What is a MAL lure?

It is a Maindelle Allpurpose Lure. It was created by Bob Maindelle by working with Mepps Lure Co. and customized to Bob's specifications. He is the owner of Holding The Line guide service and operates mostly on Lake Belton. It is essentially a Mepps #4 agela spinner with a heavier body so that it sinks faster. If you look up Bob, he has plenty of examples on his web site.

A few years back Mepps came out with a Mepps Aglia #4 Long Cast lure. It had a heavier body to make it easier to cast and sink faster. Bob Maindelle modified that lure slightly to make it work better for white bass. I believe he changed the treble hook size and maybe something else. He got the Mepps company to make his version and put his name on it and now he sells them. I believe you have to order them from him or buy them at a store where he has stocked them.

Poppa, Bob Maindelle here. Both Belton Bill and Dennis have informed you correctly (thank you, fellows). The MAL Lure is an intentionally heavily-weighted inline spinner made for me by Mepps in Antigo, WI, specifically for white bass. I feel that, once the water temperature in Texas hits ~60F (around the beginning of April) and until it cools below 60F (around mid-December), this lure will outperform traditional white bass lures such as slabs, horsehead jigs, tailspinners, and lighter-weight spinners.

Working closely with Mepps, we started with a version of one of Mepps lures which was closest to the lure I developed over a span of about 3 years by tinkering with lead molds, tungsten components, different spinner blade types, etc. That version was the Mepps Long Cast lure (which is normally used on the West Coast for salmon and big trout).

Here's what we did to modify the Long Cast...

1) We used as heavy a body as possible to make the sink rate as fast as possible. The first two versions of the MAL (Original and Heavy) used the original brass body by Mepps. Now, on the third version, the MAL Dense, we use lead bodies which I supply to get these lures to sink even more quickly.

2) We used color combinations attractive to white bass (silver, white, and chartreuse)

3) We reduced the hook size to a #4 treble to increase the strike-to-land ratio and used quality, VMC hooks

4) We added a short piece of glow tubing to the shank of the treble hook in order to reduce the number of "blade strikes", where fish nip at the blade, but miss the hook

5) We kept the overall profile small to match the ~3.25" length of a mature threadfin shad by using Mepps' #4 French blade (the Aglia version), which, of the three blades they produce, starts most quickly and with the least amount of effort due to the designed angle at which it hangs away from the spinner's shaft.

I can't say enough about the great folks at Mepps. Their components, experience, and willingness to experiment helped make a good thing even better.


The MAL Lure is now available in three weights. The Original is the lightest, and the one most choose for topwater or shallow (<12') water work.

The MAL Heavy is the mid-weight. It is the most popular in terms of product sales. It can be counted down, smoked vertically, or sawtoothed horizontally in as much as 25-30+ feet of water.

The MAL Dense is the heavy-weight at 0.88 ounces. It is the only one with a lead body. It can be counted down, smoked vertically, or sawtoothed horizontally in as much as 50-60+ feet of water.

Here is where you can find them if you are interested in trying: MAL Lures

Here is a comparison chart/picture guide, followed by links to tutorial videos.



Here is a video I put together on the Smoking Tactic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDSvfXgrAUE

And, here is a video I put together on the Sawtooth Method: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC3FMEQHOMQ