Introducing CharkBait's
Alabama Dredge
Now that these products have been on the scene for a
few months, we've had time
to
get very much acquainted with their use, their strengths and
appropriate applications. In truth, the darn things can work
very well, especially when the fish are lethargic feeders.
Seeing more bait swim by elicits a strike when a lone lure
simply won't be worth the fish's trouble to move on the
bait. So, when the water is cool, fish are less active, they
can be essential to getting bit. This is the case for both
fresh and saltwater, and for the saltwater application
they're darn effective both cast to structure and for surf
anglers. In fact, it was the surf guys that initially
attracted me to this baits use. For folks targeting
everything from surf perch to stripers, Alabama rigs are
very well worth the money. Now, let's talk a bit about the
money part of the deal. These lures, as is common in the
freshwater bass market, initially commanded
crazy
high prices, like $30. Now really, that's excessive for what
is in essence a leadhead with a few arms and swivels twisted
and soldered together. It ain't rocket science to make 'em.
But, the laws of supply and demand, promotion, and a couple
tournament wins is all it takes for freshwater bass
fishermen to go nuts it seems. Given our experimentation
with the lures, we felt that the product had legs to stand
on it's own without the tournament buzz. Given the
effectiveness of the lure/technique these things will be
part of most angler's arsenals as time goes on. So we moved
to produce them ourselves, and as is the case when we do
this, fishermen stand to save, and we can do things a bit
differently and do things our way. In the case of our
Alabama Dredge rigs, we used a bit heavier single strand
wire for added strength, and we offer them in two weights
and head styles. The standard size is .55 ounces, or 17
grams. Our larger head is 1.2 ounces, 76 grams and of a
different shape to cover deeper water use. The smaller head
is great for the surf, and I'd recommend use of the 3 arm
models for that application.
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Castaic
Jerky J School Rigs
Here's a very good quality umbrella style rig that's made
for both fresh and saltwater, the quality of the snap
swivels are better than most we've come across, recognizing
the dual role this lure plays. The tin head used on these
lures is a step above the standard leadheads, and the lures
are available in either a Silver Flake or Tennessee Shad
pattern.
The
school lures are available in 5 and 3 wire configurations.
Most folks opt to pin on a 3-4" lure such as a Big Hammer or
one of the hollow bodied swimbaits. As we've noted, when the
fish are lethargic feeders, these things can wake 'em up.
That's something we've seen ourselves whether fishing from
the surf for striped bass and even little barred surf perch,
or fishing the kelp or rocks for calico bass. These things
can turn a slow day into something much more memorable.
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SWARMBRELLA RIGS
This
version of the Alabama rig is made on .040 stainless steel
wire, 40# Rosco swivels and has a chip resistant powder
coated lead head with beautiful 3D eyes. The head is
weighted, much smaller in size than the Jerry Rago rig
above. The Swarmbrellas are available in 5 and 3 arm
configurations. We've used the 3 arm model in the surf here
for great effect, very easy to work with the rig. And, we've
used the 5 arm fishing from the local docks as well as from
a skiff fishing structure for calico bass. Let me say, both
worked very, very well. Blake at our Huntington Beach shop
really enjoyed fishing that 3 arm, every cast bringing in
some surf perch, sometimes with two on at a time. The colder
the water, the more lethargic the fish, the greater the
difference these types of lures will make. There's more
reason for a predator to move towards the lure, more chance
of that exertion paying off in a meal. And, that type of
logic works for us fishermen too. If you are fishing in CA
waters, remember you can only have two hooks on the lures,
but you can put on as many swimbaits as you like...just keep
it to two with hooks!
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