When it comes to fishing lures, Mepps is firmly entrenched in the annals of angling history as one of the most renowned companies ever.
The initial inline spinners created by French engineer Andre Muelnart in 1938 sparked a revolution in artificial bait when they arrived in the United States during the 1950s.
It has enabled countless generations of fishermen to land significant catches of trout, walleye, bass, bluegill, muskie, northern pike, and other species using their lures. Millions have been employed over the years.
Today, Mepps still assembles lures by hand at a plant in Wisconsin, and the lures are as popular as ever because they’ve been proven to catch almost anything that swims in both freshwater and saltwater.
In this article, we will discuss a few of our favorite Mepps spinnerbaits and indicate when they are most effective in certain circumstances.
No matter what season you fish or which species you prefer, these lures are essential to your tackle box.
The Best All-Around Option
Pros:
- Simple and easy to use
- Multiple color and blade configurations
- Effective on a range of species
Cons:
- Not the most weedless lure in the world
The Mepps Aglia is truly a classic as its design has remained unchanged since its French debut in 1938. It offers a wide range of striking colour variations from gold to black, yellow, chartreuse, hot firetiger, and hot pink as well as multiple hook configurations such as single hook, plain treble, or dressed treble.
The plain models may look ordinary but they offer plenty of flash and vibration to imitate an injured minnow.
If the plain one isn’t working, switch to the dressed one for some pulsating action that will definitely trigger lots of bites.
Suitable for freshwater species across North America, you never really know what you’re reeling in until it’s close!
While small sizes are suitable for panfish to bass, the Aglia is known above all else as an effective trout lure.
To ensure success in various conditions pick up a trouter kit with six spinners available in various configurations. Just be cautious when fishing near weeds – these lures are not particularly weedless.
The Best for Low-Light Conditions
Pros:
- Tight action and vibration
- A variation for multiple species
Cons:
- The darker coloration is most effective in low light
- Painted blades don’t offer a lot of flash
As you can see by the beat-up condition of two of my Black Furies in the photo above, these lures can withstand a beating and keep catching fish. Mepps makes many variations of this bait.
For largemouth bass, the black and fluorescent red dot is recommended, and the undressed version for trout and salmon.
These fishing spinners have black blades that are ideal for nighttime or low-light conditions. Mepps designed the Black Fury blade to rotate slightly closer to the body, creating a tighter action and vibration. Because of this, it’s easier to work in shallow and weedy areas. They’re billed as weedless by Mepps.
Mepps does design a combo version that features Mister Twister trailers for a slightly different variation on the traditional soft plastic presentation.
These Mepps spinners are available in six different color variations for the blades and four different hook setups. You can also choose from six different sizes and a double blade variation for a little extra vibration. These spinners are also available as lure kits from Mepps, so you can get the most out of them.
The Best for Pike and Muskie
Pros:
- Proven track record for muskie and pike
- Bevy of variations and color schemes
Cons:
- Price
With the Musky Killer, you’ll have no trouble catching big pike and muskie with a quality bucktail inline spinner. To withstand the hard thrashing of a big pike or muskie on the end of the line, Mepps built these lures with beefier components than many of their other lures.
With these baits, you can cast or troll them, so they’re really versatile. You can match up these spinners to the natural forage of the waters you’re fishing by choosing from literally dozens of different colored bucktail and spinner blade combinations available from Mepps.
There is a variant “bait” series line for everything from shad and trout to walleye and perch, as well as a tandem hook setup for pike and muskies that simply swipe at the tail end of the bait.
It will greatly increase your chances of hooking those fish. For those looking for truly big muskie and pike, consider throwing the Magnum muskie killer, which comes in massive, 114- and 134-ounce varieties with huge, #7 brass blades that provide flash and vibration that drives big fish wild.
With big baits comes a big price tag of $14.99 each for the standard Musky Killer and $28.99 for the Magnum.
The Best Fast-Water Spinner
Pros:
- A different style of vibration from other spinners
- Perfect for faster-moving rivers
Cons:
- Slightly less effective in ponds and placid waters
Mepps designed these spinners for deep waters and fast-moving waters, such as those found in some of the best trout streams in North America. “XD” stands for extra deep.
Instead of using a brass clevis component to attach the blade to the shaft of the spinner, the XD uses a blade that goes straight through the shaft.
They also allow retrieval of the lure at a variety of speeds, which makes them distinctly different from their other spinners.
A small red bead between the spinner and the hook helps add a wounded baitfish element to the bait, which makes it work better in faster rivers and streams.
Mepps offers dozens of variations on color and hook configurations. Try the plain version for trout in streams and high-elevation lakes, or the dressed version for fast-water river smallmouths.
In quieter waters, such as farm ponds, they are less effective, but I suspect it is because there is too much vibration. For fast-moving, noisy rivers, it is one of the most effective options.
The Most Realistic Inline Spinner
Pros:
- Realistic soft body combined with a spinner
- Effective on a variety of species
Cons:
- Price
- Soft body can get torn up by toothier fish
My family has been using the Comet Mino for decades now and it is one of our go-to lures when all else fails.
I personally have always found the classic shad color scheme to be very effective when fishing northern lakes. Mepps offers color schemes that resemble rainbow trout, bass, and yellow perch, as well as a larger-size “Giant Killer” variation that is dynamite on pike and muskie.
The company has recently introduced a Black Fury variant that features the soft body combined with the blades to create a wonderful low-light combination.
My dad had one where a pike bit the body in half during a northern fishing trip because of the soft body of the Mino.
My only con is that the Comet is slightly more expensive than the Minos I’ve used in the past. Most of the Minos I’ve used have withstood years of abuse from all sorts of species.
As well as the cost of labor, I suspect the issue is related to supply chains and the cost of hand-assembling these things in the states.
Having said that, a Comet Mino is well worth the admission price for how many times it has salvaged what otherwise may have been a failed fishing trip. This is one of my favorite lures ever.
Sources: Wideopenspaces
