Alabama Rig Question

[KickNBass]

Knowing you can't use this exact setup in MN...

Let's say you have 5 fish in the boat and bring in 3 on the Alabama rig, would you be in violation of the possession limit?

I guess on the river this would be possible when you use two rods...so not exactly Alabama Rig specific...

[CAMAN]

Nope, since you haven't yet placed them in your livewell and "reduced them to possession".

It would be just like catching a limit then continuing fishing and releasing everything.

[TR21HP]

Speaking of which did anyone else see the FLW tourney last week on TV that had the final 10 fishermen using the Alabama rig? Everyone of them were cmplaining about shoulder soreness after throwing that 6 oz. rig all day but if you weren't using it you were not catching them. Paul Elias won with a 100 pound total over 4 days and sometimes there were 3 fish caught at 1 time. Unfortunately not all of the rigs held up with quite a few breaking. Most were throwing 1 oz. hollow swimbaits off them to mimic the shad forage.

[KickNBass]

Do you know what lake it was on?

[RK]

Hiya -

From everything I've heard from the DNR about stuff like this, Caman is likely correct. Even if you have reduced a limit to possession, you can handle fish in order to release them. It's been a while since I was in on this discussion in the context of tournaments (it came up about 10 years ago when a group wanted to do muskie tournaments in MN with fish transport and weigh-ins) but I think if the DNR wanted to interpret the rule more strictly they could, but they would probably give someone the benefit of the doubt.

Really though, in terms of multiple fish at once, it's no different than hooking two fish on one crankbait, which happens once in a while.

Sore shoulders? C'mon - I know 70 year old men and 14 year old girls that can throw Pounder Bull Dawgs and burn Cowgirls with two #10 blades all day and not complain. Buck up Nancy...

Cheers,

RK

[bemidjibasser]

The tournament was on Lake Guntersville.

[walleye365]

Im not really a fan of this bait,but i got ? here in MN could it be used if one were to put four willow leaf blades around the bait that has the hook.

[KickNBass]

That should be legal, just like a big spinnerbait.

I'm wondering if it might have some triggering/attracting qualities above and beyond what you see in normal 1 lure presentations.

For that, I found one company that makes one setup that looks ideal for Minnesota regulations and will be trying it this summer just for fun.

[TonkaBass]

Sore shoulders? C'mon - I know 70 year old men and 14 year old girls that can throw Pounder Bull Dawgs and burn Cowgirls with two #10 blades all day and not complain. Buck up Nancy...

LMAO!!!!

[delmuts]

"

Sore shoulders? C'mon - I know 70 year old men and 14 year old girls that can throw Pounder Bull Dawgs and burn Cowgirls with two #10 blades all day and not complain. Buck up Nancy...

LMAO!!!!'

+1 !!

But RK,you have to remember we're using equipement design for that kind of weight! I have a 7' 10" XH bass rod ( with handle extension) that i use for some smaller muskie lures, that i would hate to toss those things on for very long!

[kg2]

I think you guys that have never had elbow, wrist, or shoulder problems from fishing should count yourselves lucky! Or you don't fish very much. Or you are awesome male specimens, the opposite of a Nancy. (My guess is option 1 or 2, though...)

[Cecil]

Or we aren't 65 years old

[RK]

I think you guys that have never had elbow, wrist, or shoulder problems from fishing should count yourselves lucky! Or you don't fish very much. Or you are awesome male specimens, the opposite of a Nancy. (My guess is option 1 or 2, though...)

Actually I had one season where I had tennis elbow so bad I could barely fish. I've had broken bones that hurt less. My problems these days are on the other end - my knees are a mess, and running the trolling motor is a killer some days.

I know a guide that fishes muskies basically every day at age 72, and by the end of the summer he has a bursis sac the size of a tennis ball on his elbow. Grossest thing you've ever seen, but it doesn't even slow him down...

[Nick Kuhn]

My dad had shoulder surgery a few years back. He taught himself to cast with his other hand. Didn't miss a single fishing outing despite a torn rotator cuff.

[delmuts]

There are some things you can do to help avoid those problems. In the arcives some where is an article i did on what excercies you can do before the season starts, plus some tips on ways to cast that aren't as hard on ones body. I could repost if some one's interested.

