As summer slowly gives way to fall, I’m continuing to see strong catches of white bass on the M.A.L. Lure. Despite flood water, the season's first cold front, and 5 straight days of a northeast wind, my clients and I continue to catch white bass.

As I stand side-by-side with my clients, coaching them while observing Garmin LiveScope to inspect fish response to their efforts, I’ve gleaned some valuable lessons which I'm now including in my standard “pre-trip briefing” as my clients arrive and I explain to them what to expect and what to do to be successful during their trip.

Add to this the input, both solicited and unsolicited, which existing M.A.L. Lure users have provided me with, and some very definite trends have emerged.

Although I look forward to continuing to observe and learn, I’d like to report to you, the folks who have purchased nearly 700 M.A.L Lures in about a 5 week span, what I've learned so you can be more successful with your investment in this very effective white bass bait.

My “fear” is that without this information, only good anglers will get better, but average anglers will not enjoy added success and will discount the effectiveness of this lure.

CHECK OUT THE MAL LURE HERE: MAL Lure

What I describe below concerns VERTICAL presentation of the MAL Lure.




1. Fish where the fish are!! I typically will not put a rod rigged with an MAL Lure into my clients’ hands until I have confirmed the presence of feeding fish, either by observation on sonar and/or by results from downrigging tactics I use to cover water and locate concentrations of active fish. Whether you prefer to flatline troll, use dipseys, use Hell-Pet combos, lead-core, or simply search with sonar until you find fish, the key is to find concentrations of biting fish to then capitalize on the situation by using the MAL Lure.

2. Make hay while the sun shines!! Once I see fish in a feeding posture (grouped up and holding slightly off bottom or suspended above the thermocline) and/or once I see fish routinely rising from the level they were holding at up to the level of my downrigger ball passing by, I immediately move the cursor of my Humminbird Solix 15 to those fish, then, with the trolling motor already deployed, send the trolling motor via the i-Pilot Link to Spot-Lock on top of those fish. In the seconds it takes to accomplish this, I hurriedly hand out MAL Lure-equipped rods to my clients, remind them about the fundamentals of the retrieve, and drop my LiveScope transducer pole into the water. The key is to hook one fish before the school moves on or loses interest so that school can be “teased up” into biting repeatedly.

3. Get the spinner blade spinning!! One of the reasons I used a modified Mepps spinner platform for developing the MAL Lure is simply because their spinners spin! That said, it takes a bit of acceleration right at the beginning of a retrieve to get that spinner blade spinning. There is definitely a right way and a wrong way to do this. The right way is to let the MAL Lure settle to bottom, then, with very little slack in the line, turn the reel’s handle hard and fast for just one crank, then, once the rod tip dips down under the strain caused by the spinner blade working, I slow down to the slower retrieve speed the fish indicate they desire, as observed on LiveScope. So, again, the first turn of your handle will be faster than all of the remaining turns in your retrieve. DO NOT make the mistake of jerking your rod tip sharply upwards to start the spinner blade spinning. Doing so will just about guarantee you will not attract any fish which were on or near the bottom. My theory is that they perceive the lure is moving too far too fast for them to overtake, and so they never move a muscle to begin pursuing it. Remember, with the reel I recommend for this tactic (a Pflueger President PRESP25 spinning reel with a 5.2:1 gear ratio), one fast turn moves only 18 inches of line. A sharp upward jerk of the rod moves the lure 4-6 feet, depending on rod length.

4. Don’t waste time reeling too far!! Although this same thing can be accomplished using 2D colored sonar, Garmin LiveScope does a better job of showing the white bass you are after in real time. Wherever the fish are located in the water column, I want to make sure I retrieve the MAL Lure up to AND beyond that level by another 6-8 feet or so. For example, if the fish are holding at 30 feet over a 40 foot bottom, I want to reel up to about the 22-24 foot mark (6-8 feet above the fish). This gives the fish time to see the lure, overtake the lure, and bite the lure. As you observe sonar, so long as a fish is pursuing your bait, keep right on reeling until it either gets hooked, or turns away.

