Elites Ban A-Rig

[Tfsh4bass]

Have you EVER seen a striper guide. Come over to Beaver and you will see people paying $250 for half a day fishing like that on 5-10 boats any day of the year. That is where the idea came about for the A-rig(stirper fishermen catching lots of bass not Beaver lake), they have just been using the umbrella for about 25-30 years. Most of the time the catch rate of black bass to stripers is 3:1. These people feel their guides do a great job and come back regularly, to each his own.

Then it is time and place, I have seen guides pulling 10 rods past me without a fish and I would be having the best day of my life with jerk baits up close to shore but their clients didn't have the skills to throw a jerk bait so they just sat on the boat and watched me catch fish.

Well it is always about where you fish...no matter how good the A-Rig is you can't catch fish in a bath tub. BUT at the same time it is a numbers game as well and the more hooks you have in the water the more opportunities to catch fish especially with how good the graphs are these days. I don't fish tournaments so I don't really care but there is a big difference between 2 guys standing side by side on the front deck with 10 baits out vs 2 guys throwing single grubs especially if fish are in schools.

[Feathers and Fins]

Well it is always about where you fish...no matter how good the A-Rig is you can't catch fish in a bath tub. BUT at the same time it is a numbers game as well and the more hooks you have in the water the more opportunities to catch fish especially with how good the graphs are these days. I don't fish tournaments so I don't really care but there is a big difference between 2 guys standing side by side on the front deck with 10 baits out vs 2 guys throwing single grubs especially if fish are in schools.

Like stump said though, 10 rods out with live bait ( as that is what striper guides pull ) and he still out fishes them with a simple jerk bait. I have done the same thing with live bait, same 10 lines in the water from striper guides and I have thrown live bait to shore and hammered Walleye, Stripers and Bass. It's not always about numbers but presentation and being skilled enough to adapt to where the fish are. Graphs are great but if an angler cant read the water, cant read the hatch and cant match it or get to the fish, all the best baits and graphs in this world wont catch the fish.

This bait ( the a-rig ) has many limitations just like any other bait out there. It is great for open water or areas with no structure certainly. But try tossing it in weeds, trees or rocks and you will quickly learn it is a snag machine. I talked to friends in Florida and California about it and they feel the same way, the boys in FL were already cussing it. Not because it doesnt work, but the money they are spending replacing it when it hangs up in unseen cypruss and a couple gators.

[Tfsh4bass]

Like stump said though, 10 rods out with live bait ( as that is what striper guides pull ) and he still out fishes them with a simple jerk bait

All I know is I watched a couple FLW tournaments lately and out of the final 20 guys in 2 tournaments 19 of them were throwing the 5 bait A-Rig. Saying you are outfishing 1 guide with 10 rods out doesn't mean you are outfishing the other 19 guides with 10 rods out fishing elsewhere. If one guy fishes 20 points with 1 bait and the next guy fishes those same 20 points with 5 baits who has a better chance of catching fish...20 vs 100.

[jmes]

Whether you like it or hate it, I can't remember any one bait/rig causing so much discussion

This is almost like talking about politics

[Quillback]

Whether you like it or hate it, I can't remember any one bait/rig causing so much discussion

This is almost like talking about politics

You are right, the A-rig was a debate topic between the parties last night. The Democrats say that to make the A-rig available to hard working Americans, there should be a government subsidy made available to offset the high price of the A-rig. The GOP position is that the high price should act as an inducement to Americans to work harder, become rich, and therefore be able to purchase the A-rig without government assistance.

[Feathers and Fins]

Quill, Careful you brought up Politics and Phil might spank ya.. Now on a serious note You got me to wondering about it, so i called a friend in FL who owns his own bait shop and asked what he has seen in it. He said he has done since December 300x's The business he normally wood do. If one thing this rig has been good for its the local bait shop economy and lure manufactures. It by itself might Balance the Fed Budget, State Budget and turn Detroit from car manufacturing to A-rig manufacturing. Maybe it should be called the Magic End of Ressession Bullet.

[Daryk Campbell Sr]

If one thing this rig has been good for its the local bait shop economy and lure manufactures. It by itself might Balance the Fed Budget, State Budget and turn Detroit from car manufacturing to A-rig manufacturing. Maybe it should be called the Magic End of Ressession Bullet.

A Rig for President 2012!!

[Stump bumper]

Quill, Careful you brought up Politics and Phil might spank ya.. Now on a serious note You got me to wondering about it, so i called a friend in FL who owns his own bait shop and asked what he has seen in it. He said he has done since December 300x's The business he normally wood do. If one thing this rig has been good for its the local bait shop economy and lure manufactures. It by itself might Balance the Fed Budget, State Budget and turn Detroit from car manufacturing to A-rig manufacturing. Maybe it should be called the Magic End of Ressession Bullet.

In Nov I was in Academy and there was Braid everywhere on sale, now you can't find a deal anywhere. I had a broken rod to turn in and wanted a good 7 ft plus MH or H to replace a M 7'10" rod and there were very few that size in the rack. Plus no one was buying swimbaits now they are flying off the shelves. I think of myself as swim bait fisherman and think I lost 6 last year, this year I lost 10 in the same day and MY BOAT IS BROKE.

I would hate to be selling a line of baits devoted to drop shotting right now.lol

[Feathers and Fins]

We are all going to be broke come summer and Cabelas Opening... I broke down and put in my order the other day for new rods 8ft all roller guide. Academy is nice for a quick stop but the rod selection is not really impressive.

[Quillback]

It is amazing how much tackle is being sold, a lot of the paddletail swimbaits are sold out on the online tackle distributors. Swimbait rods are sold out. I saw on Tacklewarehouses' site that manufacturers are now building rods specifically for A-rigs. It is good for the tackle industry, not so good for out wallets.