Alabama Rig Banned by B.A.S.S.

[KySongDog]

Here is what you fishing nuts need in your tackle box.    This fishing lure is so good BASS banned it from its Bass Masters Classic and Elite series of tournaments.   

Alabama Rig frenzy continues despite BASS ban

Published: Sunday, January 22, 2012, 11:49 AM
Michael C. Bolton By Michael C. Bolton


The Alabama Rig is still stirring up controversy in the pro bass fishing world. (Brad Wiegmann)

If you're a fisherman who plans to visit the Birmingham Boat Show at the BJCC on its final day today, be ready to be confronted with talk of the Alabama Rig. More precisely, be prepared to be schooled on some of its clones.

Paul Elias stood the fishing world on its ear back in late October when he won the Walmart FLW Tour open on Lake Guntersville using an Alabama Rig. He demolished the field with a total weight of 102 pounds, 8 ounces. His margin of victory was an incredible 17 pounds.

The lure, which has five trailing wires to which five lures can be attached, appears to be a school of fish swimming through the water and drives bass crazy.

No lure has ever caused such a commotion in fishing. The $25 lure was so much in demand that it was selling for more than $150 on eBay. Stores were running out of the 50- to-80-pound braided line needed to fish the lure. For the first time ever, fishermen were gobbling up the 7Ã,½-foot and 8-foot rods needed to fish the lure.

The inability of the maker to at first keep up with the demand sent lure makers across the U.S. scrambling to produce their own version. Those versions were prominent at the boat show Friday.

The lure's success immediately began an avalanche of speculation that the lures would be banned by fishing tournaments. That indeed happened in recent days as BASS announced Wednesday that the lure could no longer be used in the Bassmaster Classic or its Elite Series. The lure is still legal in other BASS events.

I found former Classic winner David Fritts in the Ranger Boats booth Friday and asked what he thinks about BASS banning the lure in top events. He was obviously miffed by BASS' actions.

"How does someone ban a fishing lure that is perfectly legal in every state?" Fritts asked.

McCalla's Kyle Mabry, a regular on the FLW Tour, has produced his own version of the lure called the "Yellowhammer," obviously a take on the Alabama state bird. He's selling his version at the boat show.

Mabry said he wishes BASS hadn't jumped the gun. He said tournament promoters should take a step back and look at the performance of the lure over a year's period, not just a few months. The lure performed well in some late-season tournaments, he said, but he suspects normally they might not have. A mild winter left water temperatures warmer than usual and bass were active later than normal, he said.

It will be interesting to see if other tournament trails follow BASS in banning the lure. Will local tournaments and club tournaments ban them, too?

Mabry made a good point. If weekend tournaments ban the lure, how will promoters enforce the rule if they don't give polygraph tests? "They'll just be creating a headache for themselves," he said.

Tournament fishermen might be thwarted by a ban on the lure but it will take state intervention to stop the enthusiasm by those who fish just for fun. Every booth selling the lure Friday was packed with fishermen listening to how to rig the lure and how to fish it. One person at a booth who was inspecting the lure told me he couldn't care less if BASS banned it because he doesn't fish BASS. He just likes catching fish.

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2012/01/alabama_rig_frenzy_continues_d.html

[FinsnFur]

 I love it! Thats a such a simple idea it's amazing.
The lure makes perfect sense. I'm shocked no one thought of it before.

[nastygunz]

It aint legal in NH:

http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Fishing/alabama_rig.html

""How does someone ban a fishing lure that is perfectly legal in every state?" Fritts asked."

[Okanagan]

If it has a hook on all five of the lures, then it would not be legal anywhere I've lived (except maybe in California where I don't know the regs.)  One barbless hook in BC.   I think WA state still has a max of two hooks.

Nifty idea to imitate a school of bait.

[slagmaker]

Illegal here In Indaina as well. Your not allowed more than 2 hooks per line. Same guide lines as NH.

