3 Ways to Work America's Newest White Bass Lure

If you, like me, have been frustrated at working to find summertime white bass and hybrids only to have them refuse your slab, jig, tailspinner, etc., or just react half-heartedly to those lures, join me in giving the new MAL Lure a try.



I developed this lure with the assistance of Mepps specifically for summertime white bass and hybrid stripers. It has a unique combination of colors, blade size, hook size, hook dressing, and, most importantly, body weight, which makes it sink faster than any other inline spinner I have experimented with. These are available only on my website***.

So, here are three ways to use the MAL (Maindelle's All-purpose Lure)...

Here's a link: MAL LURE

1. Smoking - smoking simply consists of dropping your lure to the bottom and quickly retrieving it back toward the surface. Although you can smoke "blind", I never do, nor would I recommend it. Instead, save the smoking until you see fish holding beneath your boat, either on bottom (best) or suspended. I like to find fish by downrigging, and then capitalize on what I've found by Spot-Locking atop the fish I've just located, and then working them over with a smoking tactic until they quit.

I use the smoking tactic in combination with either well-tuned 2D sonar or Garmin LiveScope. I want to see the fish, my MAL Lure, and the fishes' response to what I do. I always use this tactic with my boat in a steady hover atop the fish I am fishing for, using Spot-Lock.

No matter where the fish are, I want to make sure my smoking retrieve gives them a minimum of 6-8 feet of "chase distance" upwards toward the surface from the depth they are holding in the water column. For example, if I see fish holding at 24 feet over a 30 foot bottom, I will drop the MAL to the bottom and reel up to around the 16-18 foot mark so the fish not only see the bait, but also have a chance to start after it, overtake it, and eat it.

The cadence is the same as for sight casting -- a bit more than one reel handle revolution per second. Again, as with sight casting, resist the urge to do a hard hookset.

When the fish disappear from sonar, it is time to look for more fish. I suggest not sitting in one spot "hoping" the fish will come back. Once the fish go more than 3-4 minutes off of sonar, move!


2. Sight-casting - some may wonder, "Is catching fish feeding on topwater really such a challenge that whatever I usually use wouldn't do just fine?" I would suggest this lure works as good or better than other shad-imitators for this application. As a guide, I found myself bringing a number of sets of rods for each summertime trip -- rods for downrigging, rods for vertical jigging, rods for sight-casting, rods for horizontal bladebait work, etc. Now, having one lure I can use horizontally and vertically, and from top to bottom, I can take one set of rods for all of the above, plus 2 of my super-whippy downrigger rods, and have the entire trip covered.

To sight cast with the MAL Lure, I try to drift with the wind into the fish (not run them down with the trolling motor). The weight of the MAL Lure is such that with a well-filled spinning reel, you can cast a country mile. You've all probably noted how, when fish are on the surface, they keep a buffer between your boat and themselves. The distance this lure casts more than overcomes that distance.

I try to cast beyond all of the topwater commotion and bring the lure back through it at a fast, steady cadence. Resist jigging, juking, jiving, or jerking. A plain-Jane retrieve helps the fishes' pea-sized brain calculate a simple angle of pursuit so they can be successful in overtaking the lure.

As soon as the lure hits the water, close your bail by hand (don't use the reel's handle to accomplish this). This will get the lure coming back to you before it sinks too far, and, as a bonus, will cut down on wind knots for those who use braid. Retrieve at a fast, steady cadence. Turn slightly more than one handle rotation per second. Keep your rod tip low to the water -- no more than 10 inches off the surface. This will keep it from skipping out of the water on a fast retrieve, and will keep it submerged until it is right near the boat, giving you a shot at a fish right up until you remove the lure from the water to load up for another cast.

Once you get a strike, resist the urge to set the hook. Setting the hook (especially if you use zero-stretch braided line) will often jerk the hook away from the fish before it gets hooked. Since white bass and hybrid stripers are a schooling fish, you not only jerk the lure away from the fish you missed, but also from the 5 or 6 other fish which were following in close order. Once you make that jerk and the lure accelerates away from that pack, the pack turns away and you've blown your opportunity.

