Mirrolure vs. Piling; and Mirrolure Technique

[Slobber Bob]

And the piling wins!

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I went out the other evening behind OC just to get a line in the water. It was just the usual fare of 12" - 24" stripers. They were fairly numerous, active, and feeding aggressively. I started with an X-rap 10. The fish were all over it. In times like this when I know I'll be catching the same cookie-cutter sized fish over and over, I'll often switch up lures or try lures I don't fish very often to see how they measure up.

Hence, I switched from the X-rap 10 to a similar sized, some-what similar colored mirrolure (52M - one picture above before it broke). Man, I could barely buy a bite on it. I fished it every way possible. Twitches, slow with no twitches, slightly faster, more twitches, less twitches, drug it across the bottom, kept it up high. Nothing wanted it. I think I had two bumps on it but never a hookup. Finally, I gave the thing a big ole' cranking windup, fired a Randy Johnson fastball of a cast, and clipped a concrete piling. Bam! The lure split in half and busted off a point on the front treble. A fitting end to the lure. I switch back over to the X-rap and I start catching again.

I've had this happen before out of Rumbley. Fish after fish on the X-rap. Eventually I snagged something under the water and lost the lure. I put on a mirrolure (catch jr. 22MR this time) and can't buy a bite. Switch to something else and immediately start catching again. I've had similar experience with snakeheads too. Catching with an X-rap, they won't touch the mirrolure.

Are X-raps just that much better than mirrolures? Or I am just not fishing them properly technique wise? I know mirrolures work, and I have caught some fish on them, but from my personal experiences other lures work much better and I'm ready to give up on them completely. If you catch with them, what is the secret?

[mchottie]

thats one way to send a non-productive lure to "lure heaven"

i've taken ronault's advice, the xrap glass ghost have always been productive in saltwater. i'm sure BPS makes their own brand with some minor tweaks to not infringe directly on the xrap patent, but proof is in the pudding, glass ghost produces every time.

[ronaultmtd]

Mirror lures are finesse lures- XRaps are jerk bait/crank baits...think of the 52 M mirror lure as an underwater stick bait- I use them in a walk the dog method and really slow it down...they are killer Speckled trout lures...

[Slobber Bob]

thats one way to send a non-productive lure to "lure heaven"

It was purely accidental. I certainly wasn't trying to hit the piling, haha. But based on the lures performance whenever I've used it, I wasn't mad that it broke.

Mirror lures are finesse lures- XRaps are jerk bait/crank baits...think of the 52 M mirror lure as an underwater stick bait- I use them in a walk the dog method and really slow it down...they are killer Speckled trout lures...

So work the mirrolure with more of a slow steady retrieve while imparting a subtle, rhythmic as opposed to twitches or jerks? Similar to how you would work a needlefish plug? Thank you.

[ronaultmtd]

There are several mirro-lures including top water ones- the oldest one that I use is a sinking (count down) 52 M twitch bait...I am imitating a dying finger mullet so a “steady” retrieve is not exactly the description...erratic retrieve...wrist snap, let it sink, lift the rod slowly then snap the wrist reel the slack up, let it sink, lift the rod slowly, snap the wrist, lower the rod and reel in the slack, etc. I could show you a lot easier than writing...and the fish will telll you what they want as far as action and speed- I have caught fish reeling it in to cast at a pretty fast retrieve- other times they want it very slow...

[Mark]

...and the fish will telll you what they want as far as action and speed- I have caught fish reeling it in to cast at a pretty fast retrieve- other times they want it very slow...

That advice is excellent and relevant for almost every lure and fly that exists short of a fly on a dead drift. Vary the retrieve before changing the lure.

