The A-Rig (also known as the Umbrella Rig) took the fishing industry by storm back in 2010, since then the excitement for it has diminished, however it’s fish catching abilities have not. This baitball imitation is one of the most realistic presentations and fish are notorious for coming unglued to bite this bait.
Because the A-Rig was so effective, some states have implemented restrictions to the number of hooks allowed on the bait at one time. Lake Mille Lacs fishing guide, JP Kimbrough, breaks down how he fishes the A-Rig to be effective and legal. JP uses a 5 bait rig, with the 4 baits on the outside not containing a hook. These dummy baits surround a slightly larger bait in the middle that features the hook. By going with this configuration, the largest bait is the one that fish are most likely to key in on, it also happens to have a hook in it. To increase the odds of the fish eating this middle bait, JP uses a slightly contrasting color than all of the surrounding dummy baits. This draws even more attention to the middle bait and helps fish hone in on the one with the hook.