To recap for sightcasting:

-Drift to them, don't run them down
-Fill your spool to capacity
-Cast over all the fish you can and retrieve through as many as you can
-Keep the lure high in the water and your rod tip low and steady.
-Keep reeling until a fish is hooked without doing a hard, sweeping hookset



3. Lift-Dropping - lift-dropping involves retrieving the MAL Lure back to the boat horizontally after making a long cast and allowing the lure to sink to the bottom. The lift-dropping action resembles a saw-tooth pattern. This tactic can be used from a Spot-Lock position, or casting downwind while drifting. Do not cast upwind while drifting.

After casting, leave the spinning reel's bail open so the lure sinks quickly and straight down. Once the lure settles on the bottom, close the bail by hand (this will prevent problematic loops from forming in braided line). Next, turn the handle to take up any slack and, once the line is taut, reel 6-8 cranks, thus bringing the bait off the bottom at an angle, headed back toward the boat.

Once those 6-8 handle cranks are done, manually open the bail again, allowing the lure to return to the bottom. Repeat the cranking and bail opening process until the lure is nearly vertical beneath the boat. As you bring the lure back to the boat the final time, reel at a moderate cadence. A lot of reluctant fish which follow your bait back to the boat will strike at this point in time.

This tactic works best for me when fish are horizontally spread over a shallow, flat area, up to about 17 feet deep. Beyond that depth, even a long cast fails to cover much horizontal distance along the bottom, and the efficacy of the tactic drops off.

If you haven't given one of these a try, I ask you to do so. Here's a link: MAL LURE

Here's what I use for tackle. It isn't necessary that you duplicate this exactly, but, you want a spinning rod with some whip to it, and a 2000 or 2500-series or smaller reel. Always use a swivel. I like the Invisaswivel, but a good old metal swivel is just fine.

My gear: My favorite pairing for this incredibly effective bait is to use Sufix 832 Advanced Superline (a braid) in 20 pound test, attached to a clear, 35-pound test Aquateko Invisaswivel, which is then attached to a ~24-inch fluorocarbon leader in 25-pound test. A swivel is necessary to eliminate line twist, and the Invisaswivel is easier on your rod’s tip than metallic swivels.

I use a Berkley Inshore BSINS701ML, 7’, 1-piece spinning rod with a Pflueger President PRESP25 spinning reel (5.2:1 gear ratio).


*** While the MAL Lure is available only on my website, I want everyone to know I am charging EXACTLY the same amount per lure as Mepps charges for their similar baseline spinner which is NOT modified specifically for white bass and hybrids. Additionally, for you in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia and other locations in the SE and SW, my fixed shipping rate of $4.70 regardless of quantity will be quite welcome.

I welcome your constructive input.

Glad they worked for you, been using them for years

Have you ever attempted using these behind downriggers? It is on my "to do" list, but, with bookings as they are, I think I won't get freed up until the water is too cool for downrigging and may have to wait until next season to experiment. Thanks! -Bob

Nice baits.

Dear Mr. Maindelle, since you ask for constructive input: I've been using Mepps Aglias #2,3 and 4 for this purpose since 1976; I have had an article on the subject at Mepps web site about this method since 2009; Ray Sasser published an article about this method and me in 2009 in the Dallas Mornng News; I've had a video on You Tube showing how to use the #4 since 2013; I just put out a video on using a #2 last Sunday; I have posted detailed "How to" Mepps tutorial articles from time to time since 2009; and I've won several white bass tournaments using the Mepps technique. I say this so you hopefully will respect my feedback.

First, the lure you show looks similar if not identical to the Mepps Aglia Longcast, which came out several years ago, and you are representing it as something brand new. So, is it any different and, if so, how is it different.

Second, when the Longcast came out, it looked like a good idea - it was heavier than a regular Aglia so you could cast it easier and farther. I bought several of them in various body colors and gave them a good try. What I found is that, compared to a regular Aglia, they hesitate spinning at the start of the retrieve. That definitely affected the presentation and fish did not bite it as readily as the regular Aglia. So, I have stayed with the regular Aglia and it continues to work great.

