Guess there's a movement afoot to ban the alabama rig from tournaments.

I found myself starting to care for a while but as usual Nico put it in perspective for me.

This is just another good bait. Like the hudd was a good bait. Or the basstrix. Or the senko.

When the hudd first came out, the fish would eat it so hard at Don Pedro we were worried about fish getting killed from swallowing the 2/0 trap hooks guys were using.

It took less than 1 year for the effectiveness of the lure to go from off the charts, to average. 2 years later we quit fishing there because the swimbait fishing was so bad we couldn't get even 1 fish on it per day most days.

That lake has never been the same since. I never fun fish there any more and don't hardly get excited about fishing tournaments there. There's plenty of big bass in that lake but your odds of getting a hudd fish in a tournament with 40 boats where all 40 are using it are about .5 in 80.

So supposedly its alabarni a-rama up at Clear Lake right now. And this will build up to all out stupidification by spring. But mark my words, by this fall guys will be bitching.

They'll be moaning and groaning. Because they've got $500 invested in umbrella rigs and all they get is short strikes and snags. It will take about 1 year, but that's all. 1 year and the alabama rig will be just another rod on the deck with your senko.

Like many things in nature and economics, the bigger the bubble, the harder the burst.

I agree. Just like anything, bass get smart to it once everybody and their grandma are throwing it. That's why it always pays off to be on the leading edge of new baits and techniques.

It gets stupid good for a year or two and then it falls off.....but you should definitely capitalize on the stupid easy fishing while you can.

Here's how it will go down at Clear Lake.

Everyone who buys one will think to themselves, "where can I take this and put it in front of some fish?" They'll run straight to shag rock and fire off the end of it.

If there's fish there they'll catch some. 3 hours later another guy will pull up and do the same thing. By the time the big pro/ams get going in the spring it won't be every 3 hours, it will be every time one boat pulls off it another will pull on it.

By the time you're the 876th guy who has made that cast with that rig, fishing won't be good there any more. The effectiveness of the rig is the exact reason it will get beat down so fast.

S, go have some fun while it lasts :) But banning it? I dunno. It'll render itself average on it's own in no time.

Did you see Peter's a-rig video on Youtube has 15,000 views? And he's giving away the full scoop with the 3 inch hammer and the whole deal. Cheers!

Indeed. But use different baits on it then what others are doing. I am. But the fish at places like clear lake will be the first ones to get their harvard degree on the alabama rig. Other lakes that only get a few boats a day on that point will have fish that take a longer time to become educated and fishing will stay better. Especially if you are constantly customizing and changing the rig up.

My take on it is this: why restrict the imagination and the evolution of fishing lures? Clearly bass get smart to baits. Thus comes the fun and imagination of using new creations. That is what keeps fishing fun!! and interesting! I get completely bored with fishing until I figure out new things to fish. That is why way back in the day I was the first one on the east coast that I know of to throw big swimbaits! I was bored with the normal stuff. I say bring it on! The more creativity and the more new baits that are created the more fun and the more possibilities that will be born. The more the better. The more variety the better. And I bet soon, old techniques might become good again. Because the newer fish class haven't seen it lately because everybody is throwing an alabama rig.

Ps the alabarni is catchy...I had that typed and had to erase it to say Alabama.

>Everyone who buys one will think to themselves, "where can I
>take this and put it in front of some fish?" They'll run
>straight to shag rock and fire off the end of it.
>
>If there's fish there they'll catch some. 3 hours later
>another guy will pull up and do the same thing. By the time
>the big pro/ams get going in the spring it won't be every 3
>hours, it will be every time one boat pulls off it another
>will pull on it.
>
>By the time you're the 876th guy who has made that cast with
>that rig, fishing won't be good there any more. The
>effectiveness of the rig is the exact reason it will get beat
>down so fast.
>
>S, go have some fun while it lasts :) But banning it? I
>dunno. It'll render itself average on it's own in no time.

That's the most likely scenario.

BASS' current mission/business model is to promote and spur sales in recreational fishing industry. That's what all their partner companies' sponsorship and promotional money pays for, it's part of their advertising budget. It seems counter-intuitive for BASS to ban a product when their mission is to promote their partners' products in the first place. For some of the sponsors' top promotional spokespeople (ie, the Elite field) to come out publicly for a ban is kind of dumb and they're shooting themselves in the foot.

The corporate overlords at Pure Fishing will have to intervene and put the kibosh on BASS’ silly ban. It’s cutting into potential sales of their knockoff product before it even has an opportunity to reach the market. There's lots of $$$ to be made still and BASS is keeping them from making it.

>The corporate overlords at Pure Fishing will have to intervene
>and put the kibosh on BASS’ silly ban. It’s cutting into
>potential sales of their knockoff product before it even has
>an opportunity to reach the market. There's lots of $$$ to be
>made still and BASS is keeping them from making it.

That's funny :) Bassmaster mag has some good articles these days but it is easy to get confused between articles and paid Pure Fishing product endorsements.

I think they should just wait about 2 years then un-ban it. By then the fish will be sufficiently beat down that the tournament will still be interesting to watch.

Wish I could go fishing this weekend and chuck me some alabarni

When the fish are on it, it's the best thing ever created. The guys against it or the ones saying it's not even fun to fish are nuts.

However, I agree it's not the end all. There are times the fish aren't into it. I have outfished it with a jig when they wouldn't touch the bama. There is still a time and place for it.

I have to say that it was kind of lame watching that latest FLW where practically every bass they showed came on the bama. The allure of bass fishing is the mystery of which lure in which color is going to produce the most fish on any given day.

I also feel a little sorry for the fish. Charging into a school of bait was probably the last sanctuary a bass had.

My last thought on it... I still have not seen a picture of a 10lb+ bass with a bama hanging from it's mouth. If they're too smart for it, then I believe there's still hope for the fish.

I think it emulates something in nature we have been missing. I feel I have gained another great tool to catch some fish that are targeting smaller schools of bait and I don't think that will ever change for a bass..