... AND HOW THEY COME AND GO
... AND HOW THEY COME AND GO
What happens to the must-have rigs that light up the fishing industry like brilliant meteors only to settle into disuse ? Are they gone forever ? Will they rise again ?
By Mike Pehanich
ew sports evolve with the rapidity of bass fishing . New lures and gear are the lifeblood of the tackle industry , and new and evolving techniques shape the way we play the game .
Fishermen are inveterate tinkerers , on eternal lookout not only for new lures to fool fish but better ways of presenting them . As hot techniques spread throughout the bass world , anglers find new ways to improve or refine them until they settle into either broad usage or niche application .
The shelf life of any given technique is hard to predict . Some lose their luster quickly . Others endure – in one form or another – for generations . Many enjoy major or minor revivals . When they do come back , they typically do so with some hint of change or a new wrinkle .
Take the Alabama rig , that Rube Goldberg-like contraption borrowed from striper fishermen that took the bass world by storm . It produced eyepopping catches and turned the tackle industry on its ear . But its popularity fizzled as bass grew wise to the sight of a bird cage of baits . Is the A-rig now
MLF founder Boyd Duckett hoists up a nice smallie caught with a simple split shot rig .
making a comeback ? Major League Fishing founder Boyd Duckett has noticed a recent revival on Lake Guntersville , his home lake .
“ It was dominant 10 years ago , before fish ‘ bait trained ’ on it ,” Duckett says . “ You can catch fish on it again , but on a finesse version of the Alabama rig using 4-inch swimbaits like my Duckett Subtle Tail .”
Then there ’ s the occasional rig like the drop-shot , which comes and comes and keeps on coming . This technique has evolved with tackle and lures , benefiting from concept refinements and tailored rod , reel and line combinations , serving as a seed concept for other techniques .
It ’ s impossible to separate lures from techniques as anglers and lure manufacturers hunt for new ways to bring fish to boat . Rigs influence lure design . Lures inspire new rigs and manners of presentation . For this discussion , we ’ ll team the concepts and blur the distinctions .
New vs . tried and true
Pro ranks divide loosely between specialists with one or more dominant skills and generalists who rely on having an array of techniques at their disposal . Yet even noted specialists keep their eyes open for game-changing baits and techniques .
“ For me , it ’ s about 50 / 50 between go-to and bread-and-butter techniques ,” says four-decade tournament veteran John Murray . “ If guys are all catching them on the same rig and I can use something not as well known , I do it . I still have a lineup of bread-andbutter techniques , but I believe you have to take some chances .”
For Murray , giving bass a new look might mean reviving an old staple that has fallen out of fashion . Be it cutting edge or old school , he believes elite pros aren ’ t exposed to as many techniques nowadays since pro tournaments eliminated non-boaters from their events .
“ We used to pick up a lot from those guys ,” Murray says .
Not every technique has broad application . Some are best fitted to a specific context – a location , conditions , depth , cover type , bottom content . Others seem to work everywhere . Some are designed to imitate a crayfish , baitfish or other bass delicacy in the most natural manner , others to provoke an aggressive response .
Bass instincts remain the same . But their survival hinges on adaptation to the threats posed by anglers . And the modern bass angler throws them an abundance of threats in the form of new baits , rigs and presentations .
PHOTO BY JOSH GASSMANN
30 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2024