Please read my and Ray's articles, look at my videos (See my signature block), and look at some of my posts on the forum. I have been trying to educate forum users on this method since 2009 and many have learned to use it. This is a great fishing method for white bass, hybrids and stripers, and I welcome your help in promoting it. Just wanted you to be aware the Mepps method is not new to the forum. If, after reviewing the Mepps method I have been promoting, you have something new, different or better, then point that out to us. Sincerely, Dennis Christian

Dennis, good to hear from you. The MAL is, indeed, based on the LongCast model as I've indicated in other TFF posts, and on the technical data sheet that comes supplied with the lure.

As I mentioned in this and other TFF posts, Mepps (in particular Mrs. Powell and Mr. Laurent) was very accommodating in taking my feedback and adapting the LongCast inline spinner to modify it specifically for white bass and hybrid striped bass. The variations you've asked about are as follows, there are four of them:

1. The treble hook size is smaller than a standard #4 LongCast comes packaged with, as I found during my 2 years' worth of experimentation that the larger treble led to a lot of strikes which did not result in fish being landed. I refer to these as "blade strikes", where the fish hits the spinning blade, but not from the rear, thus avoiding getting hooked.




2. In my initial experiments, I simply cut the standard treble hook off of a LongCast and replaced it with a more appropriately sized treble, but had to make the connection using a split ring. As I moved the hook a slight bit rearward (by the length of the split ring), I noted that "blade strikes" increased even more. This led me to add a "dressing" to the hook. This dressing is the pearlescent tubing you see on the shank of the treble hook. I found that by adding the tubing as a focal point, the fish had a visual target at the end of the lure to "aim" at. When Mepps willingly modified the MAL with a smaller treble, we kept the tubing in place, as it had proven itself during experimentation.

3. The color combinations I use in the MAL lure are not standard in the Mepps lineup and cannot be ordered from the catalog or online. You simply will not find a silver body/white tail/ pearl dressing, nor will you find a silver body / chartreuse tail / pearl dressing combination offered. These four colors: white, chartreuse, silver, and pearl are staples for whites and hybrids, and so I wanted to put them into a "package" just right for those species. In fairness, a silver/chartreuse combo is available, but, it will come with oversized hooks and no dressing on the hook -- a combo ripe for missed fish due to blade strikes. I offer these modified versions at the same exact price as Mepps charges for non-modified versions. I did not in any way want price to be a stumbling block to anglers trying this very effective, new bait.

4. Compared to the Aglia line you have mentioned (and dozens of other makes and models), the body weight of the MAL Lure is much greater, leading to a much faster sink rate and a more efficient lure which makes "appearances" at the bottom where the fish typically hold many more times over a given period of time than the much slower sinking models.

Beyond all of that, as I experimented with a number of brands and a number of models from those brands, the Aglia you've mentioned was one I experimented with. The sink rate was simply way too slow. Adding "ballast" in the form of sinkers, split-shot, etc. led to an unacceptable number of tangles. Having a #4 blade with a 5/8 oz. body (which the MAL has) greatly improves the sink rate. In the Central Texas reservoirs I primarily fish (Belton, Stillhouse, Georgetown, Buchanan, etc.) the deep, clear water really necessitates a fast sink rate. Thus far, several guides on shallower lakes such as Richland Chambers and Fort Phantom Hill have given me positive feedback about this fast sink rate, even though it is not nearly so critical for them.

Finally, concerning blade start up, this can be an issue if you reel too slowly, but, as I advise and "coach" my clients, if you simply make one hard, fast turn of the reel's handle at the beginning of the retrieve, that blade start up issue becomes a thing of the past. Once the blade starts turning, it will stay turning as very slow speeds -- this speaks to the quality of the Mepps product and was the major reason I went with them versus other manufacturers whose products I had experimented with.

Often the blade start up issue is caused by a bent spinner shaft creating more resistance than a straight shaft. If I note one angler's spinner is not working while he/she is doing everything else right, this is, 9 times out of 10, the culprit. The shaft is typically bent during rough handling as a difficult-to-remove hook is dislodged from a fish. Fortunately, all is not lost, as the shaft can be hand-straightened with little pressure required.

