Rostertails are underrated 100%

[Ryan Bancroft]

You never hear anything about rooster tails  anymore. When I was a kid we used to you catch a ton of bass on them. I brought them back this past year and smashed the bass. Well I’m bringing them back in style. French Spinners 1/2 oz I Love these things.

[NittyGrittyBoy]

I just bought a 1/16 white rooster tail like 2 days ago. So I totally get it ?

 

It's just there are so many other "good" baits, that are more specific in certain circumstances that the rooster tail gets passed over. ?

[The Bassman]

When I think of French spinners Mepps comes to mind. I use them with some success. Like the way they start up but you have to retrieve slow or they want to rise.

[AdamT]

Panther Martin is my go to in line spinner for creek/river bass fishing.  Catches smallmouth,red eye, bluegill, and trout.   I keep meaning to take some with me to the lake but I always forget to get them out of my river box.

[Spankey]

I’ve been using Mepps Spinners for river bass for as long as I can remember. They do get the job done. Over the years they have taken on the roll of a change up lure for me or a lure on a day I can’t get a bite. 
 

On the side of trout fishing Panther Martian’s, CPs and RoosterTail since I was a kid. 

[waymont]

I use spinners regularly for SMB. I prefer Mepp’s, they spin more easily, and don’t get bent up as fast.

[FryDog62]

I’m a Mepps 4 or 5 guy either on rivers or in Canada along rocky shorelines for SMB.  I like Wordens Rooster Tails too but they are lighter and a little harder to throw when it’s windy.  Spinners work well but I put them away if there are any weeds around as the trebles grab everything.  Consequently I don’t catch many LMB with them but they would work if not directly in the cover.  

[fishballer06]

I've had quite a few days where I can't buy a bite and I'll tie on a 1/8oz white rooster tail and I'll start catching all kinds of stuff. 

[jimmyjoe]

   Other than 3/8 oz., the Wordens don't want to start spinning well. This is especially true with the big ones; i/2 and 3/4 oz. So I use 3/8 in Roostertails, and for smaller I switch to Super Roostertails, which are the spinnerbait-style. The Supers spin really easy.

   But I chiefly catch wipers and white bass off those, not LMB.

   The spinners that really do a number on the LMB are Mepps, especially the #5 Aglia. The Aglia Long, not so much. Sheldons recently revamped the Comet line, and I have yet to get a good idea as to whether they are productive or not.       jj

[Mbirdsley]

I like mepps style  better.  I have a hard time keeping ones on rooster tails spinning. As kids when we could get them to spin they worked 
 

I’ve gotten away from fishing the river and in-lines since I received  my boat. I make mine and havn‘t bought a inline in a long time.  I have enough components to make about 30 more in differnt colors 

 

this particular one I made is killer on small mouths out of the Shiawassee River.  I was just throwing stuff together one night 
 

[dopey]

I make my own - spinners are another lure that got set aside like hair jigs except for those of us who kept fishing them all these years.  

[CountryboyinDC]

I used to use Rooster Tails for panfish and would occasionally catch a bass, but I haven't used one in years.  I have the same experience with them not spinning well and being hard to cast in wind that others have mentioned.  I do have some Mepps spinners and quite a few Vibrax spinners in my river Plano boxes.  Kind of like the old Beetlespins - when nothing else seems to get them interested, I try an inline spinner.  It may not catch me a monster, but there's been a lot of times it got the skunk off.

[lo n slo]

my favorite was the Shyster

 

[WI_Angler1989]

12 hours ago, The Bassman said:

When I think of French spinners Mepps comes to mind. I use them with some success. Like the way they start up but you have to retrieve slow or they want to rise.

Can't "like" this enough! I used Roosters, Panthers, a couple generic offerings... nothing compares to an Aglia IMO. Plus they're local!

[FishTank]

Mepps Black Fury #5 has always been one that has caught fish for me.  I think I have caught bass, crappie, bluegill, and   small mouth on it. 

[The Bassman]

40 minutes ago, WI_Angler1989 said:

Can't "like" this enough! I used Roosters, Panthers, a couple generic offerings... nothing compares to an Aglia IMO. Plus they're local!

I remember buying an Aglia long and a snap ruler from Sheldon's years ago (early 70's).

[MassYak85]

I don't use them much, probably should. But I've seen them do damage on river smallmouth. 

[mrpao]

I usually use roostertails for trout.

But they seem to catch bluegills and bass just as good as trout. Creek Chubs also love them too.

I did stock up on some when Cabelas had a sale on them a few weeks ago.

[Bluebasser86]

Mepp's>Roostertail ?

[Glaucus]

If I fish them in rivers, they snag within minutes, but until then they catch some dinks and other species for me. In ponds I might as well be fishing a Lego on 200lb mono because the green bass don't touch them.

[scaleface]

Never used a Rooster Tail and lost a few Mepps to snags . Just never got into using in-lines . I have some Blue Foxes   , maybe this year I''ll find an area to try them , one void of snags  .

[smalljaw67]

I'm a fan of rooster tails and I like the Mepps Aglia and the Panther Martin as well. 

[detroit1]

I caught my first pike (4"!) on a mepps  0 agaila in 1970.  Beat that. 

[Bankbeater]

Most of the fish I catch on rooster tails will be small, but you can't beat a 1/16 ounce for numbers.

[CHIP-MAINE]

#1 lure for me is a #4 or #5 mepps. buy some of these because they will outdo any rooster tail. laremouth or smallie streams or lakes. yellow or gold blade with white or yellow hair si i can see it better but i think the bass like the more vibration with the bigger blade