Tournament Advice From an Elite Pro

I think everyone probably knows that if something looks strange or weird, you call the ghostbusters. But whom do you call when you want some advice about catching big tournament bass?

The answer to that question--for some, at least--is Bassmaster Elite Series angler Todd Faircloth (pictured at right).

While digging around the Internet recently, I stumbled across some tips Todd had shared during a 2012 interview. As one who readily admits he has benefitted from things other anglers have shared with him over the years, he likes to give back when an opportunity presents itself.

"Sometimes, you'll hear a tournament fisherman say something like, 'I just go out there and fish hard all day and bring my best five to the scales.' Well, that's fine," said the Elite pro, "but without any way to measure performance throughout the day, you're fishing blind and can't make the kind of adjustments necessary to be successful. You can't afford to wait until you get to the scales to find out if you had a good day or not."

Faircloth went on to explain that he does a lot of research for every tournament he fishes. Besides figuring out the best locations, baits and patterns, he develops an idea of what it's going to take to do well and earn a check.

"I always have a weight in mind before I launch my boat each day," he noted. "Once I reach that target weight, my comfort level goes up, and I'm ready to explore and try something different. Until then, I'm doing all I can just to catch the quality fish I need to get there. I want lots of bites from respectable bass until I reach that target."

Todd's tournament mindset always is to go for a respectable limit first and to upgrade later. He'd rather start with a spot where he knows he can catch a lot of 2-and-a-half pounders quickly than another spot where the bass are bigger but the bites are fewer and farther between. That plan, however, is flexible.

"There are times when I'll go after big fish first," he said, "and then work on a limit. An obvious time to do this is in the spring, when you've found a giant female or two on beds that you need to go get before someone else does. Ordinarily, though, I'm focused on a limit first."

Once Faircloth has his limit, he starts looking for a couple of bites that will really help his bottom line...by several pounds, not just an ounce or two. His focus now is isolated cover.

"It doesn't have to be big, but it does need to be away from other similar cover," he explained. "I like to target isolated logs, boat docks, brush piles, mats of vegetation, or anything else that might hold a big fish. The isolated cover is a big-fish magnet because it's the only holding area around, and other anglers often will overlook it, preferring instead to fish bigger spots that might hold more bass but which take a lot longer to fish and generally doesn't hold the biggest bass in the area."

Todd sometimes makes a long run to get to an out-of-the-way spot or makes another change that's otherwise time-consuming or risky. Having a solid limit, as he sees it, frees him up to do other things that have the potential for a big payoff. He cautions, however, "You need to make such moves when you're in a position of strength and have the right mindset, not when you're in a position of weakness and pressing too hard."

For Faircloth, the idea of sitting on a spot and milking it hard for a bunch of fish that only add ounces to your bottom line is a mistake. He would rather gamble a little and try targeting better fish so he maybe can win a tournament, rather than just cash a check.

"I admit that my method of upgrading a tournament catch doesn't always work," he said, "but neither does anything else. What I can tell you is that it has worked more times than not, and I'll keep using it until I find something better."

Todd admits "hero or zero" is a popular phrase for guys who gamble with their tournament strategy, but he also offers, "it doesn't have to be that way. I much prefer 'hero or still-in-the-money.'"

A lot of anglers agree with Faircloth's strategic plan to focus on isolated pieces of cover for kicker fish. There appears to be two completely opposite trains of thought, however, when it comes to choosing the right baits. One group of anglers recommends using larger baits with bulky profiles. Another group suggests downsizing--perhaps going to finesse baits.

One point that all anglers probably can agree on is that scattered big fish can be heart-breakers. Catching one or two fluke kickers in practice can lead to the use of a losing pattern come tournament day. There are no guarantees about how long a pattern will hold. You have to be smart enough to know when it's time to cut your losses.