# More on Subsurface Mirrolures



## Brine Jake (Aug 12, 2005)

JimD posted a fine article by Mike Williams regarding hard plastic subsurface 
(aka Mirrolures) and color pink. Specksandspots posted the website/color
charts link: http://www.mirrolure.com/classics/colorchart.html

Here's a Mirrolure subsurface thread in case you're interested. Comments and observations invited. I would appreciate a headsup on any other Mike Williams additions, esp radio commentary. I will check around for some old GCF articles. I'd also like to see future results on Wading Mark's point about the Series III preference.

A few random notes to add:

We had a good discussion of 51 v 52 in the surf; as a hard corps 52 chunker, I converted to a 51 bias quite a while back for a calm surf and weak current. Still testing it though. In a rolling surf and/or ripping tide, I maintain that the 52 rides them better. When it's really on, it just doesn't
matter.

In the offcolor surf, I love the 28 and the 808. The 801 is a bad boy, too, which I thought was disontinued, but I see it on the website.

I mentioned that the bodies of 51 and 52 are identical, even though a lot
of wise fishermen will tell you that the 52 sinks faster. JimD made a 
wise suggestion: buy 52's and add the eye ring in the nose; this provides the option of both styles in one plug. (This is an old plugger trick from pre-51 days when some guys moved the top one to the nose, mostly for shallow bay fishing.)
Note: They now make and sell the 51-52 combo with 2 eye rings.

Re hook rings: Once I was wading the shoals out on the gulf side of the pass out beyond the pier in a pretty good set of green rollers, accessible only by boat (Man, I thought I was a real bad dude at the time--truth is, I'm lucky I didn't capsize my rig*), throwing a 52MR speckled texas chicken (pink silver yellow, spots) landed 3 solid surf trout (3-4 lb'ers) bang-bang-bang and then lost one--reeled in the lure and the trout had
pulled the rear hook screw out of the body. First and only time that ever happened. Brand new plug.

Question: Anyone believe that spots make much dfference?

Trivia: I don't recall the year they changed to red eyes, and I think it was before they added the rattles. Trip for trip, I caught more and bigger trout
consistently with the old nonratting yellow-eyed ones. (My guess that has 
a lot more to do with the natural resource v. the hatchery than it does with
the lure characteristics.)

Humane treatment: In good post in an earlier discussion, Bluewavecapt mentioned how brutal he found the three trebles compared with live bait or tails when releasing fish at the pass.
Since I hardly ever throw tails, and almost never in the surf, I experimented 
with them in the bay just to verify my memory. Point: Even a big trout will rarely swallow a 52 or larger plug (I didin't say "never".) I killed more fish with tails on one trip to the pens one day than I ever did with a mirrolure over years. The mirrolure sometimes rips them up a bit externally, but rarely does mortal damage. Just my assessment.
Maybe it's different from a boat, but I don't see why that would be the case.

Seldom seen: I have nailed them in surf structure on 72M28 when nothing else worked.

Old Mirrolure salts:
Who remembers Jimmy Key? 
I ran into Ralph last summer on the Galveston side. Hadn't seen him in 
a while.

I mentioned I'm a longtime M-chunker; I love their plugs and the L&S company.
Complaints on the 51-52: 
Rattle: My MR's only rattle for a short time. My older ones still do, but almost all the newer ones quit rattling after little or no use. (Yeah, I know, you can beat 'em on a hard surface and loosen them up, but it's only a temporary fix.) I called Mike Tennian at the company and he swears there is no change in production which explains this. I even tried freezing them
in case the symptom was heat-related. (I dunno why I think I need MR's in the 21st Century, but I don't like it when they quit rattling.) the company will make good on any dysfunctional plugs if it's worth your trouble.

Mirrored hooks on the series III: The finish wears off after one or two trips.

Discontinued colors: been over that on the 12, 752 and the w/cht chevrons. While I generally believe that it's not the meat, it's the motion, sometimes water clarity requires a change, sometimes they just want one color, and these are 4 confidence colors that I hated to see disappear.

