Mepps

[Mobasser]

I don't hear a lot of talk here on BR or in general about Mepps or other inline spinners for bass.                              They offer a different profile than other bass spinnerbaits, and can be great spinners to use at certain times.                                      If I had to choose one, I'd pick the Mepps Black Fury, size 3 or 4, in chartreuse or yellow dot pattern.  I can cast either one of this size with a bait casting outfit. Smaller ones work well with spinning gear.                                                     A great scenario for these spinners is where shallow water meets deeper water, with weeds that grow to within one or two ft of the surface. Make a long cast and bring the Mepps over this area, keeping it as close to the weed tops as you can.           Keep a tight grip on your rod. Are there any others here who still throw a Mepps? What are your favourite sizes and colors?                                              

[padlin]

 They used to be my goto but as I get better with other lures that have a better chance for big bass I spend less time with them.

 

 

I use 0-3's with braid on L and L/M spinning gear. I get too much line twist on mono, even with swivels.

 

 

[DaubsNU1]

Growing up Mepps and Panther Martin were my go-to lures (1970's and 80's).

 

Dad used to take me and my brother to a stocked trout pond here in Eastern Nebraska. We had a blast using #0 and #1 sized on ultra-light tackle.

 

Fished a small sandpit lake and would catch crappie and bluegill all day long. Loved it!

 

Do twist line a lot.

 

I have a small box in my boat with all my old in-line spinners...I need to break them out one day : )

[Deleted account]

The first rule of in line LMB is you don't talk about in line LMB...

Spinners are great multi species lures.

[FryDog62]

Mepps  are still deadly, I like 4’s and 5’s in red/yellow/silver without hair, especially for smallmouth in rocky, sandy lakes. However, many of our lakes in the lower 2/3 of Minnesota are weed choked and the trebles are a problem there.

[gim]

I still use a Mepps.  But its the jumbo version for muskie fishing.

[MN Fisher]

I'll occasionally toss Comets in #3 and #4 when working shallow areas.

[Jigfishn10]

Always did well with these:

Sorry for the old pic. These are still in my tool kit.

[Finessegenics]

I've gotten away from them in the past few years. They used to be one of my go-to baits for covering water in the river. I snagged quite a lot of them so I don't have many left in my arsenal. Maybe it's time to replace them. My best memory is catching smallies on a #3 black blade and red feather.  just about every other cast on them below a dam one early summer morning. I got into a mega school that day or something. 

[jr231]

If I could only have one lure in a situation where I had to feed myself. It would be a mepps. They catch everything and I've caught crappie, bass, bluegill, perch, pike and catfish on them. 

 

My grandfather used to take me wading in the creek and he would catch small mouth and rock bass using mepps. 

 

It's not talked about much on this forum because although it catches bass, I wouldn't say it's the best lure for big bass when compared to a jig, or top water lure, Senko etc 

 

 

[EWREX]

i still use a 3/8 oz. spinner for bass in the spring time. under-appreciated bass lure in my parts that works great to cover water also

[WRB]

Mepps Comet Mino (with the soft plastic minnow) can be good for bass. Inline spinners can and do twist line, one reason bass anglers avoid them. Good lure that catch nearly everything that swims.

Tom

 

[LCG]

#3 gold is tried and true, always have one in my box.

[MassBass]

I am a big in-line user. The bait absolutely shines the brightest in moving water. If you use the bait in the lake or pond, you may have luck, but to me they are at their best a current and river bait. For example, last weekend I was bank fishing a reservoir. High water, and there is a spot which is an inflow, with moderate current. Started with a spinnerbait, fished all around it, nothing. Went to a subtle floating jerkbait, nothing. More time elapsed and I came back again with a 1/4 once gold blue fox vibrax. Bam, bass tight to the cover near the moving water. Missed some pickerel strikes. Bam, another bass. So that day was two bass, mid-day, high sun, high water and calm; could have easily been a skunk if I didn't find in the reservoir what is my go-to river pattern.

 

I learned early in my career that the spinner is deadly in the river my friends and I fished. It would catch smallmouth (including the biggins), as well as current oriented largemouth, and of course the inline would be deadly for pike as well. A 6lb+ pike will take a little 1/4 oz spinner eagerly. Line twist shouldn't have to be a concern. So, I have a rig, very simple: the spinner, with about a foot of leader, and a swivel, connected to the mainline. The leader can be heavier than the mainline, to help with snags and brush if not Esox. I have found I get much better performance out of the swivel with this rather than just having a snap-swivel right on the bait.           

[Bluebasser86]

I like the #2 or #3 size for multi-species fishing. It's one of my go to baits when I take my boys creek fishing because I can catch green sunfish or a 10lb wiper on one. 

[Jmilburn76]

Ive got, and use, several different Mepps. 

[Captain Phil]

The Comet Minnow is a great schooling bass lure.  I once won a tournament on Rodman using one.  When people asked me what I was fishing with and I told them, they always laughed.  Laugh away, I got the check.  ?

 

 

[Boomstick]

Most of my Mepps fishing is the real small ones for trout (at one of our local lakes, they won't hit anything else!) but they definitely work for bass. The 1/4oz version can be deadly for smallies.

[Bankbeater]

Casting a 1/16 or 1/8 Rooster Tail will catch just about anything in the pond.  It has saved me from the skunk many times.

[padlin]

Changed a #1 silver and a #2 gold Mepps as my biggest beef is the hassle of using with treble hooks. Took them out today, I did feel a higher number of bumps then I recall with trebles, but also a decent number of hookups. This might get me to use them more then I have been.

[Way north bass guy]

I used to use them a bunch as a kid, and still do use the muskie killer for big pike/musky. 
Wouldn't it be cool to see a major tournament win on an old school Mepps! 
I’d bet that under the right conditions, they could be a wonderful bait, especially in an area where they’ve been pressured with standard spinnerbaits or even chatterbaits. 

[Scott F]

I like Mepps over other in-line spinners because they DON’T twist my line. If a spinner is causing line twist, it’s a defective bait. with properly running spinners only the blade spins, not the entire lure. My favorites are the silver blade, number 3 or 4, plain. They are just killer for river smallmouth. 

[WRB]

Inline spinners Blue Fox, Shyster, Panther Martin, Mepps etc, run ok until you catch a fish that bends the inline wire.

If you take the time to retune the spinner it will run without twisting line, the original design was based on that.

But most anglers don’t bother to straighten and retune a inline spinner it’s easier to use the swivel clip to resolve the problem.

Tom

[padlin]

Can't argue with bent spinners being the cause of my line twist. I straighten mine, as well as I can with one pair of pliers, but who knows how long I use them before I notice they are bent. In my case I'd guess most of the damage is self inflicted as I use pliers to remove them. It's difficult to be careful removing a treble from a squirming pickerel.

[Deleted account]

16 hours ago, Scott F said:

If a spinner is causing line twist, it’s a defective bait. with properly running spinners only the blade spins, not the entire lure. 

No, that's your grandfather's spinner talking. Any spinner including Mepps will twist if you pull them fast enough, and as sometimes that's the ticket it's going to happen, not to mention that if you are fishing a particular piece of cover or arc on a piece of current, you want that back for the next cast as quickly as possible, kinda like pitching. Sure, if you just slow roll it the length of the cast, twist will be kept to a minimum, but that is just not a very effective way to do it. I like a tiny bb swivel a foot or so ahead of the spinner, instead of one on the lure, but both work.