I hope you see there are some definite distinctions between the MAL Lure and "over the counter" Mepps models. I worked earnestly for several years to develop this and to bring this to market, and even tried making my own lures using tungsten and other "heavy" components before investing in the MAL. Although you sound quite satisfied with the Aglia, I wonder if you might consider that something, also with Mepps DNA in it, might work even better for you?

Regardless, I hope you will agree with me that the average white bass angler will be well served to add an inline spinner to their arsenal, and especially so in the summer months.

See it here: MAL Lure


Sincerely, --Bob Maindelle

Thanks for the prompt response and explanations. Since you have made some improvements, I will give your new version a try and let you know what I find out. If your changes eliminate the spin hesitation, and assuming your bait does not diminish the catch rate in some other way, then it will be a great improvement because of the easier cast and faster fall rate. We are in agreement that the Mepps method is a great technique. For me it is year round. In August and September, when the shad are small and most folks it seems go to trolling, using a #2 as in my demo, is a fun way to still catch them by casting. I'll send you an order shortly. Dennis

Thanks, Dennis! Just out of curiosity, have you ever tried downrigging with any of the Mepps products? It was one of the things I wanted to do this season, but, given my booking calendar, I don't feel there is enough "warm water season" left to give this a good try. Typically, downrigging success falls off sharply once the thermocline breaks down in October.


I would never experiment with clients aboard, so, I am limited to days without clients to do my experimentation.


Again, thanks, and, of all the input I stand to get on this MAL Lure, I would value yours highly since you've got so much prior experience going into it.

--Bob

Since I don't like trolling, I have never downigged.

Great read and good discussion! Thanks Bob and DC!

Couple years ago, I modified the original 1/4 oz #4  to heavier 3/8, 1/2, and 3/4 oz bodies. I wanted heavier weight to sink faster and cast further. But I noticed the higher the weight, the harder the initial spin.  So I settled with the 3/8 oz body , made a batch of #4 size blades with (solid) white straw dressing and caught good sandies and hybrids  on it.  Anyways, I ordered more of the same #4 “French” blades from Barlows and that batch somehow didn’t spin as well as prior batch. So I gave up on making them and just use the original plain mepps.  Now I add a 1/8 oz or 1/4 oz egg lead weight about 18 “ on top of the mepps to make it sink a little faster and I can get to spin fine.  Also, I tend to spend more time scanning shallower waters 25 fow or less for mepps fishing.  For deeper fishing, I think the MAL may be preferred. My

This has quickly become my go to lure for white bass right now on the dog days of summer! Curious to try them on hybrids next time I get into a school of them. I bet I’ve caught 200 white bass on them in the last two or three trips when I wasn’t even dedicating much time or effort to white bass. Excellent action! Can work em fast or slow and have great results depending what the fish are wanting that day. Casting for top water fish, working the bottom of the lake, or vertical presentations.....the MAL does it all exceptionally well and hardly misses fish. I typically like heavier baits so steered away from using rooster tail spin baits in the past but this one suits my needs well and is a reasonable weight. I absolutely love the color choice by the way! I almost wish it was even a touch heavier but the weight probably would compromise the action of the bait and lose out on the versatility the MAL currently offers or increase tangling so you may very well have found the “sweet spot” already. Speaking of tangling, I don’t think I’ve had one bait tangle yet when that use to be a big problem with similar baits I’ve tried in the past.

Bob Maindelle may not have reinvented the wheel with this bait but he made a better mouse trap without a doubt. I plan to try trolling it on my downrigger in the following week or two for curiousity but I’m sure they will slay em!

I have been using the MAL lures on Whitney with some success on topwater bites on both whites and stripers. I love the distance I am getting on my casts using a 7ft MH saltwater rod with a 2500 Presidente. I feel like i am still in the learning stage on this lure with 6 or 7 sessions on it on topwater bites. I have found that it helps to reduce the speed some after the initial quick start to get it spinning. I think once i reach the balance point of speed and depth it will be deadly. I have had several strikes right at the boat as I was slowing the retrieve down at the end. I have not been in a good situation to test the vertical method on schooling whites but I have been vertical jigging one between two live baits like i sometimes do with a magnum flutter spoon. so far i've taken one legal and several small stripers that way but to be fair ,the striper fishing has been difficult for me the last few trips on whitney and i think I will do better with it as the fishing improves with some cooler weather. Having read DC,s articles and trying the Mepps method some in the past I wonder about the difference between spinning and baitcasting rigs using this lure. I have only fished it with a spinning rig but I seem to remember that DC prefers the baitcast rigs with the Mepps lures. Input from DC would be interesting on this , especialy after he gets a chance to try the MAL.

