Mepps Lures for Big Bass
By Todd Plath, Mepps Regional Sales Manager

Ask any fisherman in North America what his or her favorite species of fish is to pursue and chances are a member of the bass family will be near or on top of the list. Be it largemouth, smallmouth, white, striped or spotted. Mepps spinners catch bass, and have often accounted for line class or state record catches. Smallmouth bass fishermen have long known that a Mepps Aglia, Thunder Bug, or XD spinner cast into a cool, fast running stream or clear, deep lake is dynamite spring through fall.

When white bass go into the spring spawning runs up creeks and rivers branching out of natural lakes and reservoirs, fishermen know that a Mepps Comet Mino or Lightnin spinner provokes bone crushing strikes from these schooling predators.     What some largemouth bass fishermen don't know is that the Mepps spinner is one of the top "secret" lures of many guides and pro bass fishermen. Over the years Mepps Aglias, Comet Minos and WeedMasters have caught some of the largest bass taken in famous big bass waters from Texas to Minnesota, California to Virginia.

Mepps spinners are perfect for pre-spawn, bedding and summer pattern largemouths due to the subtle presentation made by in-line spinners. So often in southern and northern impoundments and lakes, largemouth bass are bombarded by boat after boat full of fishermen throwing safety-pin style spinner baits emitting thunderous sound and vibration while being retrieved at the speed of light. In-line spinners excel in these pressured situations and during cold front, post storm front and bluebird days which generally cause a tough bite and fishing conditions.

The flash, sound and soft thump of a smaller spinner gives a more natural, less aggressive profile which often triggers neutral largemouths into striking.

In more aggressive feeding situations which occur during warmer water summer patterns, largemouth and striped bass crave larger spinners such as the #5 Aglia, either dressed (B5ST) or plain (B5). The dressed #5 Black Fury (BF5T) is also an excellent lure choice. These spinners are superior because their larger profiles imitate the larger forage found at this time of year. A couple proven examples of this are fishermen using Mepps Musky Killers or Giant Killers for stripers chasing schools of shad on southern impoundments, or Texas fishermen throwing Musky Killers for monster largemouth on famous Lake Fork because they simulate fleeing shad and crappies.

Smallmouth fishing in the mid to northern states is often associated with rivers or streams, reservoirs and natural lakes. In rivers and streams, nothing beats a Mepps Aglia for shallow to mid-depth presentations around boulders, downed timber, wingdams, rip-rap or any other current deflecting objects.

Smallmouth bass will hold above, next-to or behind this structure to opportunistically ambush insects, minnows and crawfish. In very shallow water situations, the Mepps Thunder Bug spinner in sizes #1 and #2, fished slow and precise, are excellent choices to hit Mr. Smallmouth in these narrow feeding windows. The XD spinner in size #2 or #3 is a pure weapon of the serious smallmouth hunter, pulling big brutes out of deep water pockets, current breaks or deep submerged stump fields. Lake fishermen will find Mepps Aglias, XD's and Lightnin spinners to be outstanding for shallow structure-hugging smallmouths during the spring and low light conditions or shallow water feeding sprees during the summer.

Spotted bass will often use faces of submerged bluffs to corral schools of shad in southern impoundments. This is an ideal situation for using an Aglia or Lightnin with a fast retrieve. A deep running XD also works well. These spinners will simulate panicked shad trying to flee the aggressive "spots." Guides and pro fishermen alike make a special spot in their tackle boxes and at the end of their lines for Mepps spinners; the secret is out! Get yourself some Mepps and hang on, you just could be tangling with that big bass of your dreams.