The castable umbrella known as the “Alabama Rig,” which turned the bass fishing world on its ear just a few months back, has officially been banned in B.A.S.S. Elite Series tournaments and the Bassmaster Classic.
Elite Series Rules Committee members believe the rig eliminates some of the skill that should be required in tournament competition at the highest level. “It doesn’t matter how you work it,” said one of the anglers. “The fish can’t help themselves.”
Our resident bassin’ expert and professional angler, Big Fred Contaoi, is excited about the ruling.
“The rig can be hard on the fish…you may get one of the lures in the mouth but others can snag fish in vital areas like the belly,” he says. “Outlawing it levels the playing field again I wish other tournament series would follow suit.”
If you haven’t heard about it by now, let me introduce you to the biggest breakthrough in bass fishing to come down the pike since the SENKO: The Alabama Rig.
Some pros have been using this thing for years: The Alabama Rig is basically an umbrella rig like they use for stripers in the ocean on the East Coast that has several lures attached to it. Swimbaits, grubs, jerk shad and even spinnerbaits work well with it and what you end up with is a “school of fish” effect.
Well, the cat’s outta the bag now thanks to Paul Elias’ dominant win at on at last week’s Walmart FLW Tour stop on Lake Guntersville. Elias blew the field completely outta the water and that set the bass world abuzz and anglers everywhere scrambling to find these rigs. Expect many production editions coming to a shop near you soon, including the “Rago Baitball,” designed by veteran pro Jerry Rago, who’s been secretly using the umbrella rig for years. Rago’s version will be available through Tackle Warehouse soon.
The Rago Baitball
Experts predict that the Alabama Rig will completely change and perhaps ruin many lakes for a few years and then the bass will get used to it and everybody will be onto the next big thing. Before you run out and buy one, be sure to check your state’s regulations to see how many lures you can legally use on one line. Read more HERE
Some of you are probably too young to remember this classic ol’ SNL skit. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the full version, but this will give you the idea…
As many of you know, we here at FishWithJD are suckers for a couple things: Boats and good, fresh ideas. Well, when we stumbled upon Klamath Boats’ latest creation, the 16-foot Swimbait Boat, we kinda thought it was the best of both worlds.
The slick little vessel is an entirely new take on the two-man bass rig. It’s economical to run, costs less than $10K and, thanks to the high bow design, the SBB can handle infinitely rougher water than a traditional bass boat. It’s also so light you could probably tow it with a golf cart. Cool idea, huh? Here’s a closer look… [click to continue…]
Okay, so may it sounds a bit like a sappy chick flick: “Clear Lake in the Fall,” but there is some seriously epic fishing to be had on this Northern California lake in the late autumn.
Everything — trophy largemouth, scads of big catfish and dinner plate sized crappie — are all putting on the feed bag before winter kicks in and the action can be non-stop. Great fishing, nice scenery…and hardly another soul on the water. What’s not to like? [click to continue…]
Okay, so you guys nailed the last Name that Fish Contest entry in record time. Let’s see if I can stump all you arm chair ichthyologists out there with this one… [click to continue…]
Professional bass angler Skeet Reese’s tow vehicle is about as subtle as a a slap across the face with a wet spatula on a cold February night…There’s no missing this behemoth Ford F650 when it thunders through your neighborhood en route to the next tourney.
So, all you aspiring tournament bass pros out there, do you want a rig like this?
