then upgrade.”
“As far as practice, it’s the same. I’m used to time management. I’m always busy. As far as preparation, there’s not as much time, but I try to concentrate on getting everything done.” |
Unlike much of his competition, his pre-practice did not last until close to the off-limits date. “We had a Skeeter owners tournament at Clarks Hill in September or October, and when that was over I drove over to Hartwell and kind of rode around. Two weeks right before the off limits wouldn’t be a bad idea, but it’s still a long time between that and the tournament. For fish to still be in those same places, the odds are against that.”
Miscellaneous
• He and his family will continue to travel the circuit in their fifth wheel camper: “It benefits me. I’m not a hotel guy and I enjoy my family being with me. Everything seems to go a lot smoother.”
• He signed two new sponsors during the off-season, Sebile Bait Company and Costa Del Mar Sunglasses.
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