Flw on the a-rig vs. Bassmasters Elite Series

[Bass_King2007]

Flw really sums it up with this statement. Bassmaster elite series thinks that its wrong to throw this rig due to talent level of the anglers. So i guess KVD your sexy shad crank bait is still gonna win and your not gonna get your @$$ handed to you by the a-rig!!

FLW
20.Jan.2012 by Kathy Fennel

The Alabama Rig has taken the bass-fishing world by storm. Every discussion about its use seems to generate an emotional response unlike anything I?ve seen in my more than 30 years in the sport.

For every passionate plea that it be banned from tournaments, there is an equally passionate plea that it be allowed. No matter which side of the debate you are on, one thing is undeniable: The Alabama Rig has generated a level of excitement and interest in bass fishing unlike anything that has come before.

Since their inception, tournaments have been the spawning ground for lure, equipment and technique innovations that help recreational anglers catch more and bigger fish. It?s the reason fans tune in to our television shows, visit our websites, read our magazines and attend our events. There are millions of bass anglers out there with an insatiable appetite for cutting-edge information that will make them better at their sport. To argue that the Alabama Rig and other castable umbrella rigs be banned from tournaments is to believe that we?ve finally reached the end of innovation; that the great equalizer has been found; that the only thing separating novice anglers from the world?s top professionals is a weighted head with five wire leaders and swimbaits. There is nothing more to learn.

We believe professional anglers deserve more credit than that. We believe their skill and intuition will not be undercut by a baitfish-imitating technique that helps less experienced anglers catch fish when otherwise they might not. Will it force some pros to elevate their game and adapt? Of course it will. Just like GPS, side-imaging sonar, sight-fishing, shallow-water anchors and countless lure, line and rod innovations have done over the years. Buzzbaits and ChatterBaits were once considered radical, as were flipping and sight-fishing. But they are all simply tools of the trade now. The same will hold true for Alabama Rigs. It?s not the end of fishing as we know it.

Anglers are still held to a daily five-fish limit. Tournaments are still catch-and-release. Our conservation ethic has not changed. We?ve taken the additional step of contacting wildlife officials in each state hosting an event in every FLW circuit to urge them to study the effects of castable umbrella rigs on live release rates. If conservation issues are discovered, we will reevaluate our rules accordingly. For now, we are leaving that in the capable hands of the experts within each state, and castable umbrella rigs will be permitted in our 2012 tournaments.

Sincerely,

Kathy Fennel

President, Operations Division

FLW Outdoors

[lroberts]

Nice article....agree or disagree. Do you think that KVD couldn't figure out how to catch fish on the A-Rig??? He is considered the best for a reason!!!

[FishinPhil]

I'm pretty sure KVD could catch them on the A-Rig. I dont understand why alot of people are upset that BASS has banned the A-Rig. It was the anglers themselves who decided they didnt want it. BASS just went along with the wishes of the anglers. It doesnt matter to me either way if it is allowed or not. In my opinion FLW needs to allow it. Everytime I watch FLW on tv other than on Okeechobee last year they are throwing shaky heads or some other finesse technique barely catching keepers.

[Carter1]

I was down at KY Lake yesterday. I tried the Alabama Rig off and on throughout the day. I got one bite on it but that was it. I caught my bass on a jerkbait. I saw several people hurling the A-Rig but maybe only a couple of them caught a fish on it. Maybe we were in the wrong place for it or not using it right. I don't know. I do know I would not want to throw it all day.

[lroberts]

I was down at KY Lake yesterday. I tried the Alabama Rig off and on throughout the day. I got one bite on it but that was it. I caught my bass on a jerkbait. I saw several people hurling the A-Rig but maybe only a couple of them caught a fish on it. Maybe we were in the wrong place for it or not using it right. I don't know. I do know I would not want to throw it all day.

This cold front probably hurt that bite.....A friend of a friend caught over 60
bass in a day on the A-Rig there just last week....and yes I saw pics.

[Tim_T]

Will FLW allow trolling and live bait soon? That seems to be the next progressive step. Man I can see Larry Nixon or Jay Yelas with a 14-foot crawler pole so that he could reach way back in some shallow water in the spring.

[Carter1]

You're probably right concerning the weather Iroberts. Temps were in mid to low 30's and the wind chill made it feel like low 20's. Water temp was 43 - 45.

Another note regarding the A-Rig, I was speaking with a guy who either owns or works at a tackle store down that way and he spoke out against the A-Rig. Funny thing is his store sells them. Draw your own conclusions on that.

[first2fish]

I mainly fish for fun. I have fished tournaments but i purchased a a-rig because i thought of a few situations this would work very well. I love to fish the jumps and if i can catch more than 1 fish per cast or 5 per cast that would be a ball if my rod dont break---lol. Also in the fall when fish are keying on shad this rig will work well. I know the a-rig will work in other situations but thats why i bought it. Later jc

[09Z7SC]

I tried a Yumbrella rig out on Nolin yesterday, it is a bear to throw, that is for sure. I didn't get a bite on it, but I beleive those fish were shut down with the cold front and the muddy water in some parts.

[offdtop]

You're probably right concerning the weather Iroberts. Temps were in mid to low 30's and the wind chill made it feel like low 20's. Water temp was 43 - 45.

Another note regarding the A-Rig, I was speaking with a guy who either owns or works at a tackle store down that way and he spoke out against the A-Rig. Funny thing is his store sells them. Draw your own conclusions on that.

They can sell them and not have to like them, usually they have a reason for not liking them especially the small tackle stores. I spoke to a FLW pro over the weekend and he wished they would ban it! And, he has won money on the rig. They all agree that if it is legal they are going to have to throw it because of the potential the rig has under certain circumstances/conditions, but, would rather not have too.

Remember that the majority of this talk is regarding Professional Anglers in regards to banning it, hardly any talk is about the everyday guy. But The laws are now being looked at with a magnifying glass because it is a new dimension they hadn't forseen

[Fntsyfbgod]

This is the main reason I now like FLW more than BASS. I think FLW hit it on the head why most people watch and follow the tournaments. Its not because we want the drama of the show about who is going to win. With fantasy fishing and the internet with the exception of the classic weigh-in which is live we usually know who won the before it is on the air. I watch to see what techniques and tactics used so I can learn to be a better fisherman. Rooting my favorite pros is secondary I since I usually already know the winner. For them to take away techniques that I could see them using takes away from the show for me. And most people who follow the show like me and want to learn also fish tournaments so we dont want to seem trolling or live bait obviously. I love the common sense approach FLW takes to give fans what the really want.

I agree with some of what BASS does like the no local help rule but I really prefer the FLW rules. For example the fact landing nets are not allowed. The idea is that it is the highest level of competition but it doesn't make much sense to me to take something every other bass fisherman has. I also wonder how much no nets changes the lure selection the pros make which is something I dont want to see. I have heard Velvick talk how it hurt his big swimbait fishing. I also wonder how much the no nets rule was a tv thing wanting the pros to run around the boat when they hooked a fish for more drama.

[nlex104]

The no dip net rule is awesome! Dip nets are Bush League...I dont want to see professional's landing fish with a net that a grown man could fit inside of ten foot from the boat. Swing it in or grab it.