Dudley on the A-rig: What is the true fire behind the fury?
OK guys, it’s time to man up and talk about the real fire behind the fury. Why are some “pros” so dead set on banning Alabama Rigs from tournaments? The answer is simple. They are scared. They are scared that somebody else is going to cash the fat checks they’ve grown accustomed to. And I understand. I’m scared, too. But I’m a pro. I learn new techniques all the time, and I continually work on the old ones to make them more effective. It’s what we do as pros.
Years ago I used to throw a deep-diving crankbait and, as a pro, I could tell if the bottom was soft or hard. I could find stumps, rock piles, shell beds, you name it. It gave me a competitive advantage because I could find the exact places that were likely to hold bass. Then came along side-imaging sonar and took away the value of that skill. Now any “pro” who can push a button can find not only very specific structure that is likely to hold bass, but the exact location of a school relevant to that structure. What’s more, thanks to integrated GPS, the exact location of that school can be marked so the “pro” can come back to it every day and mine it for all that its worth. Where is the time-honored tradition in that? Where is the skill? Where are the asterisks in the record books?
The bottom line of the argument I keep hearing is that the Alabama Rig is bad because it helps too many people catch too many bass. So I ask, which helps people catch more fish, the Alabama Rig or side-imaging sonar? And please, none of that “Nobody every hooked a bass with side-imaging sonar” crap. It’s not like we are bird watchers. There is only one reason anglers pinpoint schools of bass, and there are plenty of lures in our tackle boxes to catch them once they are located. So which is more ethical? Trying to entice bass to bite an artificial school of baitfish, or stalking them with $3,000 sonar units? Where was the outrage over side-imaging sonar?
Every pro arguing to ban Alabama Rigs because they are too effective at catching fish is a hypocrite when they turn on their side-imaging sonar units or flip on their GPS and zoom from bedding bass to bedding bass. The same can be said for those who argue it should be banned on conservation grounds.
Before you applaud BASS for their decision and start touting their high moral standards, you might want to reread their news release where they only outlawed umbrella rigs in the Elite Series and Classic. That’s 100 pros out of thousands of anglers who fish BASS events. That’s going to protect our resources? Really? I mean REALLY? Where is the MORAL superiority in that decision? A decision I might add that was based on the results of two tournaments – FLW Tour, Lake Guntersville and EverStart Series, Kentucky Lake – held under what appear to be perfect Alabama Rig conditions. Has anyone bothered to check the live-release rates at these two Alabama-Rig dominated tournaments? I have. On days three and four, when everyone was using the Alabama Rig, there was 98 percent live release at Guntersville and 100 percent at Kentucky Lake! So while some “pros” support banning Alabama Rigs based on conservation principles, the facts don’t support that position.
There are a lot of emotional arguments flying around out there, but very few facts because casting umbrella rigs to catch bass is new and we simply don’t know how the technique will perform on a variety of lakes under a variety of conditions. Some of my most regrettable moments on the water and off were the result of hasty decisions where I didn’t know enough information before I committed to something. FLW has taken the right approach. Study the effects under a full season of tournament conditions and make a decision based on fact, not emotion. That’s how this debate would be settled in a court of law. JUST THE FACTS! To say that Alabama Rigs are somehow more harmful to bass than other lures is laughable. My prediction is that, when the facts are in, the mortality rate for bass caught on Alabama Rigs will be low, like it is for any other retrieve bait. Senkos, shaky heads and Texas rigs produce much higher mortality rates due to the fact that bass swallow these baits at a much higher rate than any retrieve bait.
BAN THE SENKO! BAN THE SHAKY HEAD! BAN THE TEXAS RIG! It’s a slippery slope.
Does the Alabama rig allow anglers to catch more fish? Based on what we’ve seen this fall, the answer is YES! Does it help some “pros” be more competitive? YOU BET IT DOES! Will TRUE PROS continue to dominate the sport? ABSOLUTELY! It’s what we do as PROS! This elevates the game for everyone, “PROS” and PROS alike.
For all of you guys who are favoring the “higher standard” approach, here are some suggestions for the T-shirts you are working on to help you live by what you are preaching:
Paper maps = Higher standard!
Flashers = Higher standard!
Crankbaits with one hook = Higher standard!
Jerkbaits with one hook = Higher standard!
Push button reels = Higher standard!
Bamboo poles = Higher standard!
Paddles = Higher standard!
Rocks as anchors = Higher standard!
No fish-imitating noise machines = Higher standard!
No polarized sunglasses = Higher standard!
Here is a suggestion for the other side of the shirts:
“One rod, one Senko, one dead bass!”
My conclusion. Thank you FLW for not listening to emotions and for taking your time to seek the facts. It’s yet another reason why I fish FLW. Follow me on Facebook!