How to “fish out” fake Mepps in a sea of ​​spinners

When talking about spinning fishing, a logical chain “spinning-pike-spoon-Meps” involuntarily forms in your head. It is pike that is the main trophy for mid-latitude spinners, it is the spinner that is a universal toothy bait in most situations, it is Mepps spinners and spinners that are the most popular spinners among anglers.

According to the observations of the author of the article, almost every spinning player has French Meps spinners in his arsenal. This is especially true for turntables - Mepps has a wider selection of them than vibrators.

Mepps spinners often save the most difficult fishing trips, when even famous wobblers and silicone are silent.

Meps spinners are deservedly popular among fishermen. This is due to the fact that they are easier to master than wobblers and silicone baits, and their catchability with proper presentation is no worse. The price/quality ratio is optimal. Each bait is assembled using high-quality components that are carefully selected and adjusted to each other.

This is interesting! Mepps is the only manufacturer of fishing products that produces only spoons.

We choose the original!

Important! In recent years, Chinese products have taken over the world, and spinning baits are no exception. And especially such a tasty morsel as Mepps spinners. It is important to understand that Chinese replicas will be caught, but only at the most “gluttonous” times, when the fish will even grab a stone. This fact applies to a greater extent to spinners; more or less high-quality copies of the oscillating Mepps cyclops (Mepps syclops) catch not much worse than the original.

A short educational program on how to distinguish an original Meps from a fake:

1. Price . A real “French” cannot cost 50 rubles under any circumstances, only used on the forums.
2. Design features and quality of components : It is a known fact that the original Meps have an impressive thickness of the collar on which the petal rotates, approximately equal to the thickness of petal #1.
3. In the nose part near the fastening ring, the original has 1.5 twisted turns on the axis , while the Chinese have 2-3 or more.
4. Petals, axles, and clamps are made of stainless non-ferrous materials ; fakes almost always have impurities, which guarantees rust, variation in weight for the same model and, most importantly, malfunctions in the play of the spinner.
5. accessories are of the lowest quality - anchors, rings, clamps, beads and even edges. The originals have all the components of excellent quality.
6. The wire of originals is always matte, while that of fakes is often silver.

The original Frenchman (right) and the Chinese replica of the Meps (left)

Design features

If stamping defects are visible on the petals of the spinners you are inspecting, set the product aside. Original Mepps models are manufactured using modern, high-precision equipment.

You also need to pay attention to the front twist of the wire. For a genuine Mepps spinner, this twist is about 1.5 turns. At the same time, fakes may have twists of 4 or more turns. The ring itself, by which you attach the carabiner to the spoon, has a round shape on a fake spoon. In the original spinner, this ring is slightly elongated.

1. Original

Fake

2. Fake

1. Original

Fake

2. Fake

The best Meps spinners for catching pike on lakes and rivers

The main parameter that you should consider when choosing a Meps spinner for pike fishing. The range of French spinners is based on three types of blades: aglia, comet, aglia longue.

Petal shape

Aglia - works almost independently

Aglia (Colorado) is the wide-lobed and most stubborn spoon, its use is justified where there is no or almost no current.

Lakes, bays, floodplains, reservoirs. And also when fishing in slow currents for drift, in cases where maximum vibration is required at a minimum fishing speed at relatively shallow depths.

Size range Aglia Meps

It can also be used on slow-flowing rivers. Contrary to popular belief, aglia is good on the slowest retrieves - it starts up quickly and does not fail even when the flails are caught on underwater vegetation. It feels very good in the hand, always “alive” and seducing even a passive predator. Pike size from 3 to 5 number . Selected based on fishing conditions.

It is worth noting that Aglia works best on a uniform retrieve; it itself selects the speed and angle of rotation depending on the speed of the current and the angle of delivery. It is better to select the required depth by changing the speed of the retrieve, the size of the spoon and, if necessary, the form factor to the Aglia Long or Comet.

The standard range of colors includes 4 types - silver, brass, copper and black.

Also with an aglium-shaped petal, Meps has the following series, some of which are suitable for pike fishing:

1. Mepps Aglia Decoree. The same model range, the same colors, only with multi-colored dots applied to the surface.

2. Aglia Spinflex. "Spinner-jig". Equipped with a twister and removable jig heads. Both the size and weight are selected based on the fishing conditions and the size of the intended predator. Works in both horizontal and vertical planes. Can be used both as a jig bait on a standard step and as an Aglia type spinner. Collects bottom pike on a fishing line like “lift the mud from the bottom by hitting the petal against the bottom.” Any weight. The standard from Meps is 10-14-17 grams.

3. Mepps Aglia Fluo. A series of spinners that help out in the most difficult conditions. Poor visibility of water (turbid, suspended sand and clay), great depth, cloudy and rainy weather. Acid and fluorescent colors awaken the basest feelings in pike and other predators. At a time when other standard colors are simply lost in the water column. The “Phospho” color (white in the photo) is especially good. Pike sizes range from 2 to 4.

