Umbrella Rig Trolling

By Dan Duncan

Mention U-Rig trolling to some Lanier fishermen and you will get a big scowl while others will offer the "double thumbs up". It's a love-hate relationship. Either you love to use them or you swear you will never use them again!

While it may not be exotic, Umbrella Rig trolling is very effective. It is a multi-faceted tool that can be used to locate fish and to catch them as well. Whereas the Rig was once considered a winter/spring tool, it is now used 365 days per year by many fishermen including professional guides.

As with many other methods, the key element of U-Rig trolling is depth control. Trolling speed, trolling patterns, and the weight of the Umbrella Rig directly affect the depth of the rigs. Like other methods, the rigs should be trolled above the fish. Water clarity plays an important role as to your trolling depth. Your equipment will assist in setting the depth of the Rigs.

Equipment: More than likely you will have rods and reels that will work very nicely for Rig trolling. A personal preference for us is to use a line counter reel; however, a Penn 320 or 330 is just as effective. With your Penn 320 or similar reel fully spooled, one pass of the level wind is ten feet. Over time the excessive strain of the rigs will have a negative effect on your reels and you can expect to replace the paw and worm gear frequently.

Ah yes, what to put on the reel? Mono or braid? The popularity of braid is growing exponentially for a number of reasons. First, the diameter of braid is less than mono; so, to reach the strike zone requires less line. Less line allows you to quickly turn and make a second or third pass over a school of fish thus putting you in a position to double or triple up on a school of Stripers that are actively feeding.

Braid, 100 pounds or higher, compares favorably with 50 pound mono. Heavy duty braid is very helpful when your rig tangles with underwater structure. Using the braid will allow you pull the rig out of the structure with minimal or no damage. U-rig trolling places considerable stress on both your reel and rod. A popular rod for u-rigging is the medium light or medium heavy Tiger rod. Some Offshore rods work just as well. You will need a rod like these to absorb the frequent surges and sudden changes in the speed and direction of the boat and the force of the strike of a 25 pound Striper seventy feet behind your boat!

U-Rig Retriever - From time-to-time, a U-Rig will latch on to an underwater obstruction. While you may decide to extract the rig by pulling it out with your main line, there is another method available. You can purchase a U-Rig Retriever and use it successfully. First, position the boat directly over the U-Rig; second, hold the main line vertically; third attach the Retriever to your main line and allow it to sink to the Rig. Once the Retriever hooks have engaged the Rig, pull the rig to the surface.

Umbrella Rigs - With a solid performing rod/reel combination, the next step is the purchase of the rigs. Rigs are made in various weights; some have three arms while others have four. Our recommendation is the four arm, three ounce Umbrella Rig. Furthermore, we suggest that you attach nine lures to each rig. If you have never used Umbrella Rigs, begin by using jigs that weigh three quarters of an ounce. As you master the art of umbrella rig trolling, you will be able to change the weight of the lures.

With the rig in hand, you can attach the lures with monofilament or wire leaders. The length of the leaders is important. Wire leaders are made in different lengths and strengths. If you decide to use wire, go with 20 or 25 pound test and a length of six to nine inches. Mixing the length of the leaders is a good idea as the rig will have more breadth; however, leaders exceeding nine inches will almost always result in more tangles and downtime. Remember that the center leader should be longer than the eight other leaders. The lure on the center of the rig is almost always the one that the fish strike! For that reason, be sure that lure stands out - its hook should be straight; the trailer, if attached, should be properly placed on the hook; it could be a different color; and it could be a different style; it could also have a slightly different weight..

An argument for monofilament leaders: You can and should consider making the leaders with fifty pound monofilament. The mono does not have to be fluorocarbon. This can easily be done with a cinching tool and cinches (aluminum sleeves). See picture.

Whether you purchase or make the rigs, you should think about presentation. Jigs are popular and can be fitted with or without a blade. Either jig will be effective. While there some guidelines regarding leader lengths, some professional fishermen attach a number of the lures directly to the U-Rig! If you are making your own Rig, shorter leaders (two to six inches) are effective. Again, be sure that your center jig is on a longer leader than the other eight jigs.

What about colors? Initially, it's wise to troll two different looking Rigs to determine which color and trailer scheme is more popular. As an example, on one side of the boat use a white jig with a chartreuse trailer and complement that on the other side with green jigs and white trailers. Yes, you can use shad bodies. Yes, you can use the six inch flappy tails although they are difficult to find. Shad bodies and trailers come in different colors, weights, and length and are readily available. As you can see, your creativity has no limits when making a U-Rig.

Trolling techniques: Now, you are on the water with the rig in hand and ready to begin your successful day on the lake. With the boat moving, place the rig in the water. Each jig should be swimming free of the other jigs. Release the rig slowly to obtain the desired trolling depth.

Maintain a trolling speed of 2.75 to 3.25 - change the speed from time-to-time to learn what the fish are looking for. You can use the same speed schedule whether you are in clear or stained water. Numerous trolling patterns exist; try the “S” pattern and the figure eight patterns. Both of these patterns when used properly will allow the trolling depth of your lures to change. As an example, when turning to port, the rig on that side will drop in the water column while it is moving but its speed is a bit slower. As the Captain turns back to starboard, the rig on the port side will rise and experience a slight increase in speed. This is the "S" method and should be used in wider creeks or open water where the fish are suspended and on the move.

The figure eight method is an extension of the "S" pattern and will allow your rigs to change trolling speed as well as depth. Again, the use of the Umbrella Rig results in a "reaction" strike; therefore, changing speeds and small changes to trolling depths can make a significant difference.

Both the "S" pattern and the figure eight pattern are effective throughout the year.

In the fall and spring Stripers may be found on points and humps. Trolling umbrella rigs over points or on the sides of points is very tedious therefore you should have a good understanding of the depth of your rigs. This holds true for trolling over humps as well. Also, take advantage of your mapping software to orient your trolling pattern to certain contour lines. One of the features of the Navionics software is to highlight shallow water on Lanier with shades of Blue - light blue can be related to water with a depth of less than 30 feet and dark blue can indicate more shallow water.

Water temperature and depth control represent two major considerations whether fishing salt or fresh water. Depth control when trolling Umbrella Rigs is extremely important. Throughout the year Stripers are known to live in small shallow pockets, on lake points and humps, and in open water. Maintaining proper trolling depths and making the proper rig presentation will result in success!

The tool that you need to make important decisions while Umbrella Rig fishing is the Trolling Chart shown below. Please note that the chart assumes: the use of braid, a trolling speed of 2.75 MPH, a three ounce - four arm umbrella rig, and nine three quarter ounce jigs.

See trolling chart below.

Tom Blackburn, USCG Captain, for Striper Tales LLC

Chuck Kizina, USCG Captain