Its A-Rig Time Again!

[CaptainSolo]

Let me first say that I am not a big fan of the A-Rig for tournament fishing, but there is no denying, it could possibly be the best wintertime presentation for finding fish- and of course that depends on the lakes that you fish.

Here in Tennessee the water is finally getting into the low 50's and the A-Rig bite is starting the heat up, but it's not at 100% yet. Currently, the areas that Im able to start catching some Rig fish are the steepest structure outside of the creeks and bays that the fish are starting to funnel out of. Seems like steep points, rocky bluff banks, ledges and the creek channels themselves are what the fish are starting to occupy. These are all pretty easy to find on my Navionics maps, as long as I follow the structure out from the backs of the creeks where most fish have been chasing shad. I think the water needs to get down into the upper 40's for the majority of the fish to start moving away from the shallows, and kick off the rig bite.

That being said, Im really just using it as a search bait, and once I find fish, that's when I slow down with something else.

Has anyone else been catching any Rig fish yet? What are the areas you are catching them in?

[Mike Cork]

Our rig season is close but or temps are still 60 degrees. With mostly shallow water we have to look for the original creek channels. Bends and points are our best bet. Current helps too.

Even in the creeks 10 foot is deep water

[SteveTX]

I have some A-Rigs never fished them much. Like Mike my lake is 1/2 water less than 10ft deep. The deepest isn't but 25ft. It's a small 1000 acre lake though.
I may have to try them this year now that you guys are kind a telling when to try them.

[Oldfart9999]

I finally unpacked my Yum A RIG, used the curl tail grubs that came with it, caught a couple of fish and must say YUM should stick to making Dingers, half the curl tails didn't work. Frankly, I'm not impressed with them, may have to use them more to see their full potential.  I bought some swimbaits to put on the rig when I get the boat out next spring.
Rodney

[thebassingirl]

Im really just using it as a search bait, and once I find fish, that's when I slow down with something else.

Curious why you would change to something else if the A-rig is catching fish, especially for tournament fishing. Do you find the ones on the Arig to be smaller than the ones you get when you change over to something else? Also, what do you change over to?

[D.W. Verts]

Curious why you would change to something else if the A-rig is catching fish, especially for tournament fishing. Do you find the ones on the Arig to be smaller than the ones you get when you change over to something else? Also, what do you change over to?

That's a great question, and could open up a whole 'nother topic on "why do you change from what you found 'em on" (Bud Kennedy, hit it!).

[coldfront]

That's a great question, and could open up a whole 'nother topic on "why do you change from what you found 'em on" (Bud Kennedy, hit it!).

not so fast my friend... the question still is in YOUR court.   

I'm with Bassingirl on this:  it's an interesting question. 

[D.W. Verts]

Awwww, mannnn...

[Wizard]

The Umbrella rig(it wasn't developed in Alabama so I refuse to cal it an A-rig) either is the winning lure or plays a factor in winning winter tournaments on LOZ.  I still use traditional winter baits on LOZ. Jerkbait, jig, jigging spoon, twin spin, little george, grubs and small hair jigs still catch bass in cold water.

Wizard

[loomisguy]

It's getting close on Table Rock, I wouldn't be afraid to try it right now.
I love the A rig, but it's just another tool. No magic, but at the right time and place it's hard to beat.

[D.W. Verts]

I've never thrown the "A-Rig" in it's current, modern form (I'm with Wizard, this idea is OLD- sometime I'll tell ya'll the Jimmy Houston story about an incident in the 1970's...).

I do understand their effectiveness, but I don't know how fish react to them time and time again.

In many instances, and especially in competition, the bait that you FIND fish on isn't necessarily the bait that you continue to CATCH fish on. For instance, topwaters- I LOVE to fish a Zara Spook. It's a great bait for FINDING bass, but on too many days it flat SUCKS at catchin' them. Trust me- I spent years watchin' fish blow up on the Spook, just knowing that I was gonna start hooking up, eventually. I lost a ton of money by just being hard-headed stupid.

Some baits over power a school of fish, and many times a change-up to give the fish a break is good anyway.

Of course if you're always LOOKING for the fish, and never really get dialed in, well I imagine that's where the Umbrella Rig shines. I just don't have any experience with it and how fish react to it getting in their zone over and over.

Hope this makes some sort of sense. This subject would be good for SEVERAL articles.

[SteveTX]

From what I have read on the history of the Umbrella Rig and the Alabama Rig it is my understanding that they are similar in design and the "idea" came from the Umbrella rig to make the Alabama Rig. However the design of the Alabama Rig is for Bass fishing. Unlike the traditional umbrella rigs that are heavy and somewhat cumbersome designed to be trolled on wire line.

Yes you can pick on the fact that its the same concept but to be fair we have a million lures that have been done the same way and we don't all hold the holy grail name of the first product against the later ones that are very similar. For example the Keitechs have been copied by several companies with very slight modifications. We don't refuse to call the The Tail Slapper by Kicker Fish Bait Co. the Tail Slapper. Or the  the Strike King Rage Swimmer a Rage Swimmer. There have been a million versions of the old H&H Spinnerbait over the years. We don't refuse to call all of the non H&H brand spinnerbaits a spinnerbait. Well I have never heard of it maybe it is that way.

Guess my point is the Alabama Rig is different from a Umbrella Rig. Unless you call all fishing poles the same. I see all different kinds of fishing poles some Bass some for Saltwater and neither are close to the same.

[coldfront]

From what I have read on the history of the Umbrella Rig and the Alabama Rig it is my understanding that they are similar in design and the "idea" came from the Umbrella rig to make the Alabama Rig. However the design of the Alabama Rig is for Bass fishing. Unlike the traditional umbrella rigs that are heavy and somewhat cumbersome designed to be trolled on wire line.

Yes you can pick on the fact that its the same concept but to be fair we have a million lures that have been done the same way and we don't all hold the holy grail name of the first product against the later ones that are very similar. For example the Keitechs have been copied by several companies with very slight modifications. We don't refuse to call the The Tail Slapper by Kicker Fish Bait Co. the Tail Slapper. Or the  the Strike King Rage Swimmer a Rage Swimmer. There have been a million versions of the old H&H Spinnerbait over the years. We don't refuse to call all of the non H&H brand spinnerbaits a spinnerbait. Well I have never heard of it maybe it is that way.

Guess my point is the Alabama Rig is different from a Umbrella Rig. Unless you call all fishing poles the same. I see all different kinds of fishing poles some Bass some for Saltwater and neither are close to the same.

the way I see it, the A-rig is a castable version of the umbrella rig.

didn't Dee Thomas start flipping by using a converted saltwater rod?