Availability: your local Academy for some reason does not stock a complete
selection of available colors in each style.

(Disclaimer: I don't work for Mirrolure or have any other direct or indirect 
commercial interest in them or any sort of fishing tackle.)

*It's better fishing when they're rolling. There is nothing like it. If you try this, don't take your SOF or an inexperienced partner, and stow any and all your loose gear in the truck. Know the currents and the best take yo can get on the wind predictions, and don't take anything out there you don't want to lose. Practice your anchoring procedures a few times and use lotsa line. (Trick is, of course, setting up so that the boat rests in the calm of the gut, and getting back on board on the bar without getting dumped.)


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## Wading Mark (Apr 21, 2005)

Good read. I throw 51MR religiously and can't find a bad time to use them. One of the main reasons for my series III 51MR prefernce is that they have both the head and nose eye. It's a great way to simplify my box. My favorite rigging method is to tie on the nose while wading and on the head when drifting. I'm big on throwing, 11, CHG, EC, and CFPR.


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## corpus shorty (Oct 31, 2007)

*Great Article*

Man,loved that article.
ive gone as far as makeing 52's into 51's by heating up a nail and moving the eyelet because i couldnt find the color in a 51.my favorite color was the hot pink,the jade also was a good one for me to.i still have a collection in the packages that i wont use because there not made anymore.only dislike was wadeing at night and having trout flinging 3 treble hooks at ya,lol.ive also have looked on ebay sometimes for them.ive found a few purple demons mr 51s,a few copper. thank for the link to.


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## JimD (May 25, 2004)

*Bj*

Jut got off the phone on how to make an all pink bait but what color is the 752?.

Now that you see the spook jr with the hot pink head I am surprised that we do not see the old woody in hot pink that was discontinued.

Do you think the chevrons made the bait more visable as to catch more fish ? Seems fish like contrast. If so why not add them to a plain old 51? I have taken McTrouts advice and added dots to other baits why not cheverons?

Here is a question? Buddy believes in the old ch/gold/ch in 51/52.

Since I love to screw around and look at rigging which most times doesn't work. 

Seems if you could take a c2000 or catch 5 and change the hooks out to a bigger size or to use a spool of lead for flyrod baits to set the sink rate of a C5 to more or less match a 51/52. Wonder how it would workesp with the c5 and its bigger body?

I will try to send you that article later.


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## JimD (May 25, 2004)

*Went to the spa*

Took a 51 and looked at the drop rate and how it dropped.

Took some .025 lead wire for fly rodbaits and weighted a c5, c2000 and c2000 jr to drop at the same rate as the 51.

Interesting on how easy it is to do. one took weight on the fron hook while others took a different weight on the front and back hooks.

Pool is closed down so it was a little hard to really work the bait but in a small area the seem to work pretty much the same.

FWIW the 51 seemed to drop about 2x as fast as the others at the start with the c2000jr being slightly slower that the 2000.


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## deke (Oct 5, 2004)

I don't think the three hooks tear them up or hurt throwbacks anymore than other lures. The three hooks help the bait to get stuck on the exterior of the mouth, not always, we all know that a good trout can suck a SS or HeDog all the way down. Plastics seem to do more damage since they can suck them down deep and get gill hooked. TP&W already did a hook damage test a few years back, the singlr hook did more damage from what i can remember do to the fact that the trbles tended to get hooked up quicker nearer to the front of the mouth. I have taken off the middle hook on 51's when in the surf , not to protect them, but me,lol!

The chevron deal.... I'mnot sure I'm sure they do add contrast and anything that might help it stand out can't be bad. I "customize" everyone of my topwaters and mirrolures. Does it help, I'm not 100% sure, but it can't hurt and I do pretty well with them. I do cut the front facing hook off of the front treble. It keeps it from catching on anything. I like to let it bounce along the bottom like a soft plastic alot of the time(when not in shell of course) and that hlps keep the hook from digging in too much and giving too much resistance. I will say that the wht/silv/wht 51 is great on flounder and I have never had one spit it out on me,lol!


