Bass Fishing News

Minnesota DNR New 3/13/2012

The short answer, no, but rigs with 5 attractors and only 1 hook are legal

Minnesota DNR has been fielding questions from anglers wondering if the Alabama Fishing Rig (also know as a Yumbrella rig) is legal to use in this state. The answer? Not the configuration as it is commonly promoted and sold. However, a rig would be legal if not more than one hook or artificial lure/bait is attached. An angler then could place hookless spinners or plastic baits to the other wires if desired.

On border waters where two lines are allowed, you would not be allowed to fish with any other lines at the same time if two hooks, baits or lures are attached to these rigs.

The Alabama/Yumbrella rigs are different than using a single lure with multiple treble hooks that is designed to catch just one fish. Instead, the Alabama/Yumbrella rigs are artificial lure/baits that involve many separate lures/baits attached via wires to a fishing line. Consequently, these rigs are not a single artificial bait/lure, rather a collection of multiple artificial lures/baits each capable of catching a fish. In the water, the rigs simulate a small school of bait fish and You-tube videos show anglers catching two and even three largemouth bass on an Alabama/Yumbrella rig at the same time.

Minnesota law restricts anglers fishing in inland waters and the Canadian border waters to one artificial lure/bait on a single line. While each artificial lure/bait may have more than one hook (example, a crankbait), still only one lure or tackle configuration is allowed.

Border Waters Exceptions
Note: Two lines and two lures/baits are allowed on our border waters with Wisconsin, Iowa, and the Dakotas. See page 9 of the 2012 Fishing regulations synopsis for a description of legal tackle and configurations here: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/regulations/fishing/index.html.