A buddy and I went Sunday. It was my second time throwing the A-Rig. We actually tried a couple of other versions he brought with him. I can tell you that you still have to throw it where the fish are to catch them but when you do it is ridiculously easy. Too easy. Way too easy for the top anglers in the world. It's been years since I caught an 8lb bass. And even longer since I caught more than a few fish in the winter on any given trip. In 7 hours of fishing over two different days, both with east winds, I've watched the a-rig boat over 60 fish. And two of those were 8lbs. 15 or so were over 5lbs and half were over 4lbs. It must trigger some predator instinct or something. It is to bass' eyes what scent is to the nose or vibration is to the lateral line. But on a different level. Bass just can't help themselves.Originally Posted by lroberts
Oh yes, and several were hooked by multiple baits, especially one five pounder that had all five hooks in it, one in the mouth and the rest in various places in it's body. It bled everywhere. That is a problem.
Nobody can know what this rig will do over the course of a full year. All we have is a best guess. My guess is, outside of flipping conditions in Florida and dirty water, all other techniques will become obsolete in the tournament game. There might not be another tournament north of Florida won on anything else, other than the BASS Elite Series. That might be a bit of a stretch but the point is, at any given time most of the fish are supended. That has been the hardest group of fish to target but usually the largest population of fish in a given body of water at any given time. The a-rig makes those fish bite. So much so, all traditional modern patterns and techniques could quickly become history. I share that opinion with many people.
Dave Lefebre and Randal Tharp's blogs on the FLW website say what I feel about the rig to a "t". There are guys who are pro-a-rig. That is their opinion and they are entitled. But every pro I've spoken to, some at the top of the game and some up-and-comers, feel it doesn't fit in the tournament scene. I agree with them. Some pros are pro-a-rig, sure, but they are in the minority.
Comparing the rig to nets, or long rods, or horsepower, or electronics (although they are getting close to being too much) or other non-presentations is apples to oranges. Those things don't catch fish. But the a-rig does. Better than anything ever cast. Too good for the tournament scene. One angler, one rod, one cast, one lure, one fish at a time. That is the spirt of the game.
For guys just out fun fishing, it's fine and if it's legal I have no problem with it for that purpose. But they won't do it much because when you lose one you lose $30 to $50 bucks a pop. And those suckers hang everything.
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