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Mepps MAL Lure Tips Series: Tip #13 #14421984 07/17/22 12:25 AM
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Tip #13: Use landmarks while fishing the MAL Lure horizontally to maintain contact with fish you have located.

To ensure thorough coverage of the bottom in areas where side-imaging has revealed fish spread across the lake’s bottom (typically on shallower, flatter underwater terrain), I will intentionally work the MAL Lure with horizontal casting from left to right or right to left. Once the lure lands, I will note some object on the shoreline in line with me and the point where the lure landed – perhaps a particular tree or a hilltop. If I catch a fish on that cast, I can use that visual reference point to cast to that same area again until it no longer produces.

Once an area no longer produces, I will then continue working to the left or right, each time noting landmarks in this manner. It is not uncommon to take multiple fish while orienting on a single visual reference point.

[Linked Image]


Let’s break the above drawing down.

1. Note the wind is blowing from the direction of the shoreline, thus, if the boat is on Spot-Lock, your nose will be pointing into the wind.

2. As I begin fancasting, I start from the left (casting toward the house) and move right.

3. While casting, I contact fish from “School A”. As soon as I make contact, I make note of some object beyond the fish, in line with both my boat and the fish. In this case, that is the cell tower.

4. Cast after cast I will continue to cast toward the cell tower until that school of fish plays out.

5. Once I go 3-4 casts without action, I will continue fancasting to the right until I contact more fish.

6. In this case, I contact a fish from another school (“School B”) and immediately take note that the dock lies inline with me and the fish, and is positioned beyond the fish.

7. Cast after cast I will continue to cast toward the dock until that school of fish plays out.

8. After I have worked all of the water I feel holds potential, I’ll crank up and, relying on side-imaging, continue looking for addition areas to work in a like manner.



[Linked Image]

GIVE THE MAL LURE A TRY: SEE ALL MAL LURES HERE
If you have tips of your own, feel free to respond to this post, or send a private message. I will give credit where credit is due!

A LITTLE BACKGROUND: This is one in a series of tips posted for the summer of 2022. These helpful suggestions are borne out of thousands of hours of on-the-water experience in pursuing white bass and hybrid striped bass in Texas using the in-line spinners in the MAL Lure family. With tens of thousands of the MAL Lures now in use (and most of those in Texas!) I want to help give current and future MAL Lure users their best shot at catching fish by sharing what I've discovered 'the hard way' in hopes of reducing your own learning curve. These tips are in no particular order.


[Linked Image]
Bob Maindelle, 254-368-7411
Holding The Line Guide Service
Bob@HoldingTheLineGuideService.com
Stillhouse & Belton
Ask About Trips for Kids


Re: Mepps MAL Lure Tips Series: Tip #13 [Re: Holding The Line] #14422018 07/17/22 01:45 AM
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Bob, based on your pic, do you regularly cast into the wind?

I will use similar tactics but I fish out of the back of the boat so I can make longer casts with the wind and cover more water quicker. I also like my line with the wind when fishing the sawtooth method so I can feel/see bites better.


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Re: Mepps MAL Lure Tips Series: Tip #13 [Re: Windbreaker] #14422028 07/17/22 01:57 AM
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Originally Posted by Windbreaker
Bob, based on your pic, do you regularly cast into the wind?

I will use similar tactics but I fish out of the back of the boat so I can make longer casts with the wind and cover more water quicker. I also like my line with the wind when fishing the sawtooth method so I can feel/see bites better.


Windbreaker, I agree with you that casting downwind is ideal, and, if possible, I will certainly do so. As you know, sometimes you have to settle for less than ideal. The point of this "tip" was to encourage folks to mentally mark where the fish they encounter are located so as many can be caught before they move on.

If you have any other tips for better seeing or feeling bites, please share. Using braid (over mono or fluoro) definitely helps detect bites. Using a smooth reel definitely helps detect bites. If you have a favorite rod, based on sensitivity, I'd love to hear about that as well!

Thanks!


[Linked Image]
Bob Maindelle, 254-368-7411
Holding The Line Guide Service
Bob@HoldingTheLineGuideService.com
Stillhouse & Belton
Ask About Trips for Kids


Re: Mepps MAL Lure Tips Series: Tip #13 [Re: Holding The Line] #14422079 07/17/22 03:36 AM
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Re: Mepps MAL Lure Tips Series: Tip #13 [Re: Holding The Line] #14424278 07/19/22 03:21 PM
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Windbreaker Offline
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Bob,

Since I do not get out as often as you do, I’m not quite as technical about this as you are. However, in reading your stuff, I have learned to be more technical about things. So thank you!!

I primarily fish the sawtooth method with a baitcaster spoiled with braid. On the lake I fish, I have noticed that in the spring, summer months the fish will hit the bait as I reel up off the bottom. If I feel a tap on the line, I will drop back down, and I know the fish will hit it again on the next retrieve and so I’m ready.

This past fall season, I noticed that many of the bites happened when I free spooling and the bait is dropping. I keep my rod pointed directly at my line, as to create a straight line. This means when the fish hit, I can feel it all the way to the reel because there is no resistance at the rod rip. When I’m free spooling, I cannot feel this In my reel. This is where your very technical approach to fishing has helped me. I will be very consistent with my retrieve. 3-4 reels, drop, 3-4 reels, drop….anytime I see my line jump or move differently, it’s a fish. I reel down and set the hook. Because the fish are hitting it on the drop, I cannot feel it, I can see it, so it’s important that the wind is not effecting this by Boeing my line and this why I fish directly with the wind out of the back of the boat.

I use to fish RC and I could find fish all the time in big schools and catch them non-stop often times. At this lake I’m at now, for whatever reason, I cannot find groups of feeding fish. There will be small schools of fish often spread out. I can put a good. Umber of fish in the boat with long cast covering a lot of water. It seems really strange to me. But I am often catching fish while others are not. So I feel very fortunate to put fish in the boat most days.


Bob, maybe you could speak more to the fall bite being different? Do you notice that on Belton or SH? I wonder if it’s specific to this lake.

P.S. My father and mother live in Killeen, 10 mins from the Cedar Gap Park. I bought him a boat so that when I visit we can get out and fish. He is still “remodeling” the boat. So when it’s done and I’m down there, I might be asking for some help!

Thanks Bob! I appreciate you and the others that share their wisdom here!


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