Health & Fitness
The Alabama Rig - Legal in Ohio?
The Alabama rig has 5 hooks and mimics a school of fish, It is being outlawed by some states and pro tournaments. What about Ohio?
The weather outlook in Northeast Ohio seems pleasant early in spring. The mild winter has allotted for warmer water temperatures sooner than in recent memory and anglers all over Ohio are dusting off their tackle-boxes.
A golfer might feel the itch that hits during the initial break of spring. The first 3 day string of 65 degree weather may not permit him / her to be on the course with wet conditions, they instead start to reach to other methods of calming the mental anguish of not being able to get out.
They might clean their clubs, visit the local golf store, watch golf on T.V. or pick up a couple of Golf magazines. Just as a golfer needs to cure the itch to golf, the angler does the same thing to prepare for hungry bass.
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I have been doing this, as well as talking to friends who are prepping for the early warming waters. In reading a few of these magazines, I have been hearing about a 2012 phenomena called "The Alabama Rig". This is a copy of an umbrella rig that is used for trolling, just shrunk down to castable size.
It mimics a school of small fish instead of just one. Bass tournaments in the southern part of the country are seeing many of the top spots being taken by pros using this rig.
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There is a catch; is the rig legal? Many states have outlawed the use of multi-hook angling for personal use. Some tournaments have begun to outlaw the rig.
What about Ohio? The Ohio administrative code defines angling as:
"...fishing with not more than two hand lines, not more than two units of rod and line, or a combination of not more than one hand line and one rod and line, either in hand or under control at any time while fishing. The hand line or rod and line shall have attached to it not more than three baited hooks, or not more than three artificial fly rod lures, or one artificial bait casting lure equipped with not more than three sets of three hooks each."
So if you buy a pure Alabama rig, only three hooks are permitted in Ohio, the other two need non hooked bait or dummy's.
The ODNR even goes a step further and permits treble hooks on each of the three lines you are permitted to use for hooking.
Ladies and Gentleman, go catch hungry Bass!