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## corpus shorty (Oct 31, 2007)

i tried to post a picture of my collection,but the file is to large??,send help


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## Brine Jake (Aug 12, 2005)

JimD] what color is the 752?. 

The 752 (aka "Tequila Sunrise" I believe) was orange on top, reflective chartreuse sides with chev's, and yellow belly.

"Do you think the chevrons made the bait more visable as to catch more fish ? Seems fish like contrast. If so why not add them to a plain old 51? I have taken McTrouts advice and added dots to other baits why not cheverons? "

Good suggestion; I really have no idea whether the chev's make any difference at all, but I have found some good fish with the colors that wore them. 

Back in the '70's we were painting on dots on slick 52's during a phase of believing they made a difference in the surf. Now I have no idea. I can see how the spots would help when trout are eating their offspring, but I 
have no data to back it up. If I recall correctly, very few 51's came out with spots--it was mostly 52's. 

"Seems if you could take a c2000 or catch 5 and change the hooks out to a bigger size or to use a spool of lead for flyrod baits to set the sink rate of a C5 to more or less match a 51/52. Wonder how it would workesp with the c5 and its bigger body? "

I'm not sure I understand this. The purpose of the Catch lures is to suspend, isn't it? I wouldn't mess around with the weight, but then I'm more of a chunker than a lure designer most of the time, except for weedless experiments.


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## JimD (May 25, 2004)

*Bj*

I have the articles for you. Dropped you a pm. I am below Marble Falls at the farm today. I was down at the river trying to figure out what wrong with one of my my curados. Found that I had let oil get on the inside of the brake system. It has been back lashing like crazy. Naturaly it was the one I had wading with FF the other day.

It does not appear to take that much weight to get the three suspendings baits to sink like a 51. They really were not suspending but seem to fall 1/2 as fast as a 51.

The question is with the wider body baits in the c2000 and jr being more visable and with the c5's size, shape and rattle difference. How will they fish?

Besides it fun to rig with baits.


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## Brine Jake (Aug 12, 2005)

Good words, all. 

Wading Mark, what is EC and CFPR?

Deke “I do cut the front facing hook off of the front treble. ... I like to let it bounce along the bottom like a soft plastic alot of the time(when not in shell of course) and that helps keep the hook from digging in too much and giving too much resistance. I will say that the wht/silv/wht 51 is great on flounder and I have never had one spit it out on me,lol!”

Good idea--prolly helps with the surf sargass too.
(Once wading the pens at night I hooked a ray right between the eyes with the front hook.) Sometimes on the reefs they want it laid down for about a minute, even in 70+ water temps. Ours is not to reason why. Heheh. 
I don’t target flounder much, but also the clear silver 51 with a yellow buck added sure conjured them up on a trout hunt in the warm fall at flats behind the pass.
You made another good point on the other thread: You can fire the 51 into the wind and it just glides--very aerodynamic. 

Corpus Shorty “I tried to post a picture of my collection, but the file is to large??,send help”

Somebody will; there are some real gurus on this board. I’d like to see it. Hey--I’ll bet your collection has a few old ones that look like they got run through the meat grinder. I took this guy to the surf about 10 yr back. He said he could fish, just had never been in the surf. I let him use three of my proven killers, all old yellow-eyeds 11, 12, 28 with plenty of tooth marks just to make sure he had a good shot at some fish. He lost all three in a half hour with no hits. Turns out he couldn’t tie a knot. After that, I hung the few remaining ones on the wall.

One of the old salts in the ‘70s told me never to buy the ones with defective, wrinkled reflectors. 
My most torn-up looking old no-dot 28 has a defective reflector--all bent up and wrinkled looking. It caught so many fish, you can hardly even tell what color it is. None of these plugs have rattles.