[Slobber Bob]

There are several mirro-lures including top water ones- the oldest one that I use is a sinking (count down) 52 M twitch bait...I am imitating a dying finger mullet so a “steady” retrieve is not exactly the description...erratic retrieve...wrist snap, let it sink, lift the rod slowly then snap the wrist reel the slack up, let it sink, lift the rod slowly, snap the wrist, lower the rod and reel in the slack, etc. I could show you a lot easier than writing...and the fish will telll you what they want as far as action and speed- I have caught fish reeling it in to cast at a pretty fast retrieve- other times they want it very slow...

Agreed. Much easier to show than describe, but I follow you. But that's the thing I'm trying to figure out when it comes to my lack of success using mirrolures. Like I said above, the other night, I fished the 52M sinking exactly like I did my sinking X-rap 10. The fish wouldn't touch it. They crushed the X-rap before I switched to the mirrolure and again after I switched back from the mirrolure. I caught at least 20 fish on the X-rap; Zilch on the 52M. I tried several different retrieve styles. Nothing would coax them.

I just don't catch much on mirrolures. But I know others love them and they are time proven lure. If I listen to the fish - they are telling me to ditch the mirrolures I'm not doing something right when it comes to using them.

The few mirrolures I have and use are sinking 52M, sinking 22M, and a top water top dog.

[ronaultmtd]

Agreed. Much easier to show than describe, but I follow you. But that's the thing I'm trying to figure out when it comes to my lack of success using mirrolures. Like I said above, the other night, I fished the 52M sinking exactly like I did my sinking X-rap 10. The fish wouldn't touch it. They crushed the X-rap before I switched to the mirrolure and again after I switched back from the mirrolure. I caught at least 20 fish on the X-rap; Zilch on the 52M. I tried several different retrieve styles. Nothing would coax them.

I just don't catch much on mirrolures. But I know others love them and they are time proven lure. If I listen to the fish - they are telling me to ditch the mirrolures I'm not doing something right when it comes to using them.

The few mirrolures I have and use are sinking 52M, sinking 22M, and a top water top dog.

I fish a lot of Rapala...love the XRaps- mostly the XR12 and 10s...Spring Trophy season I pull the XR 14s and yo-yo it in a jerking, relax, jerking motion while trolling...when you do this hang on tight to the rod as fish crush it when they hit and the bigger lure has a tighter drag setting


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[mchottie]

Dont discard mirrolure alltogether, that's what Joe caight the Tarpon on in Southern VA

[nhunter344]

I fish a lot of Rapala...love the XRaps- mostly the XR12 and 10s...Spring Trophy season I pull the XR 14s and yo-yo it in a jerking, relax, jerking motion while trolling...when you do this hang on tight to the rod as fish crush it when they hit and the bigger lure has a tighter drag setting

Are you talking about the lipless version with single hooks or the lipped version with trebles?

[ronaultmtd]

An XRap XR-14 is the biggest of the XRaps...just exactly the same bait as the XR10 only much bigger...and the latest Saltwater XRaps in XR12 and XR-14 sizes come with single, in-line hooks...

[jhoss]

I think the stripers really key in on the vibration that lipped hardbaits put out (paddletails too) so maybe the mirrolure just doesn't call them in the same way? I know the MR's are a favorite for trout and they seem to key in on the slow drift and fall of them...different fish, different buttons to push to get a reaction.

that's my take, but I'm sure there are scenarios where they are equally effective.

[mike o]

I just started fishing mirolures last December after hearing they were good for sea trout. Bought a 52mr and took it to Loch Raven to try out. I caught 3 Pike including a 38" and a 26 !/2 Pickerel both were pbs. I also let my friend use it and he caught a pike on it. I took it to Florida and caught a few snook and ladyfish on it but not a single trout. I did however go back to swimbaits for pike and pickerel its just too hard to unhook them on the mirrolure. That 38" pike died despite my best attempt to release him unharmed. Also the first xrap I bought I had for about ten minutes when I bounced it off a piling and just reeled in the first inch of the lure.

[Jim McFalls]

I caught a monster catfish on Weems on a ML suspended twitch bait back in July, at Priests Point. They work. It just takes time ro figure them out.

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