4. Aglia Flying C
   . A spinner with a heavy core, very long-range. It holds the stream well and is suitable for fishing in the deepest places, and all this is combined with a stubborn Aglia type petal. You can get pike from channel edges, deep holes and pits. Weights of 10 and 15 grams are optimal for pike.

5. Mepps Aglia-E. Additional decor is an enticement on the tee. Used in muddy water. For pike 9 and 13 grams.

6. Musky Killer. Pinwheel on Aglia petals, weight 15 grams. Muskinong - pike. That is, the spoon was originally created for the toothed one. Excellent hydroacoustics, strong vibrations. Requires appropriate gear, but picks up predators from a long distance. Woolen brushes slow down the speed of the pinwheel, while simultaneously increasing its actual size. This is very useful when fishing for catfish, which loves the imposing retrieve of bulky baits.

7. Aglia Long Cast. Heavy lure for the deepest places and wide water areas. Very long-range. For pike, 8, 12 and 17 grams are the most universal. For large water areas 24 grams.

Comet (Black Fury) - all-rounder for currents and calm waters

Mepps Comet is a universal petal and universal application. Very stable operation in the current, good for fishing in the middle layers of the water area. It does not fail when hitting underwater obstacles and starts instantly. Numbers 3-5 for pike. The main colors are consistent across all meps.

Black Fury

- a successful combination of a “comet” type petal and a wealth of colors that imitate various underwater creatures - from fry (minnows, minnows, roaches) to frogs, tadpoles and insects. Allows you to fish the water area in a fan pattern - the spinner works with the current, upstream and across the stream.

Aglia longue - we will hit the rapids with killer baits...

Aglia long with a petal in the form of a willow petal is used in the strongest currents and when fishing against the current. For pike they showed excellent performance in size 1+ - 3. Works stably in calm water with uniform animation.

Variations of Meps Long that can be used on pike:

1. Aglia Long Rainbow — colorful stickers sparkle seductively under water, especially in the glare of the sun's rays. Sometimes it's a plus, sometimes it's a minus. But you need to have a couple of these in size 2-3.

2. Aglia Long Heavy. Long with a weighted core. Very long-range rotator for processing large and deep water areas.

3. Mepps Giant Killer. Heavy long spinners, weight 35 grams. Bright, persistent, noticeable in the water and on the shelves of fishing stores). Very expensive, around 700 rubles. This type of spinner is good for fishing in deep-sea holes. But such pits are often clogged. Therefore, we recommend replacing the powerful tee with a more delicate one made from thin Ovner wire, which will allow you to straighten the hook on the hook and not lose the expensive rotator. It doesn't fly very well, but that's usually not required.

Anything is different - everything is delicious

But not only the successful trio of Aglia-Comet-Aglia Long can seduce the toothy one. Other successful models also work for pike:

1. Mepps XD. Inline spinner allows you to fish in the strongest currents. For grass pike, the third number is good, weighing 7 grams.

2. Mepps Lusox — front-loaded rotator with replaceable weight. Works great on pike in all sizes 0-3. You can fish holes, edges, difficult terrain - the petal continues to rotate even in the fall, thanks to the edge on the tee and the special shape of the petal. Allows the jig to run along the bottom.

3. Meps tandems (Tandem Pike, Tandem Trout) are massive spinners that can be given a variety of movements using rod movements and varying the speed of the retrieve.

The French manufacturer also produces many different modifications of turntables - different colors, load options, equipped with various front sights, edges, etc. But these are already variations on a theme, they are not, in fact, what is needed for the pike. It rather catches the fisherman, not the fish.

Mepps spinners. How to distinguish an original from a fake.

I want to start today’s article with the most banal phrase: “it’s no secret that spinners are one of the most catchy and common spinning lures”...

Of course, dozens, if not hundreds, of articles on this topic begin with these words, but they reflect the essence absolutely correctly. Many of us started our journey in spinning using spinners or spinners. And it should be noted that over the past decades, nothing has changed dramatically, and the spinners have remained almost the same, and the fact that using them is the easiest way to start a spinning career has remained unchanged. But, despite the apparent stability in this area, modern trends have affected it too. Namely, a huge number of counterfeits of well-known brands have appeared. Probably, a copy in itself is not so bad. If some conscientious manufacturer takes an original idea as a basis, reproduces it, modifies it, refines it, and at the end we get a fairly high-quality working product, only, often, for less money. With fakes, not everything is so simple. In most cases, not only the idea itself is stolen, but also the logo. Naturally, when some unknown product is presented as a well-known product, it is driven only by the thirst for profit. In other words, getting maximum benefit. Accordingly, in this case we are not talking about compliance with the technological process, nor about the use of the necessary materials. And if in the situation with copies entering the market under some third-party brand, everything is not so clear, then in the case of fakes nothing good can be expected. And for greater clarity, let’s figure out what the consequences of changing a technology that has been proven over the years are.

