Science: Questions of Detail

Here’s something to ponder.

Just when you think you have these fish figured out, along comes something like the Alabama Rig. I’ve been running a bunch of thoughts through my head the past week as this rig racks up the tourney wins, and thought I’d share the perspective to see what everyone had to say.

If you read all the bassin’ articles, you start to believe the hype after a while. You know, stuff like how important fluorocarbon is to help minimize a fishes ability to see your line. Or why you need a leader of this material attached to your braid, since braid is too easily seen by pressured bass.

The there are things like, when was the last time you read about a pro using a large snap swivel to attach his bass baits for quick change-outs? Probably never – too gaudy. And how many of you guys still use steel leaders between your line and your bait? I haven’t seen one in a bassin’ man’s tackle box since I found one in my dad’s green metal box as a little kid. It was only there because he used to take trips up to northern pike country with his dad.

Have you heard the one about how the largest bass are the most wary? You know they didn’t get that big by being dumb – they’re edumacated. A product of seeing thousands of poor presentations over their lifetime. Conditioned, they call it.

Then this here Alabama Rig comes along. It’s got 5 steel leaders, each about half a foot long, attached to 5 heavy duty snap swivels that you connect directly to your baits. Whole darn thing weighs a few ounces, and you tie it direct to some 60-80# braid, then chunk it a country mile. Swim the darn thing through open water for suspended fishes, some of the toughest fish to get to bite if you believe the articles. Of course, the water has to be halfway clear so the bass can see your artificial school of shad from a distance and be attracted. Then to top it all off, these 4, 5 and 6 pound basses attack it like they ain’t been fed in weeks.

You really want to have some fun with this rig? Hows about you use one swimbait with a red hook, and 4 without the next time you chunk this contraption. Want to take bets on which bait will get bit the most?

So what’s real and what’s not? How strong is confidence in this game, and what happens when a bait like this comes along that seems to break all the rules? Does it change your opinion on what’s important and what’s not when it comes to catching bass? Perhaps it should…