Alabama Rig

[LrgmouthShad]

I am a complete novice to the Alabama Rig. Someone gifted me one and I figured it's about time to get it wet. I am looking to fish 10-15ft with about 4-5ft water clarity. I would really appreciate suggestions on jig head weight and swimbaits you like to use. Any other recommendations are welcome. Fish on....

[AlabamaSpothunter]

1/8th is generally all you need in terms of weight

 

Then you want to match the hook size with whatever swimbait you're going to use.   I have A-Rig heads from 1/0 all the way to 5/0.     3/0 works well with most common A Rig swimbaits.

 

I use a local company who makes really great A-Rig jigheads.....

Diamond 30° V-Loc Rig Hooks | Diamond Baits

 

If the fish are more aggressive, a Keitech/Rage Tail/or various other 3.3 paddletail swimbaits are a great option.   

 

If fish are more lethargic, the Keitech Easy Shiners are great.   

 

I know you already said you got a free rig, but the easy button when learning A-Rigs is to just buy a Yumbrella kit and use the supplied Scottsboro swimbaits.....they're fantastic.  You can also buy them separately.   

 

[Brian11719]

I'm currently using a 1/8 oz jig head with either a 2/0 or 3/0 hook and then 3.2" 6th sense divine swimbaits or 4" keitech easy shiners if it helps at all...

[softwateronly]

@LrgmouthShad The 2 things I've learned about a-rigs over the years, is that with or without blades can be the deal that day.  I don't know exactly why, but in my clear water 4-5" baits tend to do better bladeless and in the spring whereas 3" baits tend to do best with blades in the fall/winter transition, but it's not a given.  The other thing is, if you need more weight for deeper water, the rig seems to run best when just the lowest, center jig head is upped in weight.  If you do the outer arms, casting leads to more tangling.

 

scott

[rangerjockey]

I use either 1/8 or 1/4 oz ball heads. I like a light wire hook hook that I can straighten when the thing gets hung up. 

25lb. assassin , wrap it around the boat cleat and hit the trusty 36 volt. something will give.

[Jig Man]

I go mostly with 1/16 oz heads with a light wire 4/0 hook.

[Big Swimbait]

I am using the Core Tackle Finesse Tush Swimbait Hook in 1/8 oz - 2/0. It adds a nice roll to the bait.

[Mr. Aquarium]

I just got some over winter. Very excited to try them out. I bought 3 rigs. All hog farmers. The regular, the mini and the micro. Stocked up on heads, lead free bass jigs and beast coast swimbait sleds. Then stocked up on Keitech and beast coast slow flows. Really excited to throw them early spring. I have a feeling it will

crush em

[LrgmouthShad]

I definitely should have used a bigger rod…. Even with just 1/8oz heads that sucker was heavy. Those little guys add up in weight fast…

[txchaser]

On 2/24/2025 at 10:58 AM, LrgmouthShad said:

I definitely should have used a bigger rod…. Even with just 1/8oz heads that sucker was heavy. Those little guys add up in weight fast…

Bait choice makes a big difference here. I mostly prefer the divine in 3.8 - it's not a very big bait compared to most and has a tighter wiggle. Lighter too. Jackall is my active fish choice - bit softer and more wiggle. IMO Keitech Fat Impacts are big huge wag, they just dont feel quite right to me. I'm sure there's a time and a place for them. 

 

I definitely agree with the comment above about no blades sometimes @softwateronly - If I had to do last weekend over again I should have seen it. They were gobbling a damiki/hover but wouldn't eat the a-rig, and I think the blades were the issue. 

 

Reel the rig slower than you think you should - they have a lot of lift. 

 

 

 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Great point about reeling slower than you think you need to be. 

 

Another thing that is paramount for me is to incorporate rod pumps/twitches, or short bursts of the reel handle to get that rig to flare like a real bait ball does.

 

It's amazing how many of my fish catches on the A-Rig come right after a rod pop or combat crank.