I jumped on the A-rig wagon a year ago and purchased a few of them. I tried them off and on over the past year and never caught a fish on them until the beginning of May this year. As soon as I figured out how to fish them I started catching large numbers of bass from my local lake where I would struggle to catch even a few bass each outing. For example: I have been fishing my local lake nearly every Friday and the first time it worked for me I caught 15 bass on it, the next week I caught 10 bass on it and last Friday I caught about 25 bass on it.

The Questions: why are there so many A-rig haters? And why do so many people think using an A-rig is cheating?

Not a hater, but think it is a problem for tournaments because of the number of fish "hooked" outside the mouth..maybe a rule that all fish must be hooked in the mouth, just like bed fishing, but kinda hard to enforce. Understand the argument that the same applies to jerkbaits and topwaters. I do have them, but certainly not my favorite or go-to bait.

I certainly don't hate people who throw it. It's not illegal (in most cases) but then again, using a trot line is also not illegal in a lot of areas. It's just not the way I prefer to bass fish.

I do think it should be banned from competitive fishing, though.... for the same reason that trolling and fishing with live bait is banned. Sometimes it can give someone an unfair advantage with a minium of effort required (yes, I know that throwing that rig can be tiring). When I see that a guy has won a tournament by throwing the A-rig, I guess I'm a lot less impressed than normal. But that's just me.

I know it doesn't always work, but when it does it can load the boat in short order.

I don't know if there are a lot of haters. Some have opinions on whether it's the end all be all which some act like it is. But, I don't think a lot of it is related to cheating just more saying its a fad rather than the new "light bulb". For me, I just don't enjoy throwing it or at least didn't until I recently got some of the lighter rigs made by Santone. I definitely like the lighter version and it catches fish but is still a very limited portion of what I use when I am on the water.

Wait till enough of them get broke off on some of your favorite stups and brush piles and cause you to get a good fish wraped up around that mess then you can hate em.

My Rotator Cuff hates them!

My whole right arm hates'em after a couple hours fishing.

No unfair advantage, anyone can use it. The analogy to a trot line, live bait or trolling is poor.

how is it unfair if everyone can buy one?

Can you explain exactly how to fish it right? The only thing I've cauggt on it is a sand bass -.-

It definitely gives the advantage to the big and strong fisherpeople.
And, good-looking women (and men) have an advantage when interviewing for a job.
Being born with a high IQ,.....not fair either.
And, don't EVEN get me started on being born into royalty, or into wealth.
Oh yeah, almost forgot; LUCK,.....better to have good luck than the other way around.

Go ahead, keep using your A-rig,...I 'cause I don't give a care.

You really think so? I don't. But then again, that's just what I think.

Sort of like your quote is just what you think.

According to the hater's, just throw it in the water anywhere and you will catch them by the hundreds!

If everyone can utilize them you can't call it an advantage.