[KySongDog]

You guys that live in those commie states that stomp on freedom should move to Kaintucky.     

That Alabama Rig is LEGAL here.       I just might start fishing again.   

[Okanagan]

Is there any way to run that thing to insure that the fish hits a particular lure, and only put a hook on that one?  Like maybe let one of the bait lures hang back behind the others a little and see if the predator fish hits that one?

I haven't seen this rig, only going from the description here.  I'm thinking of how to use it for salmon and pike.

[nastygunz]

They been using that same basic rig for saltwater fishing for a long time:

http://www.offshorepursuits.com/tackle/east_of_chatham_squid_rigs.aspx

[nastygunz]

"Is there any way to run that thing to insure that the fish hits a particular lure, and only put a hook on that one?  Like maybe let one of the bait lures hang back behind the others a little and see if the predator fish hits that one?"

Okanagan, that's exactly what to do, the predators always go for the straggler !

"The East of Chatham Squid Rigs are offered in 24" titanium, 36" titanium, and 48" titanium bar configurations as shown above. (the stinger is hanging on the right side for picture purposes only. The last squid on the main line has a heavy duty ball bearing swivel buried in the body that is used for attaching the stinger of your choice)."

[nastygunz]

AMEN TO THAT!!!

You guys that live in those commie states that stomp on freedom should move to Kaintucky.     

That Alabama Rig is LEGAL here.       I just might start fishing again.   

[coyote101]

Alabama rigs are legal in Kentucky and the guys are slaying the stripers on Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley using them. A friend and I went to Lake Barkley near the bridge yesterday and he ended up with this guy:

Sixteen and a half pounds....


....a nice fish but they are routinely catching them over thirty pounds.

They will catch multiples too. This is a pair of white bass caught together:
 

Pat

[FinsnFur]

In addition to Arkansas, other states that allow the five-lure version of the Alabama rig include Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, Idaho, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Florida, Connecticut, Texas, North Carolina, Michigan and New York, according to spokesmen for those states’ fisheries departments.

New Jersey allows the rig on most state waters except the Delaware River, which has a restriction of three hooks per line. Mississippi also permits the rig to be used on most waters except the lakes of Arkabutla, Grenada, Enid and Sardis and the spillways of Arkabutla, Grenada, Enid, Sardis, Okatibbee and Ross Barnett reservoirs, according to Larry Pugh, fisheries bureau assistant director for the state's department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. "We have a crappie regulation on those four lakes that says anglers may fish with no more than three or five poles and each pole may have no more than two hooks/lures. So that law includes the Alabama rig on those lakes," Pugh said.

[FinsnFur]

Some states, such as Missouri, allow only three hooks per line. To comply with the state law, some anglers are setting up their Alabama rigs with three lures with hooks and two lure bodies without hooks that serve as decoys.
Other states restricting rigs to three hooks or fewer include Colorado, Ohio, Rhode Island, Washington, California, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Utah.

[CCP]

Been around since Henry the 8TH if not before. Been banned at most Tournament's I know of forever. Of course its because everyone I know of uses them on Jigger poles and Jigger poles are not legal at Tournament's.

Now that we have better no stretch braided lines people put them on their reels. Since winning a B.A.S.S. Tournament they are popular to the masses. Back when just the good ole boys were using them to catch and eat it was considered cheating.

Maybe B.A.S.S thinks if they allow these lures people may what to go back using Jigger poles where they are more productive..

[FinsnFur]

Hey CCP, welcome to the site

[FinsnFur]

I picked one of these up the other day at Cabelas.
I noticed after I got back home and did more research that you can buy knock offs for half the price.

One clip I seen showed a team using willows in place of baits in states where they weren't allowed 5 hooks.  What a great idea. Were only allowed three, and while I was going to snip the hooks on two of them since the baits are replaceable, I decided to go with a couple willows in their place. Which will also reduce some weight.

This thing is so heavy they dont even recommend throwing it in less then 3 feet of water.