What is your favorite color and size Mepps? What is your favorite structure to use them?

That would be a #3 Mepps with a silver spoon, white and black squirrel tail. I like these for Smallmouth Bass. Toss these over any points with rocks and you will catch fish.

# 3 plain silver for Smallmouth Bass. I use a # 5 with a red blade for northerns most of the time.

Don't use Mepps a whole lot, but I have a #4 Black Fury that is effective for pike. Missmolly was touting a #3 plain with a copper blade a while ago. I picked one up and it has worked very well for smallies for me as well.

Thanks for the info. I have the black fury one and it works well for pike for me too. Ill look up the plain with the copper blade, so promising.

I caught plenty of pike on an orange syclops #3 when my Grandpa would take me fishing when I was a kid. I've also gone through several black fury #5's in neon green and black. My buddies and I would catch pike in our backyard river until they wouldn't work anymore. However, my favorite is a muskie killer in black or white/red, I have not caught even close to the same number of pike as the previous 2 I mentioned, I have more fun throwing a slightly bigger profile bait.

Bdubguy: "Don't use Mepps a whole lot, but I have a #4 Black Fury that is effective for pike. Missmolly was touting a #3 plain with a copper blade a while ago. I picked one up and it has worked very well for smallies for me as well."

It's weird how their most basic lure works so well. It can be hard to find a store though with so many fancier models for sale.

I like #3's in gold blade and copper blade w/ grey dressing. Sometimes an undressed #2 or 3 tip/trailed with a slimer leech

I like the #3 Aglia, gold blade, squirrel tail.
On my last trip I decided to try something a little different. I dressed some trebles with some chartreuse craft fur and it was en fugeo.

gqualls: "I like the #3 Aglia, gold blade, squirrel tail.
On my last trip I decided to try something a little different. I dressed some trebles with some chartreuse craft fur and it was en fugeo."

I'll have to keep that in the memory bank. Thanks

A Dressed Aglia Treble Gold/Brown has always been my top producer in regardless of season. Some lakes I trade it up for a silver/brown. I always catch the biggest fish on the #5, but I use #1, #3, and #5 depending on the size of fish in the area. My father and I joke every trip that we should stop bringing the tackle box and just bring a handful of these in different sizes.

Cooleko: "A Dressed Aglia Treble Gold/Brown has always been my top producer in regardless of season. Some lakes I trade it up for a silver/brown. I always catch the biggest fish on the #5, but I use #1, #3, and #5 depending on the size of fish in the area. My father and I joke every trip that we should stop bringing the tackle box and just bring a handful of these in different sizes."

I know what you mean, I am really thinking I am going to consolidate my BWCA tackle box. Thanks for sharing.

When I was a kid I caught 1000s of smallmouth on the silver blade with white bucktail in the size 2 blade. Once I started going to Quetico I started using the size 5 blade. Caught trophy bass, pike and walleye with it. Stopped using it due to the line twists.

# 4 brass

#5 silver willow blade with either black, yellow or white tail.

Streamer, gold, rainbow trout, size 3
wished they made a 4

#3's seem to be a favorite for folks. Mike likes #5 for the big fish :-) Thanks again for sharing folks!

my favorite mepps is the musky killers , (blk/org) has been the most successful but white is also a good choice FOR PIKE , and they actually run fairly weed free in milfoil type infested lakes. Jared toss these on your local pike lake, burn them just under the surface over weeds....you'll get bit !,,, not a mepps but also like the shyster spinners for brookies(bottom middle in pic)

shock: "my favorite mepps is the musky killers , (blk/org) has been the most successful but white is also a good choice FOR PIKE , and they actually run fairly weed free in milfoil type infested lakes. Jared toss these on your local pike lake, burn them just under the surface over weeds....you'll get bit !,,, not a mepps but also like the shyster spinners for brookies(bottom middle in pic) "

Thanks Shock. I always appreciate that you almost always respond with pictures too. Black and Orange are my favorite too. I’ll have to try them like you said.

Yup line twist can be a serious issue with these. Couple of ways to defeat the problem. You can add an in-line ball bearing swivel some 18" above. The short section of mono has very little stretch however and broken lines are apt to be a problem if to light of line is used.

Another remedy is after a few hours of casting you can let your line out behind the canoe and paddle around for 5 or 10 minutes. Be sure to let out a significant amount of line. This will help significantly.

My favorite Mepps is probably a #4 with copper and squirrel tail. I am also very partial to the Mepps Musky Marabou. One has only to see the lure in the water to develop confidence in this pike slayer. Two in line 8/0 trebles require a mouth spreader and preferably 9" needle nose as these tend to get inhaled. I have also caught a sizable walleye on a knock off type lure which was very similar.

^^^ yes MT as we have agreed on before , more a pike killer than a musky killer , and yes the spin of the blade and rotation of the dressed treble is money ! hard to beat from opener to late july in weed flats, bays that have access to somewhat deeper water , not huge changes in depth thou.

