Mepps Aglia #3, generic copy, and it works!!!

[ButchA]

Holy cow, designing your own variation of the legendary Mepps Aglia inline spinner, and catching a (very small) but nice Smallmouth Bass on it, is the most rewarding experience!

 

I took a common #3 brass French spinner blade, and cut a tiny sliver of prism tape, and taped it vertically straight down the blade.  What the heck, you know? It might work, it might not.  It was a crazy idea, so I decided to go for it, and add it.  WELL, IT WORKED! 😎  My second cast off the pier, and BAM!!! A small, maybe 6-7" long little Smallmouth Bass chomped on it, and I reeled him in.  I (obviously) tossed him back in to grow some more...

 

4" closed eye wire shaft

#6 treble hook w/ red tubing

Lower body section (Mepps copy)

1 brass bead

Upper body section (Mepps copy)

Size 2 clevis and #3 brass French spinner blade (w/ 1/4" prism tape piece)

1 brass bead on top.

 

 

 

[islandbass]

Nice work! I make spinners. Too bad you don’t live in salmon country. They would CRUSH that. 😎👍

 

I make inlines myself and I like the French blades. 
 

Some things I hope you’re willing to try that I do most of the time is:

 

1) Incorporate a good quality barrel swivel on top (insert it after you make the top bend and before you close the loop)

 

2) Go single hook (siwash hooks). Their shank is still long enough to add the tubing. 
 

3) Use a small split right to join the hook to the in-line spinner body. I do this for two main reasons. 
a) If I need to replace the hook, I won’t have to destroy the lure. 
b) I think the split ring makes it harder for larger fish to throw off the hook. 
 

For #2, some rivers in my neck of the woods, single hook is the law.  And it plain sux that the many in-line spinners come stock with a treble because we anglers in the Pacific NW have replace them before we can use them (and we’re sometimes required to go barbless too).
 

I’ve learned that I’m getting a better hookset and don’t lose fish - at all. Also, it is far easier to remove a single hook than a treble hook most of the time. I get nervous and overly focused when I have to remove a a treble hook in conditions where all tines are in the fish’s mouth. I’ve coined that condition “a mouthful of treble,” 😂

 

PS. You can also put that tape on the other side of the blade too.  Lastly, not all french blade makers made their blades the same thickness even though they’re the same size. Even the thickness of the wire has some influence. I’ll stop here and won’t bring up making feathered treble, lol. So much fun to experiment with when making in-line spinners. 👍
 

 

[PaulVE64]

Caught a garpike on treble hooks once.

No net or pliers and it would have gotten bloody but I gave him some slack and he got off by himself.

 

Always bring pliers

[MIbassyaker]

Nicely done! 

[ButchA]

Thanks, everyone....

 

If you have the supplies, etc... parts, pieces, etc.... Jann's Netcraft, whatever, etc...

 

Feel free to duplicate what I have done.  I swear to you, straight up, on my mother's soul... That very second cast I made out into the James River from a boat launch pier, and BAM! A smallmouth bass nailed the lure that I created, based on an idea that I had in my head.  Wow.... Just, wow... 😎

[Munkin]

I have made 100's of spinnerbaits and not a single inline spinner. In the spring everywhere around here was sold out of the Mepps I like to use. Plan on trying to make some once I figure out how to make the wire loop on the end. 

 

Allen

[islandbass]

@MunkinMinimally, all you need are a pair of needle nose pliers but round nose pliers like the ones jewelry make the loop look nicer. Fish don’t care. 😎

[ButchA]

1 hour ago, islandbass said:

@MunkinMinimally, all you need are a pair of needle nose pliers but round nose pliers like the ones jewelry make the loop look nicer. Fish don’t care. 😎

Exactly....  I ordered these from Jann's Netcraft and the pliers are fantastic!  You have 3 different sizes of loops to use for closing the wire.

 

https://www.jannsnetcraft.com/round-bend-wire-pliers

[islandbass]

@ButchAWow! That’s a sick pair of pliers with those settings. That takes round bend pliers to the next level. 👍😎 

[dopey]

Nice!  They look good!!  I've got enough stuff to make them for the rest of my life!  Never put a crane swivel on them but have tried the split ring and didn't like it.  

 

I use an old Wire forming tool that I bought back when they were just Netcraft and still using it!!  Would love a Hagen's but too much money!! 

 

Enjoy the hobby and keep catching!!