true story.  my dad got cancer when I was a tiny kid.  my parents had a lot on their plate.  I found a lot of  entertainment reading.  one of things I read over and over again was that paper Mepps Catalog.  you all remember it? it came with pics and fishing tales.  I loved it.  (same goes for the G-Loomis catalog - good reading!).  dont get me wrong, I read books as well.

 

but as a 11 year old, that Mepps #3 Black Fury spoke to me.  it just looked cool!. (and I havent fished a single day in my life)  there was an adjacent photo and story of a guy that got a 3-lb largemouth with that very same bait.   to my kid-eyes, that was the best looking fish I have ever laid my peepers on.  

 

I walked past one at Sportsman's Warehouse.  smaller than I imagined.  $7.99 I think.   you know what?  I might go back and buy one or two and try to find closure on that thing.  hahaha...  as an 11 year old, I didnt have the financing worked out to pony up the $ for the #3 BF...but now I do.  tell me they work.   it looks light!   spring time?  post spawn?  I think I want to scratch that decades old itch.   even my younger brother remembers how fascinated we were.    I know nothing.  they run on the surface?

One of the first artificial lures I ever learned how to use, and an all-time great fish catcher. The #3 is 1/4oz.  Not a surface lure - it's a type of spinnerbait.  But prone to snags....a common problem with all in-line spinners. The trick is to retrieve close to cover, just fast enough to keep the blade spinning, but without getting hung up.  Sooner or later, though, you will get hung up, so people who fish with in-line spinners expect to lose some.

 

I usually only fish them in rivers, as they don't come through vegetation well, and still water here is almost always weedy.  Standard river retrieve is a "quartering" cast upstream, about 45 degree angle, retrieve across and down to you as it sweeps downstream with the current, keeping it moving just above the bottom.  They're especially good for rocky runs and dam tailwaters.

 

They do rotate on the retrieve as the blade spins, causing line twist, so a lot of people like to put them behind a swivel. But they don't necessarily accumulate line twist, as the rotation can change direction from cast to cast, or even moment to moment if blade just bumps something.  So I've never felt a swivel is necessary.

 

Mepps still issues a catalog every year and you can download it on their site, or request a printed one sent to you. 

They’re a Midwest staple! Due to the ability to “snag” they are a river special. Personally I do use a small snap swivel to eliminate line twist, quick change and a breaking point when completely hung up,,,,,,,,which will happen. In deep open water lakes they are pike and trout getters.

Walmart carries a big selection at reasonable prices, at least here.

 

Get a few and I’ll bet you’ll fulfill your lifetime expectations.

Mepps #3 is a skunk killer, you'll catch something.

 

Mepps makes a single hook version with a grub and it would be very weed less.

https://www.mepps.com/information/comet-combo/933#C3C G%2FRW-091

They still send out the paper catalogs. Mepps catalog request  It’s pretty amazing how many variations you can get.

Still have some from back in the day.

 

Pike, smallmouth, walleye, you name it.

 

She's a classic.

I think I have caught bass, bluegill,  catfish and crappie on them. I run them just about a foot below the surface, pause it for a split second and start retrieving again.  I usually run them around the bank but they will catch fish anywhere.  Downside,  they can be a snag magnet.

I've been using Mepps #3 Black Fury yellow dot for the past couple of seasons. They're a great overlooked bass lure. Try different depths and reel them in just fast enough to feel the spinner turning.

On 5/3/2025 at 11:26 PM, BassinBrett said:

Mepps makes a single hook version with a grub and it would be very weed less.

https://www.mepps.com/information/comet-combo/933#C3C G%2FRW-091

I bet that would get crushed! 

 

 

On 5/4/2025 at 6:47 AM, padlin said:

They still send out the paper catalogs. Mepps catalog request  It’s pretty amazing how many variations you can get.

The best thing about them is they still do the Master Angler program. I think it's great! 

 

Surely some folks here have badges? 

 

 

My son wrecks everything with a mepps #3 black fury!  Get some!  Skunk beater for SURE.

1 hour ago, Pat Brown said:

My son wrecks everything with a mepps #3 black fury!  Get some!  Skunk beater for SURE.

This. Everything eats them. Great lure. 

The Black Fury is a classic pike lure in northern Ontario (and probably many other areas of Canada).  But everything bites a spinner. 👍🏻

Spinners catch fish. Just not always fashionable for bass fishing.