In my opinion you lose a lot of feel/touch in a spinning reel. Much if not most of the time the bite on a Mepps is very subtle. A very smooth action bait casting reel allows you to feel the light bite better. The people I try to teach the Mepps method to who use spinning reels just can't learn it. To increase the feel, when I retrieve a Mepps, I often will hold the casting reel in the palm of my left hand and hold the line gently between my left index finger and thumb. You can't do that with a spinning reel. A good quality spincast reel will work well also. I don't think this point will be any different for the MAL lure - it's potential advantage is the added weight that allows you to cast it farther and get to the bottom faster. Another point about the MAL, Bob says he overcame the slow to start spin by making a quick 1st turn pr two of the reel to make it spin then you can slow it down. Most of the year that is OK, but in the winter you have to start the Mepps off the bottom slow and smooth - as slow as possible and still have the blade spin. But, I'm looking forward to trying the MAL and see how it performs.

Update: got into tons of hybrids yesterday. Caught 30 hybrids in an hours time! They love the MAL!

I have taken many whites and hybrids with the Mepps XD (Zebco 33) - it is very effective. What situations would be the time to incorporate this new lure? From the looks I suspect it has more flash than the XD. Is the hook smaller than the XD as well (I'm not at home so can't check)? I'm good on the technique and hope you have success with it - anything flashy old or new is all good in my opinion.

Great read....Thank you just palced an order!

Dear 1956 Zebco, the primary intent for this MAL Lure is to attract white bass and hybrid stripers during the summer months. I guide primarily on Lake Belton and Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir. Our "summertime" fishing begins around the 1st week of June when the thermocline first forms,and extends until around the middle of October when the thermocline breaks down (turnover). During this warm-water time of year, the effective cool-water vertical tactics of using slabs, tailspinners, and bladebaits just do not seem to interest white bass and hybrids near as much as those lures do from October through May.

The one tactic that always produced for me in the summer (and still does) is downrigging. Many folks don't like downrigging, so, I've always wanted another option for those clients. So many times while downrigging, I come across bottom-hugging whites and hybrids which I know are aggressive and willing to feed because I see them come up off the bottom after my downrigger ball.

So, it was disappointing and frustrating to see these fish on sonar, Spot-Lock on top of them, and try slabbing, etc., only to catch a few, and then have the remainder of the school turn off.

This is where the MAL Lure has really shined. During this scenario I've just described, white bass and hybrid stripers simply stay aggressive and interested in the flash and vibration of the MAL Lure far longer than they do for anything else I have experimented with up to this point (over 30 years on Texas waters). The more fish I catch, the more I know I'm going to catch, because those hooked fish create flash and vibration in the water as they struggle during the fight. Also, they defecate and regurgitate shad as a stress response, which serves as a form of chum. Since my GPS trolling motor is keeping me on a precise location, all of this chum and commotion is happening right under the boat, thus drawing in other fish from nearby. Soon, you have a frenzy going on, which can be witnessed on well-tuned 2D sonar and/or LiveScope.

If you look up further in this "string" of threads, you'll see two of the tactics I mention, smoking and lift-dropping, described. When I find these bottom-hugging (or even suspended) whites and hybrids during the hot months, I will immediately go to the MAL Lure rigged up on a spinning rod, as I've described previously.

I hope this is helpful to you.

This does NOT mean the MAL Lure won't work in the cooler months. It does -- but I rarely have trouble using other tactics at those times of year, and, I feel other lures are better suited to attracting white bass and hybrid especially if/when our water temperatures drop into the 50's. I think it is hard to beat a properly worked slab with a stinger hook attached during such times.

