SoI had a tournament, (This was a while ago) and I was throwing an A-Rig to suspended fish off of drop offs. The drops were from 8 to 40 feet and the fish were in 20 feet. The fish would just chase the rig to the boat. I had a few smacks on it that felt like trains but only 1 fish. What would you have changed? I was using pearl white money minnows. This was on Roosevelt Lake AZ in November.

Were you using all 5 of the same baits? I always use one different color bait and it seems like 75% of my fish eat the different colored bait. That could be a simple as using a different colored swimbait head or dying the tail of one of the baits. 

Yep. Change a color.

 

Even with crankbaits. If the fish follow the lure back to you and not hitting it change the color.

Try a figure 8 next time.

 

 . The fish would just chase the rig to the boat.

Try a figure 8 next time.

if you were getting them to follow and smack at it then that says to me that they were interested but were getting to good a look at your rig. I would suggest that next time try speeding it up a hair. I have had this very thing happen numerous times on many different baits and I feel your pain, this can be very frustrating. Now by speeding up your retrieve what you're doing is getting the reaction strike. Most of the time this happens to me its usually on a spinnerbait and I would say about 85 percent of I speed up my retrieve I get more bites because the bass has much less time to get a good look and has to make a choice much quicker. In addition to the other advice given here try changing up your speeds and even add a twitch or two as well.

Good luck and be safe out there...... Hope this helps

Sounds, like you just needed a small change, were I to cast an umbrella in that situation, I'd go with a more natural color, perhaps a slightly smaller bait, a heavier rig to fish faster and start and stop, or (and keep this between us) trim the 4 outer arms maybe an inch or 2 so that the center bait trails behind a bit more, and make it a wee different than the rest. The hit and misses I won't comment on without seeing your rig...

Sounds, like you just needed a small change, were I to cast an umbrella in that situation, I'd go with a more natural color, perhaps a slightly smaller bait, a heavier rig to fish faster and start and stop, or (and keep this between us) trim the 4 outer arms maybe an inch or 2 so that the center bait trails behind a bit more, and make it a wee different than the rest. The hit and misses I won't comment on without seeing your rig...

I had 3 teasers, they might have hit those. I was thinking a duller color nit a bright white and a little smaller baits.

If you are running non hook baits, you want the hooked baits to trail or be on the bottom. most of the time these will get hit. We run (trolling) umbrellas for stripers with 8 baits without hooks, and one trailing, very rarely, do any of the teasers get hit. Question for the bass guys, how slowly can I reel, and how high can the trolling motor run, and I'm still good?

A couple of things I'd do and they're both quick and easy. Dip the tails of the rear plastic is dye like Spike It for a quick color change.  If you still notice followers, pop your rod tip for a quick change of speed and/or sweep your rod to one side or the other. A quick change in direction/speed will often trigger followers.  If it were a non-tournament situation, I'd make other suggestions, but these are the least time consuming and in my opinion, the most effective.

AZ only allows 2 lures with hooks, unsure the number of teasers allowed?

Teasers should be smalle; shorter and skiiny then the hooked lures and the hooked lures should be trailing. Roosevelt has thread fin shad, maybe add purple or blue back swimmers next time,

Also try following up with a single swimbait or spinnerbait.

Tom

Were you using all 5 of the same baits? I always use one different color bait and it seems like 75% of my fish eat the different colored bait. That could be a simple as using a different colored swimbait head or dying the tail of one of the baits.

x2 on this. Try puttin a different colored bait on the center hook, or even switching it to a large grub.

Put a spoon on the middle bait, but replace the treble with a single trailer style hook.

Put a spoon on the middle bait, but replace the treble with a single trailer style hook.

 

Johnson Silver Minnow

 

 

 

I don't like the JSM simply because of the hook.  I use a 1/3 oz. Acme Lil' Cleo.

Brent Ehler won a FLW major last year by drop shotting to the "followers" once they were near the boat.  He would "call" the fish to the boat with the umbrella rig, watch them on the graph, and then pick them off with the drop shot.