Elites Ban A-Rig

[Feathers and Fins]

how can you really say its a bait just like any other bait?????? its a rig that can be "rigged" with any five baits you choose. Now if you were to say that a new crankbait is just like any other bait i would agree. This is not a Bait!!!! its a method for rigging multiple baits

So a crank bait with a rattle is just like one without one?

A soft plast without scent added is just like one with scent added?

A jig with a rattle is just like one without it?

You see your arguements can be made about any bait if you get techincal enough. ALL have thier place in fishing and use's. This one is no diffrent. People are making way to much out of it. Dam man ive used them for years for stripers and they called them Umbrella rigs back then.. And I have had many days where the single bait outfished it on the same boat same troll same place same everything. People are really making to much out of this.

A tourney was won with it, everyone wants the hottest new bait, everyone is throwing it vs the old stand by and fish are being caught because people are throwing it. Try throwing it under a dock, in a lillypad or grass flat then tell me its the best bait. This thing has limitation. You really want to make a tournament truly a tournament. THEN. Remove culling from the rules, Catch a fish and put it in the live well you must keep it! That will do more for the resource then banning any one lure.

[Guest csfishinfool]

So a crank bait with a rattle is just like one without one?

A soft plast without scent added is just like one with scent added?

A jig with a rattle is just like one without it?

You see your arguements can be made about any bait if you get techincal enough. ALL have thier place in fishing and use's. This one is no diffrent. People are making way to much out of it. Dam man ive used them for years for stripers and they called them Umbrella rigs back then.. And I have had many days where the single bait outfished it on the same boat same troll same place same everything. People are really making to much out of this.

A tourney was won with it, everyone wants the hottest new bait, everyone is throwing it vs the old stand by and fish are being caught because people are throwing it. Try throwing it under a dock, in a lillypad or grass flat then tell me its the best bait. This thing has limitation. You really want to make a tournament truly a tournament. THEN. Remove culling from the rules, Catch a fish and put it in the live well you must keep it! That will do more for the resource then banning any one lure.

I'm done with this, you can not compare an Alabama rig to any other lure. Because it's not a lure. Why is so hard to understand. Yes of course a crankbait with a rattle is just like one without it. Just as an Alabama RIG is just like a Umbrella RIG. Rig being the key word here. Its not about catching fish, if a new crankbait came out and caught this much publicity, this much rage, and this many pounds of fish in a four day event I would go get one. Its the concept that in a tournament your allowed to throw five separate baits at one time. Imitating not a shad or a crayfish, but a whole school of shad, perch, crawfish, worms, minnows, trout. I would still feel the same way about this if no one ever caught a fish on the thing. Not fishing in a conventional way, fishing with a rod, a reel, but not a lure my friend. Five lures! your fishing with five lures.

Plus yeah a tournament was won big deal.

Your right big deal! not only were two tournaments won on it , but at Kentucky lake 20 out of the top 20 pros were throwing the Alabama rig. This has never happened. Twenty pro fisherman, throwing 100 lures. That is the issue

[cullinby9]

So a crank bait with a rattle is just like one without one?

A soft plast without scent added is just like one with scent added?

A jig with a rattle is just like one without it?

You see your arguements can be made about any bait if you get techincal enough. ALL have thier place in fishing and use's. This one is no diffrent. People are making way to much out of it. Dam man ive used them for years for stripers and they called them Umbrella rigs back then.. And I have had many days where the single bait outfished it on the same boat same troll same place same everything. People are really making to much out of this.

A tourney was won with it, everyone wants the hottest new bait, everyone is throwing it vs the old stand by and fish are being caught because people are throwing it. Try throwing it under a dock, in a lillypad or grass flat then tell me its the best bait. This thing has limitation. You really want to make a tournament truly a tournament. THEN. Remove culling from the rules, Catch a fish and put it in the live well you must keep it! That will do more for the resource then banning any one lure.

