Alabama rig will catch anything, and there’s plenty of fish to catch
By - Paul Elias I like to catch fish, lots of fish. I earn my living by catching bass, but anything that tugs on my line is fun to catch. The more tugs I get in a day, the more I enjoy myself.
That’s why Pickwick is my choice for Mississippi lakes in December. I can catch largemouths, smallmouths, spots, white bass, stripers, catfish and crappie using some of the same rigs.
Alabama Rigs
During most of a December day at Pickwick, I’ll be fishing an Alabama rig. This umbrella-type, multi-bait rig will catch suspended fish, ledge fish and fish holding near the bottom. I can cover lots of water and catch numbers of fish.
I’ll tie two Alabama rigs on two rods. The first will have ¼-ounce jigheads with 4-inch, pearl-colored, soft-plastic swimbaits that imitate shad. I’ll tie this rig onto 50-pound bass braid and fish it with a 7.3:1 Bruin reel and a 7-foot-10, heavy plus-action FX Custom Rod.
The other rod will have tied on an Alabama Rig with 3/8-ounce jigheads featuring wide-gap hooks that can be rigged Texas-style. I’ll bring the hook out top of the swimbait so it lays on the back of the bait. I’ll skin-hook the point to make it weedless.
I’ll crawl the Alabama Rig on the bottom or through any type of cover. Remember, I’m basically a tournament bass angler, so I can cast and retrieve a vertical jig or use any type of fishing tactic except trolling. However, if you’re fun-fishing, and your arm gets tired from throwing the Alabama rig, slow-troll that rig, cover plenty of water and catch a lot of fish. The Alabama rig is probably the best trolling bait available.