With close to 2,400 MAL Lures put in anglers' hands since July of this year, most of whom learned of the lure from this Whites-Hybrids-Stripers TFF Forum, I thought I should update you on what is working for me now that the water has cooled.

I put this MAL Lure video together today, 23 Dec. 2020, to show the posture of white bass in a feeding mode in cool (55F) water. They are NOT always like this. But, when they get like this, I've found the MAL Lure far outperforms slabs. In this sub-58F water, slabs are now my go-to presentation when fish are tight to the bottom and refuse to chase upwards. Each time I find white bass and/or hybrids on sonar, I evaluate their attitude by dropping a lure (slab or MAL) down to them and observing their reaction using Garmin LiveScope. Enjoy!

Please click on the link BELOW the photo...




[img]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViVz6D91brM[/img]

If the video won't play for you by clicking on the link above, try clicking on the arrow in the center of the image below...




Find my white and chartreuse MAL Lures and my Hazy Eye Slabs with stinger hooks here: White Bass Tools

I share Bob's enthusiasm for the MAL lure and used it yesterday the 23'd to catch and release a full limit of white bass on Lake Belton. I found fish chasing and birds working in the BLORA area and used the vertical retrieve to catch all of my fish. It has become my go-to technique that caught fish 4 to 1 compared to the 5 boats fishing slabs next to me. I recommend that everyone try it and see if it doesn't improve your catching results. Good luck and tight lines. Merry Christmas to all.

Have not had a chance use mine on whites but did catch two small spotted bass on Grapevine looking for sandies.

The extra weight has to be a plus vs traditional Mepps and having to add a pinch weight . IMO the pinched weight causes one to incorporate a longer tag line in order to feel the lure not the weight .

You can't fish a regular Mepps vertically with a pinched weight on because it will tangle up. For me, with a number 4, I don't need a weight - it falls fast enough in water up to 28 ft. I am going to fish today and try to do a test. When I'm on fish, can I catch more in 20 minutes with the MAL vs regular Mepps 4? I think the regular Mepps 4 starts spinning more readily at slow speeds than the MAL. But I have to wait longer for it to get to the bottom. If I can get the MAL to start spinning as readily as the regular #4, then I should be able to catch more fish in the 20 minutes. I'll post my results back here.

Bob has this lure and fish activity dialed in! Our trip with him was outstanding -- 244 fish landed in 4 hours of fishing.

Looks like a great day to be out Dennis.

Was a nice day to be out indeed. I was not able to make the comparison because I couldn't stay over fish to fish them vertically - they kept moving and dispersing. What I did do was time how long it took a regular Mepps 4 and the MAL Mepps to reach the bottom in 23 fow. Eleven seconds for the regular Mepps 4 and 8 seconds for the MAL. I also could make the MAL blade spin slowly enough to catch fish on the bottom like I work the regular Mepps. So, I am hopeful the MAL will increase the catch rate. I'll keep trying to do the comparison.

I was out from 11:45 AM until 4 PM and caught 40 whites, 3 hybrids to 21 inches, and a yellow bass. Most of these were caught by casting and working the Mepps back to the boat along the bottom. One place I caught them was Key Ranch Drop-off in 13 to 15 fow. Interestingly, the fish would balk at a #4 Mepps, so I put on a 2, and that's what I caught the 3 hybrids on plus 7 big white bass. The other places I caught them were Long Ridge West in 23 fow, 3-Jug Hump in 20 fow, and Merimac Point in 19 fow. I caught 24 all big white bass at Merimac and left still catching them.