The problem with your argument is your not getting the point, a crankbait with a rattle is just like one without? yes the answer to all above questions is yes because they are all one bait. This isn't technical it's easy count to one = one line tied to one bait , now six the number of line ties on the a-rig 6 line ties = five baits and one to attach five baits to the main line . Is that easy enough? I'm confident thats a fact not up for debate. One crankbait = swimbait=jig=jerkbait-=shakeyhead=texas rig=spinnerbait,one being the common denominator.

[bobw]

Seems like most of the discussion is over whether the A Rig is a lure or a Rig. It's not a lure in the singular word, it's one head with 5 arms in which 5 LURES are attached. If we can get passed that fact, maybe we can get down to the real issue with why or why not it should be allowed in tournaments. And really whether the state allows it's use is not revelant, the state of Missouri allows trolling, they allow the use of live bait, but most if not all tournaments do not allow either. Why? Why is trolling not allowed in tournaments? Honestly I'm not sure, othere than it takes no skill to drag a bait behind a boat till a fish bites it? Why is live bait not allowed? I assume for the same reason, it takes no skill to throw a live craw dad out and wait till a fish bites it. The state allows for more than one rod to be in use at one time. Most tournaments don't. Other than those 3 forms of fishing pretty much everything else is fine in a tournament. So the real question to me is does it take skill to use the A Rig? That to me is the reason all the other forms of fishing allowed by law are not allowed in tournaments. So some of you that have fished the A Rig, can you chine in on whether it takes skill or not to fish this thing. After tomorrow I can weigh in my my thoughts. I plan on fishing it for the first time tomorrow. But in all honesty I'm not sure where to start throwing it? I know Bill has given us his use of it, but can I use it the same type of banks I throw a jerk bait on? Does it work best off bluff ends and deeper points? I don't know? Do you fish it like Bill said down 20' over 40' of water? These are things I as well as everyone else that uses the thing will have to figure out. So in my mind it does take some skill to figure out where and how to use it. I don't think you can just pull up on any bank, throw it out, reel it in a catch 1-2 or 3 fish at a time on it. So does it take SKILL to use this thing? That would seem to be the real issue.

[cullinby9]

Seems like most of the discussion is over whether the A Rig is a lure or a Rig. It's not a lure in the singular word, it's one head with 5 arms in which 5 LURES are attached. If we can get passed that fact, maybe we can get down to the real issue with why or why not it should be allowed in tournaments. And really whether the state allows it's use is not revelant, the state of Missouri allows trolling, they allow the use of live bait, but most if not all tournaments do not allow either. Why? Why is trolling not allowed in tournaments? Honestly I'm not sure, othere than it takes no skill to drag a bait behind a boat till a fish bites it? Why is live bait not allowed? I assume for the same reason, it takes no skill to throw a live craw dad out and wait till a fish bites it. The state allows for more than one rod to be in use at one time. Most tournaments don't. Other than those 3 forms of fishing pretty much everything else is fine in a tournament. So the real question to me is does it take skill to use the A Rig? That to me is the reason all the other forms of fishing allowed by law are not allowed in tournaments. So some of you that have fished the A Rig, can you chine in on whether it takes skill or not to fish this thing. After tomorrow I can weigh in my my thoughts. I plan on fishing it for the first time tomorrow. But in all honesty I'm not sure where to start throwing it? I know Bill has given us his use of it, but can I use it the same type of banks I throw a jerk bait on? Does it work best off bluff ends and deeper points? I don't know? Do you fish it like Bill said down 20' over 40' of water? These are things I as well as everyone else that uses the thing will have to figure out. So in my mind it does take some skill to figure out where and how to use it. I don't think you can just pull up on any bank, throw it out, reel it in a catch 1-2 or 3 fish at a time on it. So does it take SKILL to use this thing? That would seem to be the real issue.

the real issue is allowing 5 lures at once there is nothing to get past.I know enough to know what kinda skill is involved in counting down a lure most accomplished fisherman do. I can also find fish. the real issue issue is allowing the representation of a school of bait by throwing five lures at once so no longer does a fish commit to a single lure but a ball of bait thats how the skill is diminished thats taking the sport out of bass fishing.

[gitnby]

It occurs to me that a double-bladed spinnerbait is actually 3 baits! (2 blades and a skirt)

Many of us fish it with a stinger hook.

