An Honest Berkley Triple Minnow Rig Review: Umbrella Rig Replacement?

Better Than The Umbrella Rig? Testing the Berkley Triple Minnow Rig: OHUB Review

“That’s a chunk!” 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 will change the umbrella rig as a go-to lure for cold-water bass fishing. Whereas it has a couple of benefits over the umbrella rig, it additionally has a number of downfalls that left me a tad annoyed once I’d depart for the day. Uncover what I imply by persevering with to learn this Berkley Triple Minnow Rig evaluation.

Triple Minnow Rig Specs & Design Options

Size: 3”, 4”, 5”
Supplies: Fluorocarbon and thermoplastic elements, comfortable 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 may 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 right strategy 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 meant 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. Sometimes, twitching my rod or pausing the retrieve.

Ranking:

8 / 10

Casting & Ease of Use

On my medium spinning gear, I can precisely forged the Triple Minnow Rig throughout my ¼ pond, regardless of the place I’m standing on the shore. There’s little or no approach wanted to be taught to make use of it, so it’s nice for newcomers or superior anglers.

Ranking:

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 comfortable plastic lures, not on the jighead. The design with two of the three comfortable plastics being hook-free means there’s solely a ⅓ likelihood of the fish biting the hook, and I don’t like these odds.

Ranking:

5 / 10

Sturdiness & Longevity

Berkley designed the Triple Minnow Rig to final many journeys. I’ve solely needed to change the comfortable 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.

Ranking:

8 / 10

Versatility & Situations

In my expertise, if fish chunk it within the winter, they’ll chunk it nearly another time of the 12 months. Due to this fact, regardless of not fishing with it in the course of the summer time (but), I see no purpose why it wouldn’t be much more efficient in hotter water. I don’t, nevertheless, suppose it really works very nicely in soiled water. It’s just a little too refined. 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.

Ranking:

7 / 10

Worth & Competitors

The Triple Minnow Rig Kit prices $20. The package comes with every little thing it’s good to fish. If you have already got the jig head and plastics, the rig costs $10. That is related in value to an umbrella rig, so in no way outrageous, however it’s additionally not an affordable lure. Because it’s new and pretty distinctive, there isn’t a different lure that I’m conscious of to check it to apart from the umbrella rig.

Ranking:

7 / 10

Total Ranking: 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 rather more uncommon, making each missed chunk harm that a lot worse.

It’s a fantastic finesse possibility for the times when the umbrella rig is just too flashy, and it’s a very good lure for newcomers 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 possible 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 choose to tie on the Triple Minnow Rig.

Ranking:

7.2 / 10

Berkley Triple Minnow Rig Scores