By he way. I'm 60, had surgery on right shoulder, the left one isn't very good, plus my knees are shot also.

[kg2]

I'll be 44 the last day of this month! Tennis elbow is a blow for sure. I would hate to think of surgery that may totally take me out of action for any period of time.

Bassfan has links for excercises to help.

[sheepheadslayer]

It is kind a funny watching a guy with tennis elbow or whatever try setting the hook and fighting a 5 lber to the boat. I enjoyed it

[kg2]

We all don't get to catch 7#6oz largemouths. You must have had a heck of a guide! I wouldn't have been able to stick him.

[RK]

My late friend and fishing partner Jack Burns was a pretty good basketball player, and played in a men's league into his mid-50s. At some point, he messed his elbow up so badly he couldn't straighten his left arm all the way. It had been that way for years.

One afternoon on Lake of the Woods we were muskie fishing, and he had a fish come out of nowhere and hit him right at the side of the boat. He set the hook out of reflex/self defense. When he set the hook, he screamed like he'd been stabbed, and dropped to his knees. He yelled at me to come get the rod - he was obviously in agony, but I had no idea what happened. I grabbed it, and fought the fish while he rolled around on the deck holding his elbow and swearing.

When the dust settled, he got up, tested his arm out...and was able to straighten it all way for the first time in years. Whatever the problem was, he broke it loose setting the hook. Elbow never bothered him again.

Non-invasive, do-it-yourself corrective surgery. Judging by the cussing, I can't say it felt too good, but it worked.

Boy did I steer this topic off the rails.

[delmuts]

This is the article i did some years back in conjunction with a friend who is a phys. therp.

Many of us have delt with it some time or another. The open water season gets here. We spend a pleasant day of casting for pan fish , bass, or some other type fish. After a while our back , hands, or shoulder gets sore! What can we do to help preventing this.

Much of our troubles come from lack of our muscles and joints not used to, or ready for this activity. So, what can we do?

I’ll mention a couple of tips I have learned to save on our shoulders and arms when casting, weather it be one hand or with both. First, learn to keep the elbow of your casting arm against your side while you cast. This will save on the shoulder rotation, and strain, by just using your for arm, and wrist, you will still be able to cast just as far, with less work. The other is, learn to use a roll cast. With just a flick of your wrist, you can cast lures with very little motion. And ? Don’t be afraid to use both hands when casting.

FIRST and FOREMOST! If any of these stretches cause you any pain. Stop and consult a doctor!

YOUR SHOULDER

Reach across your chest with one arm. Using your other arm gently pull on it. Hold this for 20 seconds. Then do the same thing with the other side.

Reach over your head with one arm , ( as if trying to touch your other shoulder). Gently pull on this arm with your other hand. Hold for 20 seconds, and repeat with the other arm.

Stand facing a wall or a door. Walk your fingers up the surface til your arm is straight up. Gently lean into your arm / shoulder .

YOUR HANDS

Hold you hand out with the palm up. Actively bend your fingers into a fist. Hold for 10 seconds, and repeat with the other hand.

Again, hold you hand palm up. Slowly fold your thumb across your palm. Hold for 5 seconds.

To strengthen your hands. Roll a towel up. ( you can determine how big ,or how tight you want it) With your forearm resting on a surface , gently squeeze the towel. Hold for 30 seconds.

WRIST and FOREARM

Reach out in front of you keeping the elbow straight. Grasp the fingers , and gently pull them back. With your arm in that position, slowly fold your hand and fingers downward too. Hold for 20 seconds.

With your hand out , (as if to shake hands with some one) and slowly rotate your palm up. Hold for 5 seconds.

DURING the DAY.

Take a break and stretch your back by standing, with hands in the small of your back. Squeeze shoulder blades together and extend backwards til a gentle stretch is felt. Hold for 30 seconds.

While standing or sitting turn your head to the right until a gentle squeeze is felt. Hold for 5 seconds, and repeat turning left.

I want to thank Justin Trainor, MSPT for providing me with these simple stretches to help make our fishing season better.