MirrOlure 101 simplified

[gottaflylee]

MirrOlure 101 simplified...I hope...

In starting off I want to say this thread is for only MirrOlures in the "M" series and NO other brand! I will do another thread on the "Catch 2000" and Catch JR. If you would like to discuss another kind of Lure please start another thread as I want to help people with how to choose and use MirrOlures. With that being said, I want you all to know that what I say is for my area here in North Carolina and no where else, but I feel that what I do, will work in many other places. Please feel to hop in and let us know what you use in your area and how you use it, as this is only how I do it and nothing is set in stone in Trout fishing. I am not sponsored by MirrOlure or am I given anything to say what I am saying...I'm just a MirrOlure Junkie...

A little history about MirrOlure before we start. MirrOlure has been around since 1937 and many fish has been taken on them. It is said that it was invented during the Great Depression when Harold LeMaster stumbled over the Idea for the MirrOlure. LeMaster tripped over a fallen Walnut tree on his way home and took a good section of the tree with him to whittle the first version of the MirrOlure. MirrOlure is now made by L & S Bait company which also makes Iland Lures®, what most of us calls Islanders. MirrOlures are partially assembled in Costa Rica, Designed, Molded, Packaged and Tank Tested in the USA.


For many people, MirrOlure fishing seems to be a mystery. I can only guess that when a person looks at a display rack in the store, they are overwhelmed by the choices you have to choose from and I hope in this thread, I can help simplify this for you as well as help you decide what to buy for you area or at least give you a place to start. For this I will start with the standard "Classic MirrOlure", the 52M, or "M" series as it is called. Here some notes to help you out.
The 51MR, 52M and 52MR sink at a rate of one foot per second... "R" stands for "Rattle"
This is what Mirrolure suggests for depth to fish them at...


Model Length Oz. Hooks Depth
51MR 3-5/8” 1/2 3 1-4'+
52M 3-5/8” 1/2 3 3-8'+
52MR 3-5/8” 1/2 3 3-8'+

There are also these in the "M" series and they have all the great features of the popular 52M series, but heavier. "The 65M and 77M are ideal for Tarpon, Striper, Bluefish and Snook. The 65M Deep Runner is a compact lure which casts like a bullet, making for longer casts. This lure is great for vertical jigging or use in deeper waters." The 65M is my choice for fishing in the surf when the wind is up or blowing right on the beach.


Model Length Oz. Hooks Depth
65M 3-1/4” 1 2 10-20’+
77M 4-1/4” 1-1/4 3 5-10’+

You will also find the "TT" series and the Series III ( with reflective holographic foil ) are the same as above but the "TT" has spots on the lure or in the "Series III, holographic foil' all the rest of the speciation's, weight, length and depth fished is the same as the "M" series' so now all you have to remember is "TT" stands for spots..."R" stands for "Rattle" ...now isn't this getting easer...

Now for the hard part...how to choose a color to fish with. If you look at the picture below you will see on the left side, starting at the bottom , colors I use @ night, keep in mind that some are what you may call cross over colors, that may have other times when I fish them in the day. On the right and middle are day time colors

Night time colors...All White 53M51, clear with silver body "TTS" series, clear with gold body "TTRG`" series, "Purple Demon", Pink gold & black "TT809"series, Pink silver & black back (very hard to find) 52M706, "TTRT" white pink with olive back, white, silver & black back "TT21"series, Black silver black back 52M56 series and last but not least, clear chartreuse 52MCF...oh ya!
NOTE the ones you see the most of in the picture !!! I never have just 1 of a color...you may lose one...

Day time colors...look at the water...muddy, can't see much at all (CRFS), Stained...clear (Tannic, can see your lure down a couple of feet), Stained cloudy (less than a foot) Clear green, Clear cloudy (wind blown...sandy, surf conditions) and clear.

For muddy, can't see much at all (CRFS), or Stained...clear (Tannic, can see your lure down a couple of feet), I like most anything with Gold, yellow, pink, red, orange, chartreuse & black in it... Gold for me seems to be very important!!!

In the muddy water I will use lures with yellow & pink 52M 704 (electric chicken) orange & black 52MR 730 or 808 color and red & white also in the series III "S 52MR" and "S 52MR26".

In the stained clear I will use pinks, black & pink 52M706 & TT809, orange & chartreuse, dark green & gold 52 M 22 & "TTR 22" and clear chartreuse 52MCF and red & white also in the series III "S 52MR" and "S 52MR26".

Stained cloudy, green (less than a foot) dark green back & gold 52M22 & TTR22, red head, gold body 52M805 Cloudy day, hot pink or orange head gold body 52m804 of 52MFGO Clear hot pink 52MPF and clear chartreuse 52MCF

Clear green...All white or red head white & silver body 52M51 or 52M11(the old standby), red & white with silver body series III S52MR26 or red white belly silver side 52M26
Clear cloudy (wind blown...sandy, surf conditions) go back to gold's...black gold side pink bottom TT809, dark green back & gold 52M22 & TTR22, red head chartreuse back silver side 52MCH11, Hot Pink silver side TTHP, clear hot pink 52MPF and clear chartreuse 522MCF

Clear water...early season (end of Sept to second week of Oct. ) I like the blues 52M24, TT24, 52MSD with gold bottom and in series III STTRCHBL. After that...Olive back pink side white bottom TTRT, olive back silver side white belly 52M18, clear silver sides TTS, old stand by red head white body silver side 52M11, white with silver side 52M51, clear chartreuse with silver sides white belly TTCFPR and in the Series III...black back silver side bone belly S52BNSBO, clear chartreuse silver side white belly S52MRCFPR, olive back silver side white belly STTR18.

