Umbrella Rig Information for Indiana:

BACKGROUND

The emergence of multiple-hook fishing rigs, generically called ?umbrella rigs,? has raised the issue of their legality in Indiana.  A smaller, castable version called the ?Alabama rig? has recently taken the fishing world by storm, particularly bass fishing tournaments.  A typical Alabama rig will fit inside a large coffee can.   These arrays contain several jigs and simulate a school of bait fish.  They come in various designs and sizes, can be trolled or cast and are effective in both saltwater and freshwater, particularly for striped bass, hybrid striped bass and black basses.  Sometimes several hookless baits are included on umbrella rigs to present a larger target along with a few baits containing hooks.

In Indiana, anglers are allowed to fish with three poles and each line may have not more than two hooks or two artificial baits or two harnesses for use with live bait (312 IAC 9-7-2).  It could be argued that any umbrella rig that contains more than two jigs with hooks is illegal under this current regulation.  However, it could also be argued that this whole array is simply one artificial bait containing numerous separate pieces.  Indiana?s regulations do not limit the number of hooks that can be on an artificial bait. 

CURRENT STATUS

Because of this ambiguity and since this tackle is not specifically addressed in the existing rule, the Division of Law Enforcement recently made a decision not to cite anglers using umbrella rigs at the present time.  This information is being shared with anyone who inquires along with a suggestion that they stay informed since the situation may change.   Meanwhile the divisions of Law Enforcement and Fish and Wildlife are cooperatively reviewing this issue to determine if and how existing fishing regulations should be modified to clearly address use of umbrella rigs.

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