Alabama Rig / TN Rig ?'s
 

Hey guys, I am thinking about seeing what these are all about.

Can any of you experienced rigs anglers provide some pros/cons or setup suggestions for them? 5 bars with 2 dummies or 3 bars with 3 baits?

Take it as I am clueless (which isn't to far from the truth on these). I do understand the regulations portion of this bait so we can skip over that unless someone else inquires about it.

Thanks!

They make them as small as something you can throw on a spinning reel, or as large as having to use specialized equipment.

Some of the small ones I've seen are for Crappie, but could be used for other species. It would need as small as a medium action rod. I have one that has around 8 wires, and I've put up to 5" baits and 1/2oz heads on it. That's when you get into heavier line, rods, and reels.

Use them when gamefish are targeting schooling fish.

They can get expensive, loose 8 baits, 8 jig heads, and 1 rig, and it cost upwards of $25-$30. I personally have not had a lot of success, and it could be where, or how I'm using it. Yes, I have caught fish with it, but it's not a super bait, or super technique. There is a time and place for it.

It catches fish, but it's not magic. You must be around fish just like anything else. I throw the 3 rig most of the time here in TN.... sometimes I am bad and break the law. If all I had were 5 rigs I would try and put spinner bait blades on the extra 2 after rigging it with three swimbaits. I think the flash helps out. I usually throw it with 1 odd colored swimbait, chartreuse or similar if I am throwing shad colors as the trailer of the group. 65lb braid or greater, long rod med/heavy action. I also do not throw it with a leader, seems pointless since you have wire everywhere. If the fish sees the braid and does not bite but misses the wires hanging off the a-rig, sucks to be you. When I started fishing it a couple years ago I did not have the proper set up, lost way more fish than I caught, make sure your equipment can handle it.

If you want to cheat you can just use dynamite. :D

Waiting for the forum to explode (pun intended) in 3...2...1...

In all seriousness though, I've thought about buying some for Crappie since they're smaller and cheaper. That way if (when) I lose one it's not as frustrating.

I'm definitely going to dabble in this a bit this year.


Mike

My local dicks has the Terminator brand A-rig on clearance. I got some for 5 bucks each.

FYI - A few guys in our kayak angling community did pretty well this Winter on Williamsport Lakes using A-Rigs and PTL swimbaits. They definitely work and like I said, I very well may try some smaller ones for Crappie and see how I like it. I never understood why there was such outrage over these rigs and calling it a cheater lure. You can have 65 baits on one rig if you want and you still can't catch fish if you don't know where they are and when to use the rig!

I'm hitting priest Saturday after I go by the show for some smallmouth, I will have the A-rig tied (Legal one) on because a couple of the locations I am fishing have been known to hold striper/hybrids. I hope it works magic for me. I could see how the rig would work well on Williamsport. The time I went last year I found fish suspended everywhere.

Interesting.

Thanks for the thoughts and input so far. I bought a Terminator Rig and will be weighing it today with baits to see the end result. If I don't care for the weight or have gear I feel to handle will just take the rig back.

How hard is casting it seated position in a kayak? That is where 98% of my fishing is done from.

It's not too difficult out of a yak, you lose some distance but it still goes a mile. If you don't catch fish on it quickly it gets old fast, it's just so stinking heavy.

NO! Save your catches for after Kayak Wars starts!!

I have plenty of catches for the Kayak wars, what I don't have is a 5th teammate :)

Still haven't filled that spot yet?

Better get crackin on it or get Merv a yak.

I have an extra emotion glide, it's not a fishing yak but it would work.

Anyone fishing within 1/2 a mile of you will be your new best friend. Thing sounds like your throwing concrete blocks in the water......not a fan.

Roy

The last fish I caught on a Cast A-rig was a 25 lb rockfish at GSP.
Have caught lots of LM bass on it too.
I prefer an 8' heavy action rod to cast them with. I use three 1/8 oz jig heads with 5/0 hooks and six inch pearl white split tail flukes.
Cast it out, give it a 2 count and slow steady retrieve.
I use the A-rig made by Terror baits that has five wires, 11 willow blades. Three baits and two teaser tails. Chartreuse 4 inch sassy shad or the 6 inch pearl white flukes.
BUT! The bait that is deadliest for the stripers is just a 1/2 oz jig head and the fluke. That bait accounts for a high percentage of the rockies caught anywhere. So you are throwing $2.00 lure rather than a $30.00 A-rig. I've had a couple A-rigs stolen from me by overly aggressive rockfish.

If I were to get into yak fishing, I'd have to wait for warm weather/water.
With my balance and coordination, I'd probably wind up wading as much as yakkin!

I ended up taking the big one back.

I may try the smaller one first or looking more into bigger swimbaits opposed to multiple smaller baits.

Go big or go Home!!!! I'm Kidding. I have one of the little single bait Arigs with 4 spinner bait blades on it, never caught a damn thing on it.

LOL... that is true in some scenarios.

I have been tinkering with modifying some 7" baits. Haven't caught a fish under 30" on it. ;)

I have numerous baits that I haven't caught a fish under 30" on. They also haven't caught any over 30".

I do as well... :D

This one is gonna be a good one though since now I have found what I want it to do. So far different variations of the same mod has produced 30", 42" and last weekend a 33".

Leave it alone. You went from 30 up to 42 and down to 33. Keep it up and you can get it down to 15".:D

ha!

I had some questions regarding these myself a while back and found this video to be quite informative. Just thought I'd put it out there.

http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/16514478...nessee-anglers

Video helpful
 

Video is good, interesting that even the TWRA rep admitted there was a lot of confusion, even among some in the Department.

So beware out there if you are using more then 3 wire rig and more spinner blades then 3. I have used a 3 wire rig w/3 baits and have caught fish but watch out when you throw it . Some times it will cart wheel in air and tangle up your rig and if it finds a tree kiss it good bye. Now I have found where you can get a 5 wire rig with 6" arms with no baits on it for $2 each at Wlure.com w/ free shipping but they are made in China and they work as good as the high dollar ones...................woody

I check the 2015 TWRA and found out the 5 wire with 3 baits with hooks and the other two wires with 1 spinner each was OK to use in Tennessee and that video was made in 2012..................woody

Man, I just don't know how much I would trust a 3 dollar A-rig. Are they a name brand that's just not labeled and sold under a generic name?