Sometimes, you want the ability to catch more than one fish at a time – that’s where the castable umbrella rig comes in. For this rig, there are up to five lures attached to one line. More lures means the potential to catch more fish.
The castable umbrella rig works especially well for bass. There is, however, some controversy around using a rig that features multiple lures. For this reason, the castable umbrella rig has been banned by tournament organizations.
Umbrella rigs can either be bladed or non-bladed. Which one you use will depend on the fishing situation and conditions. It’s a good idea to experiment with both types to see which one works best for you. The general rule of thumb is to use the non-bladed version when fishing in clear, calm water. The best time to break out the bladed version is when the water is muddy or there’s a strong wind.
Because the umbrella rig is large and mimics a school of fish, it can attract bass from long distances. To make it as effective as possible, try to keep the rig at the top of the water column so it is visible to as many fish as possible. It doesn’t matter if you aren’t on the bottom because bass will travel pretty far to get to this rig. Keeping the rig off the bottom can also help you avoid snags.