Alabama rigs in Michigan.

[KLAKE]

Curious what kind of setup you guys will be throwing with these.  I'm thinking some heavy braid and a swimbait type rod.

7' MH rod, and 15lb co-poly. Cxx or YZ Hybrid.

I've got a few ideas that should make this possible....

Good luck with that setup you better be rigging it with small swimbaits/grubs weightless even then it would weigh 2 ounces or more. Not to mention if you snag up your $40 rig its not comming back.

3/8oz rig, plus three 1/16oz jig heads and two weightless, on various small to medium plastics.

[KLAKE]

Curious what kind of setup you guys will be throwing with these.  I'm thinking some heavy braid and a swimbait type rod.

7' MH rod, and 15lb co-poly. Cxx or YZ Hybrid.

I've got a few ideas that should make this possible....

As heavy as they are, the very first time you have any kind of backlash using anything other than braid that thing is going to go sailing into the next county.  I've thrown it several times now, and I won't be throwing mine on anything less than 50 lb braid.

By spring I'll be throwing it on a 7'11" MH Shimano Crucial swimbait rod with a Shimano Curado and 50-65 lb Power Pro.

Going to get myself a nice new lure retriever too!

If you go with the bigger A-rigs, and fullsized soft swimbaits on jig heads, you WILL lose them using the braid.

You are much more likely to lose lures during a backlash with braid, than with mono/co-poly, or even Flouro.

[TCook]

Curious what kind of setup you guys will be throwing with these.  I'm thinking some heavy braid and a swimbait type rod.

7' MH rod, and 15lb co-poly. Cxx or YZ Hybrid.

I've got a few ideas that should make this possible....

Good luck with that setup you better be rigging it with small swimbaits/grubs weightless even then it would weigh 2 ounces or more. Not to mention if you snag up your $40 rig its not comming back.

3/8oz rig, plus three 1/16oz jig heads and two weightless, on various small to medium plastics.

So your just going to throw it shallow then? What you going to do when you need to throw it deep where it is obviously the best situation for the a-rig?

[djkimmel]

I think some anglers will find out this type of rig and similar are productive in many more situations than they originally think... like so many other new lures and techniques.

[Waterfoul]

The first place I will be throwing anything like this (not sure of the Regs yet...) will be on Table Rock Lake in April.  So, braid will be the line of choice, and a lure retriever will be in the boat.  LOTS of standing timber, brush, and rocks that come right to the edge (or even past the edge) of the ledges and break lines.  Never lost so many jigs in my life as I have fishing Table Rock.

Here in Michigan I don't think snags will be a big issue... unlike PIKE and MUSKY!!!

[Waterfoul]

You are much more likely to lose lures during a backlash with braid, than with mono/co-poly, or even Flouro.

Hasn't been my experience. 

[KLAKE]

You are much more likely to lose lures during a backlash with braid, than with mono/co-poly, or even Flouro.

Hasn't been my experience. 

Sure has been mine. Anything with any weight to it (musky lures) are usually too much of a shock for the braid....The shock in that situation isn't duplicated on anything except a backlash type incident. Hook sets, strait pull when hung, etc, you are fine.

Light lures and braid and your fine.

[Waterfoul]

Well I don't own a single musky lure.     Don't fish for them much over this way.  Couple that with the fact that I never get back lashes and I just don't lose any lures on the cast (and if you believe that I've got some cheap land in Florida for you!).     Sent a few crank baits out of sight for sure... but always on co or floro.

[djkimmel]

Braid has the ability to cut itself very well, which is why heavy lures on a backlash can do that. It was one of the benefits of switching to the top quality P-Line Spectrex IV - avoiding those types of break offs when tossing the giant topwaters in Brazil and tossing heavy musky-type baits, even large bass jigs - I don't know that I have ever broken off like that since I switched.

The worst problem I had at Table Rock was hooking all that leftover fishing and trot line in all the trees and snags. It can get tedious. I did retrieve quite a few lures however - some in pretty good shape. P-Line is pretty tough stuff apparently!

[Manxfishing]

Like others
I have a 7-6" hy rod that doesn't get much use
So that will be the rod. Was going to pick up 65# braid
But a friend gave me a new spool of 55# braid
And the reel will be a 7:1 Curado 200 (D model)

Should be interesting
While I'm noy worried about the Bass breaking it off
2 larger pike would be a fight

[KLAKE]

Braid has the ability to cut itself very well, which is why heavy lures on a backlash can do that. It was one of the benefits of switching to the top quality P-Line Spectrex IV - avoiding those types of break offs when tossing the giant topwaters in Brazil and tossing heavy musky-type baits, even large bass jigs - I don't know that I have ever broken off like that since I switched.

The worst problem I had at Table Rock was hooking all that leftover fishing and trot line in all the trees and snags. It can get tedious. I did retrieve quite a few lures however - some in pretty good shape. P-Line is pretty tough stuff apparently!

It very well may have been the braid I was using. Two different kinds. Stren Superbraid, and Spiderwire Braid of some sort. Both in 80lb. But this was whatever was new from them about 5 years ago. Haven't musky fished in a few years.


On an A-rig note, I have a wire twisting machine that Netcraft used to sell. Always used it to twist my own Musky leaders. Anyhow tried twisting up some wire that would be appropriate sized for an A-rig....No dice.
Still may work on building some home made versions, but that route isn't going to work.

[djkimmel]

I linked up a video somewhere on here or on the GreatLakesBass.com facebook page where someone demonstrated how to make a workable homemade rig. It looked like it would work if you have the right tools. If I figure out where I posted it, I'll put a link up. You could probably find it with a search.

[stackenem]

Question I have is if you read the rules for alot of the Tx's they limit you to a 7' rod. So what is the best rod?

[markgoetsch]

Every tourney I've seen the limit is 8'.

[Waterfoul]

Every tourney I've seen the limit is 8'.

Me too.

[djkimmel]

Usually 7 1/2 foot or 8 foot seems to be the norm for most tournament rules I've seen?

I would think a rod with a long, strong backbone would make throwing the rig when it is heavier easier over the course of a day. A nice two-handed handle probably helps quite a bite.

I have a pike / musky / swimbait type rod from Grandt Rods I will try first. It's a C14 All American Pro Series. The tip is a little soft and it has more of a parabolic bend to it because it's a composite rod but it has a big, strong backbone and a large handle. Only 7' but I can throw large baits on it. It wouldn't be great for ripping the big peacock topwater woodchoppers because of the softer tip, but for casting and reeling large crankbaits, bucktails, swimbaits, and hooking and fighting large fish, it works well. I'm betting it will work really well for the A-rig anytime you're throwing one that totals an ounce and a half or better.

[djkimmel]

Grandt Rods are 25% off right now with FREE shipping through Christmas day too! http://www.greatlakesbass.com/forum/index.php?topic=11255.0

[Genie]

... you crack me up Dan Kimmel ...

[djkimmel]

I didn't know I was trying to be funny...??

[dartag]

Maybe we should start a contest to see how many different a-type rigs will be for sale at the Novi show.

my guess is    5