Chuck Murray, president of the North Carolina chapter of the Bass Nation Federation and a guide on Lake Gaston, supports B.A.S.S., which ruled several years ago that an Alabama rig could not be used on its Elite tournament trail.
“The A-rig is a great tool for catching big bass,” Murray admitted. “The question is, does it belong in tournaments?”
One of Murray’s concerns is the conservation of the bass fishery. He estimates that of the fish he has caught on an A-rig, more than 50 percent have had multiple hooks “in their body cavity.
“There is always the possibility of killing a fish anytime with any bait, a hook in the belly cannot be good for the fish, and in some states, may not even be considered a legal catch”.
Most states have no restrictions on the number of hooks or lures fished from one rod. Tennessee allows only three.
“The more baits and hooks, the more likely you are to harm fish,” said Murray, who said an A-rig is “a great bait.
“Most of all, we must protect the fish.”
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