Bass killer for sale at Basspro

I know we all had some rather tense discussion of this particular rig but now it is commercially available.

http://www.basspro.com/Sworming-Hornet-%22The-Swarm%22-Castable-Umbrella-Rig/product/1111040247/310687?cmCat=CROSSSELL_DEPT

One of the reviewers posted a photo of a fish that he caught with the rig and you can clearly see the poor thing injured with multiple lures that the guy using the rig had put on the spreader.

This guy used what looks like 6 rapalas with treble hooks!

I mean why bother fishing with a rod & reel at all if this is what the outcome will be.

i couldn't agree more man, that's the s*** of commercial fishing to me and i won't be using it, no challenge there my friend!

That is crazy for fresh water. I would never use it. It would be good to catch saltwater bait.

I think they already outlawed them at bass tournaments, and they just came out!

You can get like 4 packs of senkos for that price and probably catch just as many fish.

I think they already outlawed them at bass tournaments, and they just came out!

You can get like 4 packs of senkos for that price and probably catch just as many fish.

I think B.A.S.S and F.L.W banned them too?

Still allowed in the FLW but not so for Elite Series.

I'm not sure the rig would be all that effective up here. On the bigger lakes I could see it but with all the small ponds/lakes we have here, the areas that you would want to use this get a lot of boat traffic in the summer (among other issues). For those states that do allow it, I imagine we will find it really has no effect on the bass population.

As for harming the fish, if someone uses treble hooked lures, I could see that but if you have 5 or ever how many single hooks, then probably not a problem.

I would bet that even if they allowed this rig in every state, the VAST majority of people wouldn't catch more fish. It would mostly benefit tourney fisherman (who have the right equip to use this rig).

On a last note, I just heard today (please do not allow this to highjack this thread), NH just started up an attempt to change their current lead policy to match Massachusetts.

I think they already outlawed them at bass tournaments, and they just came out!

You can get like 4 packs of senkos for that price and probably catch just as many fish.

I think B.A.S.S and F.L.W banned them too?

They are banned in the Elite series, but can be used in Open events, FLW, and Federation tournaments. A lot of their use will depend on state regulations. I think they are also banned in Mass.

IMO, any lure that a fish (Bass) can gut hook it's self with has the very real potential to kill. I'm going to wager that a senko has and will kill more bass than one of those rigs.

chuch what do you mean?? does senko have a rig like that.

IMO, any lure that a fish (Bass) can gut hook it's self with has the very real potential to kill. I'm going to wager that a senko has and will kill more bass than one of those rigs.

That's a good point...if you're not watching the line and set the hook late, that rig is halfway down its gullet anyway. I'm guilty myself, as I'm sure most people who use or have used senkos are as well.

USE A CIRCLE HOOK WITH YOUR WORMS AND YOU'LL LIP HOOK ALMOST EVERY TIME!!

i'm sure everyone has gut hooked a fish at one time or another.don't try to horse it out with pliers.the hookouts work pretty good but don't force it,just cut the line and the fish will expel it eventually.the acids and the water will rust the hook away in time.i caught a 7 pounder that was gut hooked,and bleeding.weighed it in released it and it swam away very healthy.sometimes we don't feel the fish bite and that can happen.all of a sudden you see your line going a different way all you can do is set the hook and hope for the best.circle hooks are good but not effective in all applications.try texas rigging a worm on a circle hook.haha,lol

just because it swam away doesn't mean it lived any longer than as far as you saw it swim out...some fish are more hardy than others and could survive a gut hook, but a lot don't. just sayin...

Also many hooks now a days are rust resistant or rust proof..meaning ya leave it in it will stay in. Sometimes progress isn't so..progressive..nothing wrong with hooks rusting in my opinion. I don't keep mine long enough anyway..after a session or two of me sharpening my hooks after every few fish, I have to change my rigs anyway. Just putting it out there because the old "it rusts out" is not always the case any longer and I've pulled dozens of fish with hooks still in them...some of which were not doing so hot, skinny lethargic and all around looking pathetic.

That said, No matter how hard we try we will hurt fish, it is the nature of the beast...all we can do as responsible anglers is take every precaution we can to ensure the welfare of the fish we chase.

Using this rig is, in essence, disregarding fish safety altogether to give in to our own greed. The rig, commonly called the Alabama rig is designed to catch multiple fish at a time, or at the very least make sure 1 fish is not getting away...that is why it is illegal in Massachusetts as discussed previously. The very nature of the rig takes all the sport out of sport fishing. I mean your supposed to rig it with roughly 100 pound test line in case of multiple fish...really where is the fun in that? Toss, hook drag..anyone who says a bass fights on 100 pound test is completely full of it.

If you plan to eat everything you catch, then be my guest...if your a catch and release angler you wouldn't even consider this in my opinion. That said, again we are all adults, I know all of you know my thoughts on fish care..no need to beat a dead horse. As far as i am concerned it is a selfish and harmful rig that is illegal in Mass..I can't worry about other states as there is too much to fix in this one to keep me busy lol.

I recently read an article in a bass fishing magazine that listed all the states where it was legal and illegal. It stated that it was legal in MA, but only 2 baits could be rigged. The other 3 baits would serve as teasers only. Maybe this recently changed to being totally illegal. Not anything I would be interested in using