5. Consider a spinning rod!! By and large, spinning rods are more “whippy” than casting rods. I have experimented with several rods and have concluded that stiff rods cost my clients fish. I believe this is particularly true when using braided line. This no-stretch product does not have any “give” like monofilament does. I use it because it is durable and strong, but, I use a limber rod and back off on my drag strength to compensate for its characteristics. The best spinning rod I’ve found is the Berkley Inshore BSINS701ML, 7’, 1-piece spinning rod. A close second is the Fenwick Eagle EA70ML-MFS, 7’, 1-piece spinning rod. Neither will break the bank at around $50 retail.

More tips to follow as I learn the hard way!

CHECK OUT THE MAL LURE HERE: MAL Lure

Concerning the free Aquateko Invisaswivel: I recommend using the 35# Invisaswivel to attach your braided line to your fluorocarbon leader. This will greatly reduce line twist over time.

I’ve worked out an arrangement with the owner of Aquateko, based down in Florida, to provide each angler who purchases one or more MAL Lures on or after 19 September 2020 with a free sample while supplies last (I currently have about 120 of these on hand). I can only afford to send one with your first order made on or after this date.

If you don’t want to buy the MAL Lure, but still want to try a free Invisaswivel, just send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to me at my business address and I’ll send one out to you at no charge:

Holding the Line Guide Service
2328 Pirtle Drive
Salado, TX 76571

If you like the sample, the company has placed a “buy one, get one free” coupon code on the package so you can get these from Aquateko directly at a great price. I have permission to share that code if you are already convinced the product is effective, as I am. This code is good ONLY on the 35-pound swivel.

The code is: MALLURE You just order double the quantity you desire, and the price will be reduced by 50%. Go to www.Aquateko.com.

Nice post!

I've received a few private messages, calls, and emails about the Invisaswivel since posting about using it to rig the MAL Lure, so, I thought I'd show a closeup of one, as well as the improved clinch knots I use to secure my braided main line and my fluorocarbon leader to it.




... and here's a closeup of the same shot...



If you need any clarification, just holler!

See MAL Lure here: MAL

Again, here is the scoop on obtaining a free sample (no, you don't have to buy anything from me or anyone else to get a sample):

Concerning the free Aquateko Invisaswivel: I recommend using the 35# Invisaswivel to attach your braided line to your fluorocarbon leader. This will greatly reduce line twist over time.

I’ve worked out an arrangement with the owner of Aquateko, based down in Florida, to provide each angler who purchases one or more MAL Lures on or after 19 September 2020 with a free sample while supplies last (I currently have about 120 of these on hand). I can only afford to send one with your first order made on or after this date.

If you don’t want to buy the MAL Lure, but still want to try a free Invisaswivel, just send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to me at my business address and I’ll send one out to you at no charge:

Holding the Line Guide Service
2328 Pirtle Drive
Salado, TX 76571

If you like the sample, the company has placed a “buy one, get one free” coupon code on the package so you can get these from Aquateko directly at a great price. I have permission to share that code if you are already convinced the product is effective, as I am. This code is good ONLY on the 35-pound swivel.

The code is: MALLURE You just order double the quantity you desire, and the price will be reduced by 50%. Go to www.Aquateko.com.


[b][/b]

I'll vouch for this set up. Me and my buddy caught 244 fish (237 white bass, 2 hybrid striped bass, 2 largemouth bass, and 3 freshwater drum) in 4 hours of fishing with Bob.

We spent the first hour within sight of the ramp, then hit a couple of other areas.

All in all a great day on the water. Bob is a great instructor and very patient while trying to break me of my bad habits when it came to setting the hook.

Just ordered two packages of the invisiswivels using the code and it worked! I bought two Mal Lures but haven’t found any fish on Lewisville or Tawakoni yet to try them out. I like the weight of them with my light action spinning rig. Hope to get into a school with them soon. Good luck!

UPDATE: As of Dec. 12th I received another batch of single-pack samples from Aquateko, so the "deal" mentioned in the top thread is still on. The coupon code MALLURE will still be valid if you'd like to buy these from Aquateko.

Just go to here: SWIVELS

Thanks!

Update 14 Dec. 2020