It’s pretty rare when something that really shakes up the fishing world comes along. Senko-style soft baits, drop-shot rigs and swimbaits, in their time, all caused ripples from coast-to-coast. But none of them had the immediate, shock-and-awe-type impact that The Alabama Rig produced in the past month. If you somehow missed all the hype, here’s a brief rundown on the rig.
To start with, The Alabama Rig is a trademarked brand name for a castable version of an umbrella rig. In general, an umbrella rig is a device comprised of several wire leaders which are all connected and attached to a single fishing line. Each leader, in turn, is loaded with a separate lure, such as a jig-and-trailer, swimbait etc. This gives the appearance of a school of baitfish zipping through the water, sometimes triggering the feeding impulse of more than one fish at a time. Multiple-fish catches are not at all rare.
Umbrella rigs aren’t new, however. Saltwater anglers have been using them for a long time to catch stripers, bluefish and other species. Even on waters like Georgia’s Lake Lanier, freshwater anglers use them to target landlocked stripers. But until recently, umbrella rigs were strictly trolling gear.
Andy Poss, of Slick Lures LLC, developed The Alabama Rig as a castable five-lure system, and when pro bass angler Paul Elias used the rig to, quite frankly,
annihilate his competition during a recent FLW Tour Open on Lake Guntersville, the thing went viral. News of Elias’ 102½-pound, 4-day, 20-fish basket (his closest rival logged just more than 85 pounds) tore through the bassing community at Internet speed, which almost instantly caused a five-week backorder situation for the company. It also sparked a double truckload of heated commentary focused on the “fairness” and “sporting quality” of the rig that’s still boiling today, as well as some questions on where it can be fished legally.
Likewise, other familiar fishermen have offered their take on the rig via electronic media. Alabama pro angler, guide and long-time NAFC friend
Jimmy Mason, for example, began fishing The Alabama Rig long before it became a nationwide sensation, and explains in
our current web feature that he’s still experimenting with different types of lures on the rig. Watch for more from Mason and others in future issues of
North American Fisherman.
Bass pro John Crews of Salem, Virginia, also recently posted a
video clip on his website, showing how The Alabama Rig looks as it runs below the surface.
The latest news is that
Mann’s Bait Co. announced it had signed a licensing deal with Slick Lures to become The Alabama Rig’s sole manufacturer. Sales Director Lanny Deal tells me they should begin shipping to retailers in three weeks.
See what I mean about immediate shock-and-awe.
If you’re considering using The Alabama Rig, or even your homemade version, please be sure it’s legal where you intend to fish. State regulations vary. In Minnesota, for example, it’s off limits. Regs state that an angler can use only one hook (artificial lures such as a crankbait count as one; a treble tied on a line counts as three). Ohio limits anglers to no more that two lines with up to three hooks on one line.
It’s two lines with two hooks per line in Illinois.
In Tennessee, the Wildlife Resources Agency even
issued a statement clarifying its rules regarding the use of umbrella rigs, though it still takes some brainwork to get is straight. It reads, in part:
“Umbrella rigs can be legally fished in Tennessee waters as long as they comply with the regulation as described in the proclamation. An umbrella rig is defined as an array of more than three artificial lures or baits (with or without hooks) used by a single rod and reel combination. Each blade of a spinner bait would be considered a lure. If the hook sizes are 8 or smaller, all lures or baits may have hooks (single, double, or treble). If any hooks on the umbrella rig are hook size 6 or larger, then only one lure or bait in the array may have a hook and that hook must be a single hook “
In short, there is no hook-size restriction on a multi-lure system that has three or fewer lures. With rigs of more than three lures (with or without hooks), hooks (single, double or treble) must be size 8 or smaller. If you choose to fish size 6 or larger, then only one lure in the group can have a single hook.
The point is: First read and understand the rules before you toss an umbrella rig.
That leaves the raging argument over whether the rig is “fair and sporting,” and there seem to be many outspoken fishermen on both sides of the fence. What’s your take? -- Kurt