The Venerable Mirrolure

[Eel]

I'm sitting around on a windy, warm late October Saturday. I'm tired of fishing in the wind, but my mind is drifting toward speckled trout with the cooler temps and shorter daylight.

Its fun catching trout on gulps, scented plastics, and regular soft plastics/grubs. But there's not many things sexier than catching fish on hard baits. The MR 17s and X-Raps are the hot lures nowadays, but nothing has stood the test of time like the Mirrolure M52.

So I tell myself to dig out my Mirrolures, some of them handed down my my Dad and Grandfather, and give them some TLC.

After a season of neglect, they look like this: :mad:

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e188/Mal_Pais/003_ml.jpg

In today's disposable society, most folks throw out the old rusty tackle and go buy the new shiny plugs. Nothing wrong with that, I suppose, your favorite tackle shop can always use the business. But some of these lures are over 40 years old, and my Dad has a story to tell about each one. So I go buy some replacement hooks and toilet bowl cleaner from the dollar store (total price = $6) and sit down for an afternoon.

Removed all the hardware, threw away the old rusty hooks, and soak the rusty hardware in toilet bowl cleaner. Then I take the toilet bowl cleaner and an old toothbrush and clean up the lures.

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e188/Mal_Pais/002_ml.jpg

Now its time to put them back together.

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e188/Mal_Pais/006_ml.jpg

Clean up those old lures, nothing like giving a old dead plug a new lease on life. Now let's go catch some trout. *Cheers*

[Redfish]

Dude, you and I be on the same wavelength. I just put about $5-$7 worth of hooks on my TT M52s. They are GREAT trout bait. BTW, do you know what TT stands for? Tiny Trout. Canabalism. Big gators eat their young.

I like the gold and red combos, white with a red head, and in clear water, the green back or the black w/ spots does well. All good ones have spots. TT=Tiny Trout.*thumbsup*

[Dave]

Lookin' good Eel. I think Mirolure sells replacement hook kits that include the hooks AND the screws and little thingie that the hooks eye goes through.

Every time the wind changes to the north for a day or two, I'm thinking "trout", but the water temp is still holding in the high 60's, low 70's... won't be long *thumbsup*

[Tparkin]

don't see any in your pic there, but if you don't already have a set, Dicks Sporting Goods sells a small pair of split ring pliers for $6...well worth it for changing the trebles and rings...plus they cut braid like a champ.

[Eel]

The TTs have the spots (specks) to look like a little trout. Yep, the gators eat their young. My personal favorite M52 though is the Purple Demon, because if I'm throwing that one, that means I'm fishing at night. :cool:

BTW, the best selling Skitterwalk is the "redfish" color, with a spot on the tail. Friday and Latham won the last Redfish Cup in Morehead City throwing the redfish color Skitterwalk in Swansboro. We all know that a redfish will eat anything, but apparently little redfish are high on their menu. ;D

TParkin, my split ring pliers are in the middle pic, but I used them and a pair of needle nose pliers to bend the back eyehook enough to replace the back treble. No split rings on these, baby, these are old school. *Cheers*

[justaddwater]

Hey Eel you got 'em looking real good. *003* Now let me see if I can bunch my old stuff up and get a box over there so's you can make mine look that good. *yay* Just kidding......you made them look as good as new. It is fun to sit down and redo old stuff you know will work again, just like it did for ol' dad.*Cheers*

[sportskiff]

Eel,
(showoff) ;D
good post, one that is one of the best I have seen in a while!!!!!!!!!!!
thank YOU Eel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[brokebeach5011]

That top picture is out of focus and the bottom is in focus.That's why they look so good.rotflmaoJust kidding.
Just bought me a tackle box to put mine in.Had all mine in a 3 gallon bucket.I got nineteen all together. I had about 12 for 3- 4 years hadn't been opened.

[SS-342]

Eel:

That was GREAT! Looked like new stuff again. I've got to look in my daddies stuff. He used white red heads back in the 40's. Hope to find some of them!

Thanks

[Gunnar]

Nice job Eel *Cheers* I've got a few that need some TLC also.

I really like the psychedelic prizm one :cool:

Gregg

[Island Man]

Did you replace the screws also or just the hooks?

[Eel]

No, I just soaked the screws and the metal plates in toilet cleaner, and it dissolved the rust and corrosion.

[Island Man]

No, I just soaked the screws and the metal plates in toilet cleaner, and it dissolved the rust and corrosion.

What brand toilet cleaner and if it dissolves rust wouldnt it work on the hooks too?

[Thomas Smith]

One of the better post that I have seen. It's nice to see someone slow down and be efficent for a change.*yay*

[Eel]

What brand toilet cleaner and if it dissolves rust wouldnt it work on the hooks too?


The Works, its a buck at the dollar store, works on rust spots on your boat, too. The hardware is stainless steel, the hooks are not. The rust on the hardware comes from the hooks, the hardware doesn't actually rust.