The A-rig and a spinnerbait both have a head, which technically is a representaion of another bait.

Would you anti A-riggers have a problem with an A-rig with 3 wires that had 2 blades, a head and only 1 swimbait with a hook and stinger?

Basically an extra-large spinnerbait?

80%+ of my fish on the A-rig have been caught on the trailing swimbait or grub.

Another question?

Would it be legal for 2 tournament fisherman in the front of the same boat to both throw a double-bladed spinnerbait and purposely run them close together on the retrieve? That would actually be 6 baits, albeit only 2 with hooks.

Thoughts?

[Iclass]

According to your facts that all tourneys are won with the bait from Alabama..... If you ain't throwing it, you're donating....buddy

I'm not going to fish it. Well see if I can compete against five lures at once. But im no donator buddy

[cullinby9]

It occurs to me that a double-bladed spinnerbait is actually 3 baits! (2 blades and a skirt)

Many of us fish it with a stinger hook.

The A-rig and a spinnerbait both have a head, which technically is a representaion of another bait.

Would you anti A-riggers have a problem with an A-rig with 3 wires that had 2 blades, a head and only 1 swimbait with a hook and stinger?

Basically an extra-large spinnerbait?

80%+ of my fish on the A-rig have been caught on the trailing swimbait or grub.

Another question?

Would it be legal for 2 tournament fisherman in the front of the same boat to both throw a double-bladed spinnerbait and purposely run them close together on the retrieve? That would actually be 6 baits, albeit only 2 with hooks.

Thoughts?

4 spinnerbait blades and one swimbait I can get my mind around.

I'm talking about the major circuts so it's already stated that pro's in front co's in back. We all know that team fishing is just that so I don't know what your point is.

Do you tie a spinnerbait directly to the line? yes. Could you attach 5 spinnerbaits to the a-rig?yes. now what is it you don't understand about why I'm against it? The a-rig is a way to attach 5 baits to one line thats what I'm against fishing 5 baits at once.

[bobw]

So it's a matter of ethics, the guy that trolls or uses live bait to catch his fish is less ethical that the guy who uses 1 artifical bait to catch his. Kind of what it sounds like to me. We TOURNAMENT fisherman hold ourselves to a higher standard than the average fisherman! And don't try to say it isn't so, how many of you all have been fishing and a boat comes by trolling 2 or 3 rods and you haven't said those balnk ity blank guys. Or the guy's using night crawlers, or the guys setting on the bank throwing out craw dads. We as tournament fishermen are so much better than that we have to ban anything that doesn't fit or standards. I don't fish Elite Bass, I don't fish FLW or anything of that nature. I do like fishing the spring and fall deals out of Cape Fair, just a bunch of guys that get togather and fish basicly for fun, you sometimes don't win enough to get gas and entry fee back, but it's fun and doesn't cost much. I really feel like the A Rig is not the end of bass fishing as we know it. It's a tool to use when it works, and just something else to haul around in the boat when it doesn't. I don't consider myself any less ethical if I use it to catch fish in a tournament, or if I do fish one that doesn't alow the use of it I'm not going to say, well they don't allow the use of the A Rig so I'm not fishing that! So I really don't have a strong opinion either way, I'm sure I will have one ready if I can use it and if I can't then I good with that as well.

[gitnby]

4 spinnerbait blades and one swimbait I can get my mind around.

I'm talking about the major circuts so it's already stated that pro's in front co's in back. We all know that team fishing is just that so I don't know what your point is.

Do you tie a spinnerbait directly to the line? yes. Could you attach 5 spinnerbaits to the a-rig?yes. now what is it you don't understand about why I'm against it? The a-rig is a way to attach 5 baits to one line thats what I'm against fishing 5 baits at once.

You obviously are so dead-set against this, that you failed to answer my questions.

Would you be okay with an A-rig with 3 wires, 2 of them blades and a center swim bait with a hook?

And would you agree that a typical double-bladed spinnerbait is 3 baits with one hook?

And, would it be legal on the non-major circuits for 2 guys to be in the front of the boat, both fishing a spinnerbait?