JimD “ The question is with the wider body baits in the c2000 and jr being more visible and with the c5's size, shape and rattle difference. How will they fish? Besides it fun to rig with baits.”

A real engineer. Is the C5 the fat shad one that has a real low-pitched rattle? I picked up a green silver Series III looking one with red hooks in the dollar bin and caught a solid trout on it during a real slow bite on a reef a coupla weeks back. I’m gonna see how long I can go without buying another plug.

Latest news: Eastman tagged the 808 as best all around Mirrolure today on the outdoor show.
Williams asked him on a 1 to 10, how he rates a 51 Mirrolure: “’Bout a nine and a half.”


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## Wading Mark (Apr 21, 2005)

EC is electric chicken (pink, silver, chartreause) and CFPR is silver w/ chartreause back.

808 is an awesome color, too. If anyone could be called a Mirrolure expert, Mickey would be right up at the top.


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## Brine Jake (Aug 12, 2005)

Thanks. 

Had pretty good results with the 808 in the dirty surf on top of the bars.


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## Freshwaterman (May 21, 2004)

My take....Mirrolure (L/S) makes so many different baits...unless you just like to tinker, there is no reason to modify anything other than the hooks (which I personally don't do). Pick your desired sink rate and buy the bait that corresponds. The idea of removing the middle hook may be a good one...I haven't tried it yet. Geen fish flop around and get hooks way too close to my skin for comfort. I had to break the barb on one a couple of years ago and remove the hook (with fish still attached) from the inside of my thigh. I have had alot of other sticks, cuts and pokes while using these baits. Maybe one less hook may be one less I have to worry about getting some of my flesh!!!!...LOL.

My favorite Mirrolures patterns are *51's * in the *white/silver/white* (with or without red head), the *ch/silver/ch*, the *ch/gold/ch*, the *pink/silver/yellow* (Texas chicken), the *pink/silver/pink*, and *black/ch/orange* (with chevrons) my *Tinity Bay Fall pattern.*

Nobody has mentioned this one, to my knowledge, but I absolutely killed them on the 51 *blue/silver/ch* when it was available. It was discontinued in a 51 but I found it extremely deadly in the spring and early summer in upper Galveston Bay.

The color is still available in other styles like the catch 2000 but I prefer the 51.

It's a shame that not many people use Mirrolures anymore. I am a religious Mirrolure user and have been over the past 25 years. Many quality trout have fallen victim to my Mirrolures over the years.

-Junkie


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## Brine Jake (Aug 12, 2005)

Good words.



H2O Junkie said:


> and *black/ch/orange* (with chevrons) my *Tinity Bay Fall pattern.*
> 
> that's the 750! I like it then, and also in the late summer surf.
> One Sept at McCollum it was every cast, while my bud about 1/4 mile away did the same thing with a red tout.
> ...


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## Wading Mark (Apr 21, 2005)

This is some good lure talk. We may have to get out in Trinity this winter for a pure 51MR chunking day and show everyone how it's done.


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## Brine Jake (Aug 12, 2005)

I'm in; no 52's allowed, though?


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## BeachCityBoy (May 27, 2007)

Wading Mark said:


> This is some good lure talk. We may have to get out in Trinity this winter for a pure 51MR chunking day and show everyone how it's done.


There are no trout in Trinity Bay during the winter....I repeat...There are no trout in Trinity Bay during the winter


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## Wading Mark (Apr 21, 2005)

Brine Jake said:


> I'm in; no 52's allowed, though?


52's are close enough. But I'm leaving the topwaters, Corkies, and tails in the boat for the Mirrolure day.


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## Freshwaterman (May 21, 2004)

*share*



BeachCityBoy said:


> There are no trout in Trinity Bay during the winter....I repeat...There are no trout in Trinity Bay during the winter


Come on BCB, didn't your Mom teach you to share...LOL 

I might poke around up there next weekend if the conditions are right. Right now it looks like wind and rain again.

