Well, I've decided I'm going to buy an A Rig.

 

Now I just need to figure out which one.

 

Bladed? Non-bladed?

 

I can only use two hooks here in Iowa.

 

Some of these seem to have like 2 or 3 dummies and then 3 for hooks.

 

Do I cut off the extra hook arm? Or would that not balance very well?

 

Seems like having too many dummy baits is setting myself up for a higher fail rate. And trust me, my fail rate is already pretty high. 

 

Thoughts?

 

THANKS!

If you just want to try it and not spend a fortune I would get a yumbrella ultra light rig and cut the center wire off.

Use Owner CPS for dummy attachment in lieu of a jig. Example: Picasso 5 wire 5 blade BFL A Rig.

Tom

Get a mini rig & only rig the trailing bait with a hook & bait or use a full size A rig if that’s what you want.  Use the short arms for attractors/spinner blades. That gives the illusion of a bait ball being chased by a small bait fish. Being limited to only two hooks I would just go with one. 

I’m going to buy a Hog Farmer mini.

 

3 dummies on top and 3 hooks on the bottom.

 

Saw a video on it and they recommended cutting the middle hook to make it legal.

 

Now just figuring out which baits to buy.

 

Oh, lastly the weights of the jig heads. I see 1/8 mentioned a lot but that’s normally having 3 rigged. Since I can only have 2, I’m thinking about going with 1/4. IDK

If you will pm me your name and address I will send you this one.  You can configure it any way you want and will only be out the swivels.  I carry 8-10 from now to spring.  This one is just laying around wanting to be fished.  It has a fiberglass resin head so it weighs near nothing.

 

 

49 minutes ago, HawkeyeSmallie said:

Oh, lastly the weights of the jig heads. I see 1/8 mentioned a lot but that’s normally having 3 rigged. Since I can only have 2, I’m thinking about going with 1/4. IDK

Depends how deep/fast you want to fish. If you're after fish in deep water go with heavy heads. If they're up shallow lighter heads will let you run the rig through skinnier water and keep a more reasonable pace.

Use 2 ea 3/16 Iz A-rigs. 2 ea 3” upper wire decoy swimmers, 2 each3” lower wire swimmers and 1 ea 4” center wire swimmer. Keitech fat impact shad.

Tom

I'm looking at the  Berkley triple minnow. Might be the stuff.

 

https://www.berkley-fishing.com/products/triple-minnow-rig-kit?srsltid=AfmBOoqJD8cVjhqzxASIBbBnWdwpXxJl3grQNf4DLAdIMWPCUfqleC2q

Does look interesting but don’t see only one hook and two dummies being any more successful than just a swimbait alone.

Fish bites either outside bait without a hook then they’re probably done and move on.

On 11/6/2025 at 7:52 AM, Jig Man said:

If you will pm me your name and address I will send you this one.  You can configure it any way you want and will only be out the swivels.  I carry 8-10 from now to spring.  This one is just laying around wanting to be fished.  It has a fiberglass resin head so it weighs near nothing.

 

 

Oh dang man, I appreciate the offer.

 

I ended up buying one.

 

I’ll probably lose it first cast so I might have to reach out later. Lol

 

Thanks!

A-rigs or umbrella rigs replicate a small school of small bait fish in lieu of a single bait fish. When a bait ball gets broken up small groups of bait stay together and that what the bass attack because the odds go way up the bass will be successful. The reason you want minnows with hooks located at the bottom is because the attack from below coming up.

Tom

Like I posted earlier.  It is doing nothing.  I have one tied on and 8 in my Arig box.

If you can find one the raid ghost wire is stone simple.  Super light weight and catches.  I only use one bait on mine.

On 11/5/2025 at 6:46 PM, Dwight Hottle said:

Get a mini rig & only rig the trailing bait with a hook & bait or use a full size A rig if that’s what you want.  Use the short arms for attractors/spinner blades. That gives the illusion of a bait ball being chased by a small bait fish. Being limited to only two hooks I would just go with one. 

I'm with Dwight on this. Use a bigger bait on the center wire than the baits on the dummie arms. 

I have been know to put an original Rapala (F9 or F11 size) or even a shallow crack bait of some kind on the middle wire. I have also used 3" or 4"grubs on the outside wires, and put a 6" curly tail worm on the middle wire. I have also found that paddle tail or Rage Tail minnows work great on an A-rig. Basically just try whatever strikes your fancy and let the fish tell you what works but always have the biggest/longest bait in the middle.

I've never used an A-rig, so I'm assuming that bass sometimes strike the dummy baits and I wonder if you can feel those hits.

When bass attack a small school of bait fish they try to get a mouth full, not usually 1 fish. Using A-rigs the bass I caught had more then I swimmer. The strokes are violent.

Tom

1 hour ago, Swamp Girl said:

I've never used an A-rig, so I'm assuming that bass sometimes strike the dummy baits and I wonder if you can feel those hits.

I saw a guy heave a fish over the side of his boat on an Arig.  He looked at it and started laughing.  His partner ask what was so funny.  His reply was that the fish was on the bait that didn’t have a hook.  So I guess one can feel it.  I wouldn’t personally know because I run blades on my extra two arms.

Has anyone tried the new Berkeley Triple Minnow Rig? 

 

Seems like this is a type of A Rig.

 

 

 

11 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

I've never used an A-rig, so I'm assuming that bass sometimes strike the dummy baits and I wonder if you can feel those hits.

Yes , you can.