Todd Faircloth shares the similarities and differences between two popular baits he’s had a ton of success with over the years: the spinnerbait and the swimbait.
The spinnerbait has gotten lost in the mix of things in the last few years since so many people started throwing the vibrating jig and the square bills, but it is hard to beat the spinner bait. The new Strike King Tour Grade Spinner Bait that Todd Faircloth is excited about is a double willow leaf spinner bait. This is a bait that can be thrown in stained or clear water.
Todd Faircloth burns a spinner bait in clear water and slow rolls it in stained water or around grass and brush. This is super versatile bait. To determine which spinner bait to throw consider the water clarity. The clearer the water, the faster the spinner bait should go, so use double willow blades. The muddier and dirtier the water, choose a round Colorado blade that displaces a lot of water to help the fish find it.
The spinnerbait is one of the most versatile baits that can be fished anywhere in the country, and it is one that Todd Faircloth always has tied on.
The Shadalicious Swimbait is made in three different sizes, but the one that Todd Faircloth fishes the most is the 4.5” version. The most important thing to understand when fishing a swimbait is that the bite is better the clearer the water is. Fish the swimbait in clearer water, as opposed to the spinner bait where it can be fished anywhere.
The three main ways to rig this swimbait are with a jig head, an internal weight, or a belly weight. Todd Faircloth uses the belly weighted hook the most because it can be used over flats, around docks, or slow rolled.
The most important thing to remember is that the clearer the water is, the better the swimbait bite will be.
