Discussions of grubs cannot exclude their group presentation on the umbrella rig. Although banned in Bassmaster Elite and FLW Tour competition, the multi-armed “egg beaters” remain a vital tool for bass anglers from fall through early spring.
FLW Tour pro Andrew Upshaw can’t use the rig in his national-level competition, but it still has its place in many local and regional trails he fishes. Notably, the bait selection for these metal masses isn’t always what you hear it is.
“I remember when the umbrella rig became a staple in fishermen’s arsenals; many fishermen resorted to throwing swimbaits on their rigs,” Upshaw said. “However, a lot of the most-successful anglers used grubs.
“Grubs just catch more fish.”
This time of year, umbrella rigs require a slow, plodding retrieve — not necessarily bottom dredging, but down there in the more-stable water.
Once the bass start moving up to their prespawn positions, running the rig across points, past deep docks, bridge pilings and those first drop-offs outside of spawning pockets can result in a memorable arm-stretching.
Remember, Umbrella rigs with spinning blades like the YUMbrella Flash Mob and Flash Mob junior provide not only visual appeal but added lift to keep the rig running higher at slow speeds.
And this deal’s not only for the green-fish crowd. If you’re hankering for a crappie fry, try downsizing to a speck-sized umbrella rig like the YUMbrella Ultralight Tripod fitted with mini grubs.
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