Print this information out so you can take it to the store with you and then you will see what they look like. With this information, you now have a place to start with MirrOlures as far as what kind of water, day or night. Here is the link to MirrOlure's color chart http://www.mirrolure.com/classics/colorchart.html so you can see the colors. Oh one more thing...take a $100 bill with you to your local tackle store...you'll need it...



The belly look...



The back look...



Top Dogs, Jr's and Pups



S38MR, the new MirrOdine Shad and the new MirrOmullet



As well as one of my favorites the "Catch 2000" series



Now that you have a basic knowledge of the MirrOlure...how do you fish it. You know that the "M" series sinks at a foot a second so it is easy to count down to the depth you are fishing in. Remember that the heaver your line the slower your sink rate. Most fishermen I fish with prefer 6 or 8 pound test mono to fish MirrOlures with. I like and use"Braid". 20 pound is about the same diameter as 6 pound test...I add 2 to 3 feet of 12 to 20 pound test fluorocarbon to it for stealth. I also can't see much difference in the high vis yellow or the green. I like the "no stretch" of the braid..I feel the bite better.
Remember they are a "Twitch Bait" so when I fish them I reel VERY SLOW and then slow down some more...giving it a bump or "Twitch" with the rod every so often. Do NOT pull the lure with the rod tip...rod tip should NOT move more than a few inches (4 to 6") at a time...think of jigging a "Grub". When it is windy I tend to keep the rod tip down and hold it up on still days. I also like to fish them down wind whenever I can...again, I feel the bite better.
As far as a rod I like a stiffer tip than most. 6' 6" fast tip action, for the surf a 7' medium action because of handling them through the breakers.The softer rod is more forgiving.
I hope I have given you a good place to start with MirrOlures and you understand what I have said above. Feel free to ask questions as well as chime in with your 2 cents worth and may you catch the Trout of your life!

[SeaBiscuit]

Wow Lee, this is a rather impressive thesis! A honorary doctorate degree in mirrorlurology is in order!
It took me years to understand how it was ever possible to catch a fish on a mirror lure. The first few I caught seemed to always be during a backlash or even on a dead drift in running cold water.
I have grown to understand that this lure only requires that the angler have faith enough in it to throw it. The lure will do the rest.
Thanks for taking the time captain.
Mirror lure U is now in session!
SeaBiscuit

[JMS-ILM]

Best Post......Ever!!!

[Capt_John]

I noticed you didn't have a TT808 in the 52M series there Lee. But you had two 808's in the topwater series. Why's that?......The 808 is one of my favorites in the twitchbait. Do you not have luck with that one?

[WAHOONBOX]

I AM SPEECHLESS HERE ! ..........NOW I HATE TO BE A BRAGGERT.....AND NORMALLY I JUST KICK SOME ASS AND TAKE NAMES......BUT FRANKLY MY DEAR, WELCOME TO MY WORLD FRIGGING ROCKS! WAY TO BRING IT ON LEE....WAY TO BRING IT ON!!!!!!

[gottaflylee]

I noticed you didn't have a TT808 in the 52M series there Lee. But you had two 808's in the topwater series. Why's that?......The 808 is one of my favorites in the twitchbait. Do you not have luck with that one?

Capt John, check out the picture of the "Catch 2000" series...you will find it there...
Also if you look in the middle of the cooler top you will see the 52MR750. It is about the same but with a chartreuse side. I like this one a lot... but your right the old 808 ( orange bottom, silver side & black top ) color is hard to beat in any style for dirtty water...

[JMS-ILM]

but your right the old 808 color is hard to beat in any style for dirtty water...

yep, the 808...."Carolina Beach Special"..... did me right last year, even in the clean water.

[Capt_John]

Capt John, check out the picture of the "Catch 2000" series...you will find it there...
Also if you look in the middle of the cooler top you will see the 52MR750. It is about the same but with a chartreuse side. I like this one a lot... but your right the old 808 ( orange bottom, silver side & black top ) color is hard to beat in any style for dirtty water...

I saw those....just not the one on the cooler. I like that chartreuse side.

[brandon558]

yes one of the best post indeed! It can get quite tricky playing around with mirrolures but the more you mess with them the better you get.

When i first joined Matt (JMS-ILM) got me confident enough to throw one and eventually i caught some nice fish on mirrolures. It takes works but i throw one right often nowa days.

Pretty work Lee...awesome information!

[TriAngler]

Capt Lee - this post goes to the SFC hall of fame. My dad was a mirror lure junkie as well and the waters of Corncake Inlet was his back yard. Since he couldn't really afford the "habit" - he invested in one color, red and white. When I would ask, "Daddy, why do you always use that lure." He'd say something typical for my dad like, "Because the fish like it as much as I do". In a time when you could toss a rock and it land on a keeper flounder about anywhere around Corncake - that mirror lure enticed as many doormats as gators!

Thanks for the tutilage!