The umbrella rig is so effective that you aren’t allowed to use it in some tournaments. Other states have limited the amount of hooks you are allowed to have on one. Having said that, once you’ve checked your local regulations I would highly recommend getting one as they can yield amazing results any time of the year. If you think the bass are eating shad and you are having a hard time getting bit on other lures, it never hurts to try throwing an umbrella rig and seeing if the situation improves.
Umbrella rigs come in all shapes and sizes but a standard one usually has about 5 hooks on it. I currently fish from a kayak so the standard size is a little bit big for me, but I’ve found a smaller umbrella rig can do very well and as an added bonus it doesn’t weigh as much as a standard rig and so you can throw it without having to invest in an extra heavy rod made specifically for throwing large swimbaits.
In terms of lures to use with it any smaller paddle tail swimbait should work, but I personally recommend using the Reaction Innovations Little Dipper with a few 2/0 Core Tackle Tush swimbait hooks and I’ve found these hooks to be a great fit for this setup. For the rig itself, you can go with anything you want but my current favorite is the Hog Farmer Baits Mini Rig with 3 wires and 3 blades. Keep in mind you are using a lure with three exposed hooks and so you will usually want to fish this in open water, but if you are in open water and think the bass are feeding on shad you can catch a lot of bass with this thing.
Lure Summary – Small Umbrella Rig
Suggested Rod Length: 7’2″ – 7’6″
Suggested Rod Power: Heavy
Suggested Rod Action: Fast
Suggested Reel Type: Casting Reel
Suggested Gear Ratio: 6.2:1
Lure Weight (est.): 1.37oz
Tackle Required
- 2/0 1/16oz Core Tackle Tush (x3)
- Hog Farmer Baits Mini Rig (3 Wire 3 Blade)
- 17lb Fluorocarbon Line
Suggested Soft Plastic Baits
- Reaction Innovations Little Dipper (x3)