A-Rig

[Bill Babler]

I throw the rig quite a bit, and it is a problem if you fish both sides of the line to have the correct one tied on at the correct time. 99% of the time however they bite the back middle extended hook, so I guess you, in reality could fish it with a single hook and do just about as well.

I have not lost a rig in over a year. I fish it on 60 pound braid and use Chompers jig heads. They are a soft Mustad hook and they bend out. They will not bend on a fish, but they allow you to pull loose from just about any snag. Once you bend it a couple of times, just take it out of the order re-hook and toss it away. Saves you big bucks on the rig.

[Alex Heitman]

Bill I remember before you saying something about chompers jig heads. Do you use the brush jigs that have a weed guard. I have been using the slider jig heads that have an offset hook so you can bury the hook in to keep them weedless.

[Bill Babler]

No, just use the regular, but lots of guys are using them. I know Greg Wood makes all his weedless,using either a fluke with the hook in the trough or with it made weedless in a Keitech.

[dtrs5kprs]

Bill I remember before you saying something about chompers jig heads. Do you use the brush jigs that have a weed guard. I have been using the slider jig heads that have an offset hook so you can bury the hook in to keep them weedless.

A shakey head will work too. I pour one for mine using an "eakins" mold minus the fiber guard. Lets the same head work open, or TX style.

[troutgnat]

Guys,

The Ned jighead (mushroom head mold) works really good too! I do not put the screw lok in nor use the weed guard. And as Bill mentioned I use Mustad Jig hooks as they are a lighter wire and will pull free most of the time. I cut the very front of swimm'n fluke jr off, slide it on the hook and glue straight to the back of the head. Durable and they never wear out it seems.

[Sam]

Does anyone ever troll with the A-rig? I fish almost entirely for walleyes, crappie, white bass, etc. - when I catch a bass I throw it back. Last couple of years I've been watching bass fishermen throw A-rigs - ka-chunk, looks like they're casting a crystal chandelier, and it looks like a lot of work, too. But hey, if they catch fish....

Now, I like to slow-troll for the above mentioned species with my trolling motor at about .9 mph, generally using a Roadrunner, Swim N Minnow, or such, and PowerPro braid. Seems to me that slow-trolling a small A-rig with braid and a medium spinning outfit might be productive. I'm thinking of rigging the A-rig with three Swim N Minnows on thin gold 1/0 hooks and the rest of the rig could be hookless Swim N Minnows and blades - I'm sure Bill B. is right about fish most always hitting the lure in the center that trails behind.

By letting the rig out and trolling instead of casting, there shouldn't be any tangles. What do you think?

[EastTnAngler]

I know people use the 3 armed rigs with grubs for crappie. They are good for catching smallies also.

[abkeenan]

Sam,

I'm sure that "strolling", which is what you are doing running the trolling motor to troll, would most certainly work. Only problems would be getting snagged pretty often and I think using a medium rod could potentially be a touch light. If you've never thrown an A-Rig (especially the bladed version with multiple blades) they have a fair amount of drag.

[Quillback]

Striper fishermen troll them.

[Smalls21]

i usually rig the middle wire with a small blade scrounger head, and a havoc beat shad or grass pig jr