-Junkie


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## Capt. Lowtide (Jun 30, 2004)

all this Mirrolure talk made me drop some cash in the clearance bin at Port A Outfitters yesterday, $1 a piece or 6 for $5 for mostly 51's and TTR's


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## Freshwaterman (May 21, 2004)

Capt. Lowtide said:


> all this Mirrolure talk made me drop some cash in the clearance bin at Port A Outfitters yesterday, $1 a piece or 6 for $5 for mostly 51's and TTR's


Wow!!! Good deal...a buck apiece. Good luck with 'em.

-Junkie


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## Brine Jake (Aug 12, 2005)

Capt. Lowtide said:


> all this Mirrolure talk made me drop some cash in the clearance bin at Port A Outfitters yesterday, $1 a piece or 6 for $5 for mostly 51's and TTR's


What colors? Any chevrons? heheh

What A deal. Buy 'em out-- I'll bet you can at least double your money here.


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## Capt. Lowtide (Jun 30, 2004)

Brine Jake said:


> What colors? Any chevrons? heheh
> 
> What A deal. Buy 'em out-- I'll bet you can at least double your money here.


I left most of them there, stocked up on some old standbys, 51MR51, 51MRBN, 51MR26, 52MR28, 52M750, TTRPD and I also picked up some Bagley Finger Mullet slow sinkers that I have'nt seen in may years.

I take advantage of good deals often, doesn't hurt the wallet as much when the oysters get hungry :smile:


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## Brine Jake (Aug 12, 2005)

Thanks to JimD for additional Williams articles. 
Funny he cites the 752 as best of the five star ML's, and they discontinued it.

Enjoyed the pics of the floater (5M) with the propellers. One day in the Follett surf I threw it (a 5M750) to try to clean up the gafftop bite (I'd been catching one trout, one gaffer alternating, had 6 trout, changing lures) and first cast BAM -- another gaffer--my first on top in the surf.


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## JimD (May 25, 2004)

Bump this old Mirrolure discussion. That time of year if the wind will stay down for a while.

JimD

Really make you wonder what gems are burried in the old stuff.

I just use my drill press to drill the eye holes in the 52's with ? size drill bit.


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## TripleGrip (Oct 18, 2007)

I would not fish trinity in the winter,all the trout move to east bay.I would hate to see a fellow 2cooler wast his time fishing a empty bay.


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## JimD (May 25, 2004)

Bump another old cold weather article up.

Jim


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## TroutOut (Dec 18, 2007)

*Jimmy Key*

I remember him. I used to wade fish offats bayou in the winter with him. That was when you could still drive in next to the aiport, before Moody Gardens and all that. He was a character: He came in with some nice trout and asked how I did? I told him I didn't get anything. He said " You are not suposed to. you don't know what you are doing"LOL He was right. Nice guy though. He taught me how to use oysters for bait in my minnow traps. He also went to Monterey House and bought me a hot dinner and brought it back to me one cold day and would not let me pay him anything. Years later I asked Wayne Tucker about him and he said he came in one day and bought some bait from him, which was very unusual and went wade fishing in the bayou. Came back in and sat down in his car and died right there. RIP Jimmy.


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## ol' salt (Jun 11, 2006)

I really appreciate the kind words regarding MIrrolure. I just finished counting mine and I have 173. Been an advocate since 1956. When the 51's hit the market, I started putting an eye on the front of my 52's and using them both ways. Still do. I believe I catch bigger fish per capita on a Mirrolure than on anyother bait. 

I love the hard stirkes I get in the surf when I am really ripping them. Was ripping them really hard and fast behind SLP one day, years ago, and caught a bunch of really good flounder.

I'm glad to hear they still have a good following.


