Gagliardi kept his tackle pretty simple . He used a 7-foot , 2-inch , medium-heavy Level rod to fish a single Yamamoto D- Shad soft jerkbait and upsized to a 7- foot , 10-inch , medium-heavy Level rod for throwing a double rig and a pencil popper . The D-Shad wound up being his primary tool of the tournament .
“ That 7-2 Level rod is tailor made for it [ the D-Shad ],” he says . “ It has a fast tip and parabolic bend that help with the way I fish because it is almost a crankbait-type bite . I ’ ll rip the bait , and I might know there is one on it and just let the rod load up and absorb shock while I wind down on him .”
GaGS StayS ReaDy FoR SchooLeRS
Catching schooling fish at times can be easy , but there is no doubt Gagliardi is one of the best at picking off these sometimes fickle fish — a skill set he developed in the summertime on Lake Murray .
“ The biggest reason I catch more schooling fish than others is because I ’ m ready ,” he says . “ You have a very short window once one blows up to get him to bite , and if your bait is there immediately after he blows up then your odds of catching him are astronomically high .”
Sometimes the key is to not cast unless a fish is visible at the surface , even if it means waiting minutes at a time without casting .
“ Before I even start my day I pull my schooling bait out and hang it over the side of the boat so it is ready to go ,” he adds . “ I even keep my rod in my hand as I pull my trolling motor up and bring it with me as I walk to the console . I ’ ll hold onto it as I drive to the next spot just so that when I stop I am instantly ready to start casting .”
OCTOBER 2017 I FLWFISHING . COM 65