← All freshwater rigs
FRESHWATER RIG LIBRARY
Alabama Rig / Umbrella Rig (Freshwater)
A wire harness that swims up to five small swimbaits at once, like a little school of shad. Check your rules: many places limit how many hooks it may carry.
Best forBass, peacock bass
WhereOpen water, points, bait schools
MethodSlow retrieve / trolling
DifficultyModerate
Rig diagram (component order)
Step-by-step how-to
Step-by-step build instructions
- 1
Start with the harness: a head with 5 wire arms.
- 2
Tie heavy braid to the head with a strong snap or knot.
- 3
Put a swimbait on a jig head on each arm.
- 4
Where hooks are limited, use hookless heads or blades on some arms.
- 5
Cast long and count it down to the depth of the bait.
- 6
Reel slowly and steadily. Bass hit the trailing bait most.
BigJoe Tips
- A heavy rod and braid are needed to cast and land it.
- Slow and steady wins; don’t jerk it.
- Match swimbait size to the local shad.
- Always check how many hooks are legal.
Variations
- Willow blades on the arms for flash.
- A bigger trailer bait in the middle.
- Mini rigs with 3 arms for lighter tackle.
- Troll it slowly along breaks.
🛒 Get the parts
Everything for this rig on Amazon:
Prefer to shop by store? See BigJoe's full gear guide →
As an Amazon Associate, BigJoe earns from qualifying purchases. It costs you nothing extra and helps keep this guide free.