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## INDIANAINTEXAS (Nov 12, 2006)

*TRY THIS*

Ive been fishing MR-51 and when the rattle stops the catching drops 50%---After taking several apart the fix isn't to hard---I now do it on every MR-51 new out of the box----
Take a 1/8 drill bit and drill a hole about a 1/8" in front of the widesest part of the top of the shoulder barley going thru--next take a 1/4 bit and angeling toward the back of the lure ream the hole out slowly being careful not th tear up the side foil inside the lure--remove the 2 plastic beads and take 2 glass worm rattles--slather them with epoxy and insert them pushing them toward the back of the lure(paper clips work well for this) the reason to push them back is to have the lure drop tail first--with the remaining epoxy fill the hole over and smooth it out---set it down and let it dry for 24 hrs---- it'll rattle forever--takes longer to type this than it does to actually do it---10 lures take 45 min---Good luck


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## Fecster (Sep 26, 2007)

Looks like you're a big hit with the crowd.


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## JimD (May 25, 2004)

Any one throwing 51/52 now? 

Wonder if they would go down in a 4 ft gut with ripping outgoing tide better than an fat boy? 

I did add an extra Brown wt to the fat boy and it helped but still looking for something better to get down better though rat tail on 1/8 did get some fish.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Nov 4, 2011)

Carolina rig your corky with 24" mono leader, swivel and 1/4 oz egg weight and see if it helps. Dickie Colburn rigs corkies and maniac mullet this way but with a 3/8-1/2 oz egg weight for fishing 15-30' deep holes on the sabine.

http://www.fishingscout.com/anglers/SmackDaddy


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## cpthook (Jan 16, 2008)

*Mirodyne*

I haven't thrown a 51 or 52 series in a decade or two. Too many treble hooks and a real pain in the arse to deal with on a wade much less in the boat. But they were my primary bait at one time. The woody wood pecker and Texas chicken, my favorites. I like the corkies better however it's tough straighting them out with freezing hands after a fish r two so I perfer the Mirodyne more. The only prob with teh mirodynes is they run a little deeper then I would like. I've got one Mirodyne that apparently sat in the sun for an extended period of time and swelled up, so it now rides a little higher in the water colume which I like. Can anyone recommend a hard bait that is simular to a corky in action i.e., slow sinker, and will not dive on the retrieve..


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## JimD (May 25, 2004)

You can take and add 1/32 wt to the catch 5, 2000's, and other suspending baits to get them to sink at a mirrolure or corky rate of roughly 1 ft a second. 

I have looked at trying to rig single hooks on 51's but it affects the action plus with there set up you are limited. I would be more prone to putting worm rattles in a 2000 or jr and adding a wt.

I love a good trout being netted with a 51 or 52 in it mouth in a old style net.


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## Jtrout5555 (Dec 29, 2012)

750, 11/CH11, 18, and 54 are go to lures in the surf. I rarely throw the 52 in the surf.
801, 28, and 51 are other great colors! It is hard to beat the 51/52 series in the surf. Can't wait for the summer to fish the surf!


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## Jtrout5555 (Dec 29, 2012)

cpthook said:


> I haven't thrown a 51 or 52 series in a decade or two. Too many treble hooks and a real pain in the arse to deal with on a wade much less in the boat. But they were my primary bait at one time. The woody wood pecker and Texas chicken, my favorites. I like the corkies better however it's tough straighting them out with freezing hands after a fish r two so I perfer the Mirodyne more. The only prob with teh mirodynes is they run a little deeper then I would like. I've got one Mirodyne that apparently sat in the sun for an extended period of time and swelled up, so it now rides a little higher in the water colume which I like. Can anyone recommend a hard bait that is simular to a corky in action i.e., slow sinker, and will not dive on the retrieve..


I know the Kick A Mullet is a super slow sinker. Catch 5/2000 are slow as well. Bomber makes a lure, hard bait, that looks just like a corky original and is IMO an underrated suspending plug. I rarely if ever buy a lure that is painted like an actual bait, but the bomber has a croaker look a like in the suspending plug I mentioned and I have caught a lot I fish on that lure. Rapala has their X-Rap sub walker series that suspends right below the surface, another great lure. Of course you have the slow sinking maniac mullet as well. Sebile makes a suspending plug that stays up in the water column, I mean it is a borderline top water, but the action is incredible. The lure is their stick shad in the suspending action.


