If you follow bass fishing and the FLW Tour, odds are that you’ve heard about Paul Elias and his $100,000 Umbrella Rig. The Umbrella Rig has since blown up on the bass fishing scene, and is one of the hottest new trends. You’ve probably noticed them springing up on your favorite stores shelves almost overnight. As it is with any trend, the Umbrella Rig is a divisive topic among most bass anglers. Some fisherman believe that the Umbrella Rig is “cheating”, and that it shouldn’t be allowed in tournaments. Others believe that it’s just another innovation in bass fishing and should be used as such.
While points can be made for both sides, the bottom line is that this lure catches fish. And lots of them. The Umbrella Rig is best at catching suspended bass, probably one of the hardest kind of fish to catch. Most Umbrella Rigs for bass fishing have either 3 or 5 baits on them at once. This not only means a better chance at catching one fish, but a better chance at catching multiple fish.
There are some downsides to using an Umbrella Rig though. Where you can fish an Umbrella Rig is a major downside of using this lure for two reasons. The first reason has to do with the setup of the actual rig. As you could guess, more lures on any rig is going to cut down on the places you can fish it. Your basically only going to be able to fish this rig in a spot of water where there’s nothing to get hung up on. The second major downside to the Umbrella Rig is that in some places it’s actually illegal. If you’re thinking about buying an Umbrella Rig, first check your states rules and regulations to make sure you can even use it. Most states only allow a specific number of hooks on one setup, which will make some of the lures on your Umbrella Rig just for show.
So pick up an Alabama Rig and try one out for yourself. Whether you decide that an Umbrella Rig is right for you or not, odds are this isn’t the last time your going to hear about it.