Good luck, sir!

Check out the MAL Lure: MAL Lure

Here's a link to my slabs with stinger hooks: Hazy Eye Slabs w/ Stinger

It was - and thank you for that, more than I expected. Trolled a lot in FL (was 100T). I'll have an excuse to break the Canon out now. Thanks again for your input and good luck with the charters.

Bob, I received your lures in the mail yesterday and tried them out today. I tried to compare your MAL lure to a regular Mepps #4 plain Aglia. I Located fish and tried each bait 5 times then tried each 5 times again. I'd catch 3 or 4 on each then the fish seemed to move before I could complete the comparison. Finally, I tossed a #2 rig and would catch a fish on most casts. I then realized I can't make a comparison while the fish are wanting #2. The MAL lure uses a #4 sized blade, has a larger body and is longer than a #4 Mepps regular Aglia. So, with fish favoring smaller baits, I can't fairly compare the MAL with regular Mepps #4. Also, I was unable to tell if the MAL hesitated on a slow start - too choppy with continuous boat traffic.

The fish I caught with it were with a jerk start and reeling fast. If/when I get into fish that will take a #4 almost every cast, I'll try to make the comparison again. I will test which bait catches the most out of 5 casts and time how long it took. Repeat this multiple times to see how it averages out. I also need to fish the MAL enough to get its feel and know best how to work it in order to be a fair test with the regular #4, which I have fished for years. It might be fun and fairer for you and me to fish together and have a contest. I've never been to Lake Belton.

Dennis, I very much like the fair and methodical approach you wish to take. Currently, I'm booked through 28 September. Do you fish during the cold months? I'd gladly host you here or join you at your home lake, as I suspect we could both glean a few things from one another. Please let me know. Thank you!

Yes, I fish year-round unless winter is severe - say in late January and February. Mild winters I fish then also. Oct thru Dec are good months and fish haven't slowed down, so I'd prefer then or next spring.

/\/\/\/\/\ Dennis Christian & Holding the Line, if you two end up teaming up & do this please take video or at least plenty of pics; two of the best sandbass fishermen on this forum imo, this would be epic

Working hard to improve lures and making the fishing community better is a win win to me.

Fish have been flying in my boat using the MAL! Totally loving it! Sometimes they want it casted out a little ways and reeling it a moderate speed 3-4 cranks of the handle. Other days they are wanting it reeled fast 3-4 cranks and let sink back to the bottom. Excellent lure. I think I would leave this one as is specifically for white bass and then make a slightly heavier duty, slightly heavier one for hybrids. My hybrids bend the metal wire fairly easily but I am not necessarily easy with the fish and lure if I intend to keep the fish for food so I may be just a little too rough on them...... Maybe original MAL and a BIG MAL hybrid version that weighs 1/2 ounce heavier, stiffer wire, slightly bigger hook. I have had a more hybrids get off the hook than I like losing too making me wonder if the smaller hook is a costing me the bigger hybrids. Not sure yet. Rarely miss white bass with it. I use a 7 foot GX2 ugly stick paired with a spincast Lews Mach 2 with 30 pound braid.

Got these in Monday, can’t wait to try them on Whitney for sandies and stripers!

Clay, thank you for posting this. It is one thing when I (who stands to gain financially by selling the MAL Lure) write about the effectiveness of the MAL Lure in this scenario or that, but, it is a whole other ballgame when a fellow guide does so. It lends credibility which I know would increase my own confidence in making a purchase when I'm in the buyer's shoes.

I am working on an even heavier version of the MAL Lure. I suspect it will do well for hybrid, but, I'm afraid the additional weight will force an increase in the length, making this less attractive to white bass.

I'll keep you posted on the progress!

MAL Lure info: HERE

Bob, fyi, I also experienced the wire bending a lot and having to straighten it out. If you are continuing to experiment, you might try a thicker wire.

Dennis, are you referring to the MAL Lure, or to the various Mepps spinners you've used, in general?

Thanks!

--Bob

The MAL - it seems to bend more than regular Aglia. I've used a thicker wire on a rebuilt Aglia, and it did not affect the action.