Question: A recent innovation on the pro bass fishing trail is something called the "Alabama Rig", which is similar to what is called an "Umbrella Rig" by saltwater anglers. The Alabama Rig consists of five or six lures [usually plastic grubs or small swimbaits] radiating from a central attachment point by wires, imitating a school of baitfish. It looks very similar to a "mobile" that you might suspend above a baby's crib. Since all the lures have hooks in them, would this rig be legal for inland/freshwater fishing in California for bass or other species?"

Answer: With the amount of money available through tournament fishing these days, anglers are constantly looking for the next big thing to help them catch more and bigger bass. We have received a lot of questions recently regarding the Alabama Rig and whether they are legal to use in California. Unfortunately, regulations in California differ from those in Alabama and this type of fishing tackle is not legal.

According to competitive bass angler and Department of Fish and Game (DFG) Game Warden Tim Little, the traditional "Alabama Rig" (see photo at http://californiaoutdoors.wordpress.com/) is not legal to use because it contains five separate lures each with a hook. California law allows for a maximum of three lures to be used on an individual line (whether the lure has a single hook as shown in your photograph or uses three hooks as allowed by law.)

In California, "all fish may be taken only by angling with one closely attended rod and line or one hand line with not more than three hooks nor more than three artificial lures (each lure may have three hooks attached) attached thereto" (California Code of Regulations, Section 2.00).

To legally use the Alabama Rig in California inland waters, the rig must be attached to one rod with one line and no more than three of the attached lures containing hooks. Those lures containing hooks may have no more than three hooks attached to each lure. The other two could have hookless teasers. Some people locally have even developed a modified three wire rig (now called a Cali-rig), which is legal.