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## CT750 (Jun 10, 2006)

My Avatar is in honor, to the only Mirrolure color I throw anymore, in every condition. I learned to fish with 51's, and it is still a primary lure in my arsenal. And, i've caught more fish on the 51MR750, than anything else in my life. Its amazing to me that the younger generation hardly even throws them. They are still one of the best trout lures ever made!!


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## JFolm (Apr 22, 2012)

Good read.

I inherited my grandpas tackle box with several baits in it. I will have to post some pictures and figure out what I have. Someone also mentioned a bagley mullet. I have one or two of those that were his. 

I wish he was around more than he was of my life. I was too young to think about asking him for some fishing knowledge.


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## JimD (May 25, 2004)

Even on the board the talk on 51/52 is a thing of the past more or less. Look at the date BJ started this. Interesting to bring it up every year or so to see the change in what people think and use that post.


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## capt. david (Dec 29, 2004)

The 51mr704 and the 51mr752 best 2 ever made to throw in the surf.


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## ellisredfish (Jul 5, 2005)

Back in the early 80's I used to fish with an old rod builder named Dick Beasley. He told me about a new color that some old salts had come up with taking a chartreuse mirrolure and coloring the top with rit dye. On one winter trip to West Bay he landed 6 large trout on that color. I didn't have one that color and did not catch any. He later showed me how to paint that lure.


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## V-Bottom (Jun 16, 2007)

Single hooks in the rear? what size? I hear some folks take the middle hook out. Ur thoughts..


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## JimD (May 25, 2004)

nice paint job


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## bragwell (Apr 15, 2010)

That bait looks deadly. I've read a few of you mentioning catching good flounder on 51's and 2's; I had a day two years ago near confederate reef in September where I got into some large flounder on a 51mr 54. I always keep that plug in my box. With my 51's & 52's I'll remove the front hook and put a tough split-ring on the last eyelet. This saves my hands and improves hookups (at least it seems to).


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## Drundel (Feb 6, 2006)

bragwell said:


> That bait looks deadly. I've read a few of you mentioning catching good flounder on 51's and 2's; I had a day two years ago near confederate reef in September where I got into some large flounder on a 51mr 54. I always keep that plug in my box. With my 51's & 52's I'll remove the front hook and put a tough split-ring on the last eyelet. This saves my hands and improves hookups (at least it seems to).


My 51/52 need some hook replacements and I was going to remove the middle hooks. You think the front hook is the one to remove?


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## bragwell (Apr 15, 2010)

Drundel said:


> My 51/52 need some hook replacements and I was going to remove the middle hooks. You think the front hook is the one to remove?


That is what I do. For a few different reasons,,, the front hook easily tangles in your line, or reef etc. it also creates drag. Three sets of trebles can work against eachother when on a fish and can pull free. Also if you remove the front hook and lay the lure next to a catch2000 or catch5 the hook placement matches up. I also put a split-ring on the tail end which extends the hook further and enables the hook to have movement and when hooked into a fish won't pull free so easy. The way mr's are set up the hooks can't oscillate 360 degrees; so to have the tail end with the split ring enables one hook to oscillate.


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## JimD (May 25, 2004)

bragwell, How does removing the hook effect sink rate since these are weighted to sink about like a corky?


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## grindthegrind (Jan 28, 2013)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Carolina rig your corky with 24" mono leader, swivel and 1/4 oz egg weight and see if it helps. Dickie Colburn rigs corkies and maniac mullet this way but with a 3/8-1/2 oz egg weight for fishing 15-30' deep holes on the sabine.
> 
> http://www.fishingscout.com/anglers/SmackDaddy


Alternatively you could just go to bass pro and buy the slip in nail weights from the rigging section. Unless you're fishing 30 feet +, in that case I guess the carolina rigging method would probably be better. It's a lot easier to carry the little nail weights and slip them in the front when you're throwing in deep water, heavy current, gusting winds or all three. I've slipped as many as three in the front of my corky and it doesn't effect the action although it will probably change it just a little if you don't get them dead centered. The fish don't seem to care either way.

