The Alabama Rig This has been the rage for the last few months and has won a lion’s share of the biggest tournaments on the FLW trail.
AKA: Umbrella Rig
All sorts of shapes and sizes of this combination are coming into play. Saltwater guys will recognize this as a traditional umbrella rig that has been downsized for the black bass species.
Multiple baits create a small school of prey that appear to be wounded or 1 big easy meal!
Guys have dressed this rig up with all kinds of jewelry and shiny stuff that spins and clacks, but at the core it remains the same.
A-Rig Gear Basics
7 ft plus heavy rod with a little give to the tip.
These baits are heavy by the time you get if fully rigged up and need a heavy duty rod to handle casting the weight of all that gear. Then the added weight of multiple fish at once, all struggling to get off, puts quite a strain on equipment. Making sure the rod has enough give to absorb the bite of the fish without pulling the baits out of their mouth is important. Avoid pool cues.
80lb braided line
When you have all that time and money wrapped up in a fish of a lifetime, why not have the best possible line for the job? The 80 lb braid will resist breaking and might help you retrieve your Alabama Rig when it gets snagged, the hooks will bend before the braided line breaks.
Fluke’s, grubs, hollow belly swimbaits
Rigged on 3/16 to 1/4 ounce jig heads
Tip: Mix up the baits with the back bait being different in color or size.
ksbigbass
The bait selections are endless. Mixing it up to match the size of the forage is the best option. Trying a mixture of colors or sizes but staying with same tail shapes normally. Pumping the rod to flare the baits on retrieve will cause the baits to pulse in the face of a bass and create a reaction strike.
Where to throw the A-Rig
Table Rock and their submerged trees are holding tons of fish that have never seen this contraption and being caught 2 or 3 at a time.
Tip: Use it at Table Rock in 15 to 20 ft of water for schooling spotted bass.
ksbigbass
Concentrating on schooling fish that can be seen on the graph actively chasing baitfish is when multiple fish can be caught at once.
Casting to submerged objects on points and humps. Even pitched into empty boat slips and allowed to flutter down can create some arm braking strikes. Wherever you would throw a giant spinnerbait just about.
The umbrella rig setup was founded in the deep clear waters in Alabama and used to lure the fish staged on ledges deep 40 feet below. Guys now have transitioned to the shallow grass filled lakes and slaying their quarry in 5 ft of water.
Each state is different in the laws that address the number of hooks attached to your line at one time.
Check State Laws!
For example here in Kansas, it’s only 2 hooks per line, Missouri 3, and Arkansas is 5.
Use dummy baits on a screw lock keeper in the positions without a hook.
It’s the anglers responsibility to know the rules and follow the states laws!
@ksbigbass