Alabama Rig Revisited

February 21, 2013

Question: I work for a Southern California county lake and saw a new rig that is being sold in stores known as the “Alabama Rig.” It consists of a set-up where you can clip 3-5 lures onto a swivel-type attachment to make it appear like a school of bait fish. I try to stay current with the state freshwater regulations so I can keep fishermen informed as well. I remember seeing in the current state freshwater regulations that there is a maximum two hook set-up per line. Are these “rigs” legal to use? I would greatly appreciate your answer. (Matt T.)

Answer: Yes, an Alabama rig may be used, but only when modified to use no more than three hooks. When the Alabama rig is configured to comply with California law, many call it a California Rig. See a previous entry on Alabama rigs from this column at http://californiaoutdoors.wordpress.com/2011/12/page/2/.