By George Fiorille
Casting the Alabama (A-rig) or Umbrella rig is a unique way to catch bass. Umbrella rigs are a large conglomerate of multi wires with multiple jigs attached that were originally used in salt water for fish such as striped bass and blue fish.
Bass angler Andy Poss has been given credit as one of the first anglers to convert the specialty rig from saltwater fish to freshwater bass fishing. Poss being from Alabama gave the umbrella rig its new freshwater name for bass fishing, the Alabama rig.
It didn’t take long for the Alabama rig to catch on with bass anglers once the word got out. In April of 2008, Paul Elias set the heaviest 4-day limit of bass in a Bass Anglers Sportsman Society Elite tournament with a total of 132-pounds, 8-ounces. The record was set on Falcon Lake in Texas near the Mexico border. During that event, all twelve anglers finished with over 100–pounds for 4 days. It's believed most of them fished the Alabama Rig.
Alabama Rig Setup
Since it was created and made popular for bass fishing almost 20-years ago, the Alabama rig has taken on many different faces. Today’s standard Alabama rig usually has 5 metal shafts with twisted wire ends attached to a snap swivel. All the wires come out of a single head.
Some states outlaw the use of 5 lures on one rig and their laws such as those in Tennessee, only allow 3 lures with hooks. In these states, you can legally use either of the two rigs. One way is to use an Alabama rig with only 3 wire shafts and 3 lures attached. The second way is to use a rig with five wires and 5 snap swivels. But, on two of the shafts must be attached a dummy lure with no hooks.
Alabama rigs come in two different versions. The first one, which may be the most popular, has spinner blades for flash attraction. The second rig is similar but has no spinner blades. Avid Alabama rig anglers like to use the spinner rig in stained water to draw bass to the rig. Some users prefer the rig with no blades when the water is extremely cold or when the fish are extremely inactive.
Most of the five-wire rigs feature of the 4 wire shafts symmetrically bent and placed apart at equal distances. The fifth shaft is placed right in the middle of the 4 wires. One tip to remember is to use a different colored bait body or jig head on a swim bait on the middle wire to entice a strike.
Usual and Unusual Alabama Rigs
One of the most popular Alabama rigs is one made by Yum Lures called the Yum Umbrella Flash Mob Jr. Rig. This standard rig sports five wire shafts with 5 spinner blades. A couple of reasons it’s so popular is that it was one of the first commercially made models available and that it retails for only approximately $15. Yum also makes rigs with no blades.
Stealth Lures makes a distinctive umbrella rig. The hollow, clear head has a scent chamber you can fill with your favorite bass fishing attractant. The bait is constructed with super tough transparent materials that give the arms a stealth look. I had the opportunity to fish this rig this past winter in Tennessee. I spent an afternoon with one of Stealth’s pro staffers Rob Wroblewski slinging their rigs.
The rigs produced a bunch of nice smallmouth and largemouth bass out of the very cold water. A handful were over 4-pounds. The rig is constructed with quality silver blades and snaps. It’s quite costly though retailing at $49.99.
A-rig or Alabama Rig Lures
One of the most popular lures to use on A-rigs are swim baits. Several companies make models that work well. Baits with a paddle tail such as those made by Keitech , Strike King, and others excel.
If you want a bait that will hold up to continuous strikes, try using Zman’s Minnowz swimbait and DieZel Minnowz models. These paddle tail swimbaits are made with Elaztech plastic that will withstand numerous hits.
Since A-rig anglers are using up to 5 lures on a set-up, it can weigh more than an ounce and may be hard to cast. To reduce weight, many avid users will use 5-1/8-ounce jig heads on their A-rigs. If you want to get deeper, try slow rolling the rig or add on ¼-ounce jig heads.
If the water is very cold or the fish are very inactive, changing your lure tail may change your success. When this happens, change to straight tail fluke like bait. Zoom Flukes and Strike King’s Caffeine Shad Jr. work well. Zman’s Jerk Shadz and StreakZ in Elaztech will last longer than regular plastics.
Most A-rig experts will use baits in the 3”-4” range. Shad and other school minnows during the cold-water periods of late fall, winter, and early spring may be as small as the 2” range.
A-rigs excel during the cold-water periods but can also work during other periods as well. Once while being paired as a co-angler in a B.A.S.S. Open tournament, my pro angler did very well with the A-rig during late summer. While I was limiting out on smallmouth bass with a drop shot, the pro caught a nice limit with an umbrella rig. He also caught a dozen or so walleye during the day.
Alabama Rig Rod, Reel, and Line
Preferred rods by avid A-rig users are something like a flipping rod. Since the rig you are casting probably weighs more than an ounce, you need something that is stout, but still with some flexibility to cast. Many companies now make a specialized rod just for A-rigs. Some may go as long as 8-feet. You need to make a circular or lob cast to get the big rig out with some distance.
Reels with extra line capacity work well with A-rigs. Some like a 6.8-1 gear ratio but many prefer a 5.6-1 gear ratio to slow roll in cold water. A low gear ratio cranking reel is liked by many avid A-rig users.
If your waters are murkier like Southern waters, you can get away with using braided line such as 30-50-pound braid. If your waters are crystal clear like most wintertime periods, a line such as 20-pound fluorocarbon is preferred.
During cold water periods, an Alabama or Umbrella rig is the only presentation a bass will hit. It may be a complicated rig, but it will give you straightforward results.
