This past weekend I watched an FLW tournament and the rig that caught the most fish (about 100 lbs. in 4 days) was an Alabama Rig. For those of you that don’t know about it yet, it is a wire rig that has a head like a spinner bait and 5 wires that each hold a jig head. The idea is to simulate a small school of baitfish. I could not believe the size of the bass they were catching on this rig. Not just 1 guy either…almost all of the leaders were using this bait at least part of the time. …just wondering what the trout and reds and flounder will think about this one…gotta try it.
For $28 bucks a pop, jig heads and plastics not included, go ahead, I wish you well 
j/k but they are too expensive for me!
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Seems like they’d be OK if you are just meat fishing… or fishing for $$, but no matter how good they work, it would take such heavy gear to cast them it would take the fun out of it for me.
'07 198 DLX Carolina Skiff
FS90 Suzuki
It would be fun to try and catch some reds!! Throw it at a school and hook 3 at once, that would be cool.
The wires seem to break to easily. Youll loose a big fish. I bet it would not hold up well with heavy casting in saltwater. Let us know if they chase it!
What was amazing to me was the size of the fish they were catching. I agree with you guys as to the weight. They said you should setup for casting 5 oz. to be comfortable and that does not sound too comfortable to me to be casting. Personally, I prefer the single lure as opposed to a gang. They were catching doubles from time to time, but what impressed me was that the overall size of the bass was way larger than what the other guys were catching on any of the other types of lures they were fishing with. I like to fish as light as I can most of the time but this new lure was very impressive. I was thinking more of using one when trolling for trout or flounder.
Thanks for the price info…I still haven’t talked myself into springing $16 each for a Sammy or two…so $28 is way up there for me as well.
PioneerLouie
Pioneer Venture 175, Johnson 90
Summerville, SC
louie I watched that whole thing. paul elias can STILL get it done. at first I thought that rigged looked silly, then a few days into the tourney they were all using it. so i’m guessing it really worked on the reservoir
wouldn’t it be funny if that was some staged for TV shoot - [like the Wag the Dog movie].
i can’t wait to see the first guy throwing that rig for spottails.
For those who don’t get out much in the sweetwater, it’s hard to understand the impact the A- rig has had on tournament bass fishing since Elias won that FLW. Every bass boat fishing now on our lakes other than Santee (too much structure) is utilizing this rig when the fish are relatively DEEP and following bait. This Nov./Dec. at Lake Murray, it was just as effective catching schooling stripers. The wires on this rig are extremely heavy, so I don’t think there is any danger of them failing in the salt, BUT it seems very impractical to toss 4-6 ounces of weight at schooled up flats reds, and it will hang every obstruction it comes into contact with, so I don’t think you want to dock fish with it either. I don’t see much use for it inshore due to it’s size and bulk, but if you want to compete inland for largemouth, you better pick up a few. It was recently banned in the Bassmaster Elite Series but all other circuits are allowing it if it follows states’ rules.
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Originally posted by RADDADDYit seems very impractical to toss 4-6 ounces of weight at schooled up flats reds, and it will hang every obstruction it comes into contact with, so I don’t think you want to dock fish with it either. I don’t see much use for it inshore due to it’s size and bulk
I demand you delete that. it’ll be a great spottail rig.
I’m dying to see the first guy heave that into a school of spottails or skip-cast it under the harbor docks.
Haddrell’s Mt Pleasant now has a few of the Alabama rigs in stock if anyone wants to try one. They are a little heavy and definitely will need heavier tackle to cast but how many times can you say you caught five trout on one cast?? Just sayin…
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The guys on Lake Wylie are using them with 65lb braid and heavy rods and reels. (Big Catfish rods) I talked to one guy that used the rig Saturday in a tournament and he said they will wear you out after a few cast due to all the weight, but they would catch fish.
1900 Tidewater
115 Yamaha
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seems like a good trolling rig for fishing ledges and tips of oyster points. i might try it out on flounder off a sandbar of something, but i definitly wouldnt want to be casting it out. good luck wiht it!
