Wesley Littlefield 03.25.26
“That’s a chew!” I stated out loud to myself as I tried to set the hook whereas utilizing the brand new Berkley Triple Minnow Rig in my pond. I’ve fished with this lure all winter and early spring in Oklahoma ponds and creeks. I needed to see whether or not it could change the umbrella rig as a go-to lure for cold-water bass fishing. Whereas it has just a few benefits over the umbrella rig, it additionally has a number of downfalls that left me a tad annoyed once I’d go away for the day. Uncover what I imply by persevering with to learn this Berkley Triple Minnow Rig evaluate.
Triple Minnow Rig Specs & Design Options
- Size: 3”, 4”, 5”
- Supplies: Fluorocarbon and thermoplastic parts, mushy plastic minnows (PowerBait Drip Swimmer)
- Hooks: Fusion19 Hybrid Jighead
- Colours: Tennessee Shad, Electrical Shad, Blue Liner, and White Shiner
I’ve been testing the 4” White Shiner variation, however there are a number of different choices, so you possibly can match the hatch at your native physique of water. The distinctive design took a minute of trial and error to initially arrange and tie on, with out studying the instructions. I strongly encourage you to learn (or watch) the directions the primary couple of occasions fishing with it.
Motion & Presentation
There’s just one appropriate approach to rig the Triple Minnow Rig in order that it acts like stay minnows. The motion jogs my memory of a finesse umbrella rig. It’s supposed to imitate a small bait ball and does so nicely. I’ve been fishing it equally to my umbrella rigs. Casting out, letting it sink to the specified depth, and slowly retrieving it. Often, twitching my rod or pausing the retrieve.
Score:
8 / 10
Casting & Ease of Use
On my medium spinning gear, I can precisely forged the Triple Minnow Rig throughout my ¼ pond, irrespective of the place I’m standing on the shore. There’s little or no method wanted to study to make use of it, so it’s nice for inexperienced persons or superior anglers.
Score:
8 / 10
Hookup Ratio & Fish Response
All through late fall and early winter, I had a number of bites on the Triple Minnow Rig, however the hookup ratio wasn’t nice. That’s as a result of, not like most umbrella rigs which have a number of hooks, the Triple Minnow Rig solely has one. So I missed many fish that bit the 2 mushy plastic lures, not on the jighead. The design with two of the three mushy plastics being hook-free means there’s solely a ⅓ likelihood of the fish biting the hook, and I don’t like these odds.
Score:
5 / 10
Sturdiness & Longevity
Berkley designed the Triple Minnow Rig to final many journeys. I’ve solely needed to change the mushy plastics after fishing with them for a day, however that’s typical of any soft-plastic lure I’ve used. The remainder of the lure has lasted all winter and seems to be fishable many extra occasions.
Score:
8 / 10
Versatility & Situations
In my expertise, if fish chew it within the winter, they’ll chew it nearly some other time of the yr. Due to this fact, regardless of not fishing with it through the summer time (but), I see no motive why it wouldn’t be much more efficient in hotter water. I don’t, nevertheless, assume it really works very nicely in soiled water. It’s somewhat too delicate. A few different locations I received’t use it are in grass beds and brush piles. Whereas there’s just one hook, the plastic arms usually tend to snag weeds and tangle in brush.
Score:
7 / 10
Worth & Competitors
The Triple Minnow Rig Kit prices $20. The equipment comes with every thing you might want to fish. If you have already got the jig head and plastics, the rig costs $10. That is comparable in worth to an umbrella rig, so in no way outrageous, however it’s additionally not an inexpensive lure. Because it’s new and pretty distinctive, there isn’t any different lure that I’m conscious of to match it to aside from the umbrella rig.
Score:
7 / 10
Total Score: Berkley Triple Minnow Rig Evaluation
As nice because the design, sturdiness, and idea of the Berkley Triple Minnow Rig are, I really feel it missed the mark. I’ve struggled to catch fish with it, not for lack of bites, however merely due to the poor hookup ratio. In the summertime, I can look previous this when the bites are plentiful. Within the winter, nevertheless, bites are far more uncommon, making each missed chew damage that a lot worse.
It’s an excellent finesse possibility for the times when the umbrella rig is just too flashy, and it’s a very good lure for inexperienced persons to make use of who don’t have the heavy-duty gear wanted to throw an umbrella rig all day lengthy. Whereas event anglers will discover it helpful, they are going to seemingly go for a lure with a greater hook-up ratio (or, when authorized, modify it to simply accept extra hooks).
Total, I’ll select to fish with a single jighead extra typically than I decide to tie on the Triple Minnow Rig.
Score:
7.2 / 10
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