To answer JimD's question, yes the 51 and 52 mr's have always caught good fish but in my opinion I'd much rather throw a corky. When fish hit a corky they hold onto it a lot better increasing hook-up rate and not to mention I like the action of corkies a lot better in the water than I do the 51 or 52 mr. Corkies are more versatile because you can bend them a multitude of ways giving you plenty of options. Being able to insert slip weights into your fatboys makes it pretty much a no brainer for me.


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## bragwell (Apr 15, 2010)

JimD said:


> bragwell, How does removing the hook effect sink rate since these are weighted to sink about like a corky?


It doesn't affect the sink rate. The hooks I use are slightly heavier than the factory hooks, and adding that heavy duty split ring ballences it out nicely.


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## chicapesca (Jun 7, 2004)

I inherited a few from my Grandfather's tackle box and didn't use them for a few years. He and his buddies would go to the big jetties from Port O'Connor in the winter time and get onto the jetty and fish with the 52MR's. They caught some big trout that way. Some of the lures have teeth marks/scrapes on them. 
I fugured they worked then they should still work. I now use them in the surf and at the big jetties and am very successful with them. I replaced the hooks and they are still working.


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## JimD (May 25, 2004)

Good reading for a cold rainy day at work.


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## dolch (Aug 19, 2005)

Now all I can think about is the first spring tide in the surf. Makes for a really productive afternoon of work.

Sure wish they still made the Tahiti Sunrise. That's probably my all time favorite 51MR


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## JimD (May 25, 2004)

I will bring this old topic back up since it is spring and fishing the surf is around the corner for those who can drop and run down when the time is right.


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## JimD (May 25, 2004)

Hopefully we will get a winter. Here is an old topic from 9 years ago that is not talked about as much any more.


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## Sisco Kid (Mar 19, 2008)

dolce is this it, I've had this a while, good friend gave it to me, I hear you can get them if you order a bunch

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## Mattikins (Apr 12, 2016)

The 51MR is definitely still producing.



























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## Mattikins (Apr 12, 2016)

My brother posted this earlier and I thought it would be fitting for this.









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## Mattikins (Apr 12, 2016)

Guess no one else is showing the 51s and 52s some love...









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## JimD (May 25, 2004)

Just think Matt when this thread was started you were not shaving, driving, or thinking about girls much yet.


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## Mattikins (Apr 12, 2016)

JimD said:


> Just think Matt when this thread was started you were not shaving, driving, or thinking about girls much yet.


Lol yeah over 9 years! I guess not too many people use them nowadays. We have been tearing up the Trout with them. If I catch a Baffin Bay Big Girl with a 51 I will post it on here.

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## JimD (May 25, 2004)

It is good to see someone else up early with a sense of humor. 

It was sad that BrineJake got banned he had a lot of good info back then.

I still have many of the old ML colors but tend to pick up a fat boy most of the time for some reason. May have to get them out some time and try them again. 

Know they caught fish back then but heck I do not fish the surf much any more either.

Fish while you can. Seems I work more than anything anymore.


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## Mattikins (Apr 12, 2016)

JimD said:


> It is good to see someone else up early with a sense of humor.
> 
> It was sad that BrineJake got banned he had a lot of good info back then.


The early bird gets the worm!

My brother and I like to read the old topics and articles regarding Mirrolures. So much information to be learned from them. My dad has tons of old 51s and 52s that are now discontinued and you can tell the ones that got a lot of use by all the teeth marks lol.

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## JimD (May 25, 2004)

I will bump this old article back up and fall finally gets here.One of those old baits you do not hear much about any more.

The site below has a lot of different articles on salt water fishing including a lot of winter fishing ones:

http://texasweekendangler.com/texas_saltwater_fishing.htm

Jim


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