There is no greater fan of fly fishing than the mud minnow.
We tried throwing one this past weekend without any success but then the wind was brutal and we didn’t have much success with any rig, the main problem I see with it is it makes a hugh splash on entry and will spoke the h#$l out of already spooky reds. Might work good on trout or spring/fall reds but forget it in the winter.
Hewes 18 Redfisher 130 Yam
There is a guy in Gastonia, NC who makes the five hook arig, but he also makes a baby version with three hooks. Most of the five hook arigs have a weight of some sort where the five wires come together. The three hook rig has only wire and no wieght other than the three jig heads. I have one of the three hook rigs and will try it out next weekend on reds…three jig heads and three zman grubs. The thing comes with the jig heads already on it. The bottom one is heavier(1/4 ounce) so it stays on the bottom. The two upper jig heads are 1/16 ounce. The whole thing will weigh maybe 2 ounces.fully rigged up. A five jig arig will weigh four or five ounces and is a beast to cast.
I loaned a buddy of mine one a few weeks ago. He was going to try it out for trout. Haven’t heard back from him yet. You have to throw at least 30 lb. braided. Some guys throw 80 lb.
it seems to me that you could tie your own version of the alabama rig, certainly for cheaper that 28 bucks! i dont think i would be trolling any single thang htat costs $28 around structure. but it does seem like a good rig for trout and flounder with some mullet lures on weighted worm hooks or GULP shrimps or something. or if you put a differnet arty on each head it would be a good way to see what color zman is best that day!
There is no greater fan of fly fishing than the mud minnow.
Slightly off topic, but I sometimes use a poacher rig with 2 lures for scouting. I usually tie a fly, like a clouser or deceiver, on a dropper loop in front of a standard jig head. Sometimes I rig the dropper with a gulp on a bare hook instead of the fly. Works real well and sometimes you catch doubles. Good for finding the preferred color of the day, and 2 baits draws more attention than one.
See http://www.floridasportsman.com/2012/02/03/lure-and-fly-combo/
quote from article
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Like a lot of fishing techniques, despite being extremely successful the poacher rigs have gone by the wayside as the popularity of new lures and techniques have developed, yet they remain one of the single best ways to target inshore gamefish. Give it a try, and youll be surprised by the success of this simple, yet effective rig.
Try it, you’ll like it:smiley:
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
I just read an article written by BassPro Shops Pro-Staff angler Ed Nelson. In his article he says the Alabama rig is illegal for us in salt-water per SCDNR.
Don’t know if he was informed right or wrong, but he claims to have asked DNR specifically about it.
May want to check before using it for Reds.
The article is on Page 10 of the February issue of Waccamaw Outdoors.
He must be terribly misinformed. There is no law in SC banning the use of multiple hook rigs. That’s total BS.
quote:
Originally posted by RDWI just read an article written by BassPro Shops Pro-Staff angler Ed Nelson. In his article he says the Alabama rig is illegal for us in salt-water per SCDNR.
Don’t know if he was informed right or wrong, but he claims to have asked DNR specifically about it.
May want to check before using it for Reds.
The article is on Page 10 of the February issue of Waccamaw Outdoors.
Just a small umbrella rig. Bet it will be hell on the blue fish. My buddy has been on lake murray since last Thur. caught 3 on it in 5 hours. fished it every day since not a bite but he said every boat he passed had atleast 2 a. rigs flying out of each side of them or trolling a couple out the back. No magic, just time and place you have to remember that all pro tourn. these days are scheduled and set at the perfect time of of year to catch the most fish possible,pre spawn, spawn, and fall schooling patterns. That is why they start south and move north with the warm weather. Nobody would watch if they only caught small and limited numbers of fish. But with that said cool lure and it will have a time and a place. A clark spoon will catch the hell out of some spanish at the right time of year but at the wrong time a brick will do just as good. 95% of lures made today are designed to catch fishermen not fish!!! Tight Lines To All!
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