To Fish Or Not To Fish: The Alabama Rig

Every angler knows there are dozens of ways to rig up your rod while on the water, but one bass fishing rig has recently gained a lot of attention.

The Alabama rig was recently made popular by FLW Pro Paul Elias of Laurel, MS. when he used the rig to win $100,500 at the Walmart FLW Tour on Lake Guntersville. At the beginning of the tournament he kept the technique on the down-low, but by day 3 it was all any body could talk about.

The way the rig works is by imitating a school of bait fish. It starts with a hard bait body with four or five wires with a snap attached to the end where the angler can attach various artificial baits. Fished with a sturdy rod and reel this technique can yield great results.

Some anglers might argue that this rig is very useful in catching dinner. In the sporting world, some fishing fans view it as boarder line cheating and very un-sportsman like.

Is there a time and place for the Alabama rig? Should there be regulations deciding when and how anglers can use the rig? Should the Alabama rig be used in tournament fishing at all? Have your say and leave a comment below.