Adroit analysis Shock ("adroit analysis"? > who says that ;-)

I like the Musky Marabou over the tops of cabbage weeds. It's effective range is probably 3' to 10'. I suppose if one is patient you could let it sink and dredge it up from the depths.

While staying on a remote campsite on Basswood I caught a walleye from shore during a nasty blow by throwing a very similar lure way out and patiently letting it hit bottom and slowly crawling it up the drop off. The fish pushed 7lbs (actually 6.750) but was a very nice walleye caught right in the middle of the day. The pulsating marabou very much comes "alive" with a blade washing water over it. The lure looks uninspiring in the package.........I was prompted to try it after overhearing two anglers talking excitedly while grabbing several in a Bass Pro shop.

I suggest no lighter than 40 braid and 50lb or even 65 over the tops of the cabbage weeds would be even better. This is the lure I rolled my boat with several years ago on a bay in Lake Superior. She buried in the weeds and 25lb test was not sufficient for a big fish. When the line gave way the sudden lurch caused Esox Lucius (" Water Wolf " > my canoes name) to roll over and deposit me and my gear into the drink.

mastertangler: "Adroit analysis Shock ("adroit analysis"? > who says that ;-)


I like the Musky Marabou over the tops of cabbage weeds. It's effective range is probably 3' to 10'. I suppose if one is patient you could let it sink and dredge it up from the depths.


While staying on a remote campsite on Basswood I caught a walleye from shore during a nasty blow by throwing a very similar lure way out and patiently letting it hit bottom and slowly crawling it up the drop off. The fish pushed 7lbs (actually 6.750) but was a very nice walleye caught right in the middle of the day. The pulsating marabou very much comes "alive" with a blade washing water over it. The lure looks uninspiring in the package.........I was prompted to try it after overhearing two anglers talking excitedly while grabbing several in a Bass Pro shop.


I suggest no lighter than 40 braid and 50lb or even 65 over the tops of the cabbage weeds would be even better. This is the lure I rolled my boat with several years ago on a bay in Lake Superior. She buried in the weeds and 25lb test was not sufficient for a big fish. When the line gave way the sudden lurch caused Esox Lucius (" Water Wolf " > my canoes name) to roll over and deposit me and my gear into the drink. "

I like the name of your canoe. Thanks again for the tips.

#5 black fury I don't leave home without one.... 2nd Cyclops in fire tiger another constant in my tackle box

My favorite is the one with a treble hook on the back.

MT I've seen you mention crawling these up a drop off and using them in thick weedbeds. Are those the primary applications? I've never had much luck, except for stream trout, after picking a few of sizes 2-5 up after reading these forums. I've primarily just used them to cast from shore or canoe and fanning an area, letting it sink to different depths and using a steady retrieve. Trolling has also produced nothing. Is there a recommended application and retrieve to using these? Not trying to hijack the thread just hoping to learn. Thanks

mapsguy1955: "My favorite is the one with a treble hook on the back. "

The only ones I ever use!
I get down on the #5 squirrel tale red blade
Now back home in Indy it's #3 Aglia yellow tail with orange, green, yellow blade wherever I go.

QueticoMike: "When I was a kid...

Stopped using it due to the line twists."

I am in the same boat. I used to love Mepps spinners but suffered from line twist. Is there a way to use these spinners without line twist?

Does anyone still use the Mepps Comet? I caught a handful of 40+ inch pike using this lure in Manitoba a few years back. Of course, everyone else was doing the same thing on any other bait they threw out there. But, I have always been partial to the #5 comet for all species.

TBL

Mad_Angler: "

QueticoMike: "When I was a kid...


Stopped using it due to the line twists."

I am in the same boat. I used to love Mepps spinners but suffered from line twist. Is there a way to use these spinners without line twist?"

I use a 12” titanium leader that has a ball bearing swivel on it when I’m fishing with these. I have had no line twist and no bite offs.

Mepps # 3 silver. One hint that I have learned. The older Mepps had red plastic collar on the hook shank. They are using orange plastic for the collars the last few years . In my experience the red outfishes the orange substantially. I have been painting the orange ones to red. I have talked to others who do the same. I know it sounds a little bit excessive, but I am a firm believer that it makes a difference.

Cc26: " "

thats awesome ! almost looks like a shyster spinner. Is it going on a shelf or in the water ? ;)

shock: "

Cc26: " "

thats awesome ! almost looks like a shyster spinner. Is it going on a shelf or in the water ? ;)"

I've had it for 4 years, hasn't been in the water yet. Probably will stay that way :)

#5 Black Fury w/ the yellow trim package. Usually use it to make casts from shore when spending time around camp. Doesn't see too much use otherwise, but it has caught some pike for me. After each cast, I leave about 8' of line dangle for a few seconds to relieve most of the twist.

TheBrownLeader: "Does anyone still use the Mepps Comet? I caught a handful of 40+ inch pike using this lure in Manitoba a few years back. Of course, everyone else was doing the same thing on any other bait they threw out there. But, I have always been partial to the #5 comet for all species.


TBL"

Absolutely! I always have #3 and #5 comet on hand. Had days where those have produced bites from every species on the lake!