As an example, let's take the well-known and most frequently counterfeited French company Meeps , or rather its products and counterfeits.

And we will start with the favorite spinner of our spinners, the Aglia Long spinner (MEPPS AGLIA LONG).

Let's look at photos 1 and 2 and think about what we see here.

And we see two spoons that seem to be very similar to each other, but looking ahead, I will say that their similarity ends with the presence of a well-known logo.

Now let's figure out what's wrong and what it entails.

At the first glance at them, it becomes obvious that the core of the fake is smaller than that of the original. I dare to suggest that it is lighter. Let's check this by putting both spoons on the scales. As you can see by paying attention to photos 3 and 4, the fake is much lighter than the original.

It would seem nonsense, but do not rush to draw conclusions. At a minimum, this spoon will lose casting range. And the point is not even that a heavy bait, all other things being equal, by definition will fly further. And the fact is that the balance formed over the years between the size and, as a consequence, the weight of the core, the overall size of the bait, the size and weight of the petal and the radius of its bend is disrupted. At a minimum, the fake will spin and, as a result, sail heavily when casting, which will inevitably lead to a reduction in its range. If the weight of the petal does not match, the spinner will not work well. Most often this happens when the petal is too light. Also important is the bending radius of the petal. The angle at which the petal rotates depends on it. For Aglia Long it is approximately 45 degrees. If the bending radius does not correspond to the original, assume that it is smaller, then in this case the rotation angle will be smaller and the rotation speed will be higher. But that's not the saddest thing. Such a spoon will work less well and it is likely that such a blade will stick when fishing on rivers with mixed streams or when moving downstream. If the core is too heavy, then such a spinner will also be difficult to work with.

To briefly summarize the above, I would like to note that behind the apparent simplicity of the spoon lies a technology that has been proven over the years and a strict balance of all elements of the spoon. And changes in one element will most likely lead to a loss of the current performance qualities of the bait.

Now let's see how things are going with oscillating spoons using the example of Mepps Syclops .

Look at photos 5 and 6 Here we see the original spoon and its fake.

At first glance, a spinner with a red pattern catches your eye. The problem is that such a spinner is not in the catalog of the French company. There is a black pattern, but not a red one.

Well, as you can see, the fake is somewhat lighter than the original.

Accordingly, these are problems with casting and, what is most unpleasant, is not stable play in the current.
Such spoons go into a tailspin and lose their attractiveness to fish. It's the same story with bending radii. The slightest deviation from the original dimensions leads to a change in the performance of the bait. She stops wiggling her sides or wagging her rear end too much. I'm not saying that this is definitely bad. It is quite possible that in some situations this may turn out to be a plus. But be that as it may, this is a completely different lure that has nothing in common with the original Mepps bait. Buying a fake spoon is always a lottery, since it is not very clear what to expect from it, and given the insignificant difference in price, it is worth asking: is there any point in doing this at all?!
It is also worth considering that in addition to the design features of the bait, there are also accessories that are not always of good quality. Weak winding rings, dull and again weak hooks. All this leads to the loss of the trophy. In the photographs you can see the difference between the original baits and the fake ones.

Let's go back to the turntables again and look at the photo below

As you can see, the fake and the original have different petal mounting arms . On the one hand, it’s a small thing, but as we know, there are no small things in fishing. And the sound made by the bait when rotating will be completely different and something tells me that it will change not for the better.

Also, the sound of the spinner is influenced by the material used. Original spinners use non-ferrous metals , while fakes often contain metal with impurities or completely unknown alloys.

It is worth paying attention to the additional elements of the spinners - these are all kinds of beads, metal cone bumpers , etc. Among other things, they also act as a kind of bearings, which, to a certain extent, reduce the effect of twisting the fishing line. Accordingly, on original baits they rotate freely , but on some fakes they are tightly seated on the wire and do not fully fulfill their assigned role.

By the way, about the wire... On fakes, the wire is too soft and has to be periodically leveled. On the one hand, this is a matter of a few minutes, but, you see, it is not always possible to achieve the ideal and the slightest hump on it can lead to unstable operation of the petal - sticking and so on.

It’s worth saying a few more words about plastic beads. If you look at the photos, you can easily notice that they have different colors. The bead on the original spinner is not entirely simple - it glows in ultraviolet light. A fake cannot boast of such qualities. Moreover, a fake bead is very fragile and very often pricks, practically negating the angler’s chances of a successful result.

How to recognize a fake? What to look for when buying a spinner?

1. A distinctive feature is the front twist . For the original it is approximately 1.5 turns . On fakes, in most cases, the number of turns is much higher.

2. Pay attention to the logo imprinted on the body of the spinner or the petal. In the original, all letters are clear and clearly distinguishable. Counterfeits cannot boast of this. Original spinners cannot have “Made in China” on them; original ones can only have “Made in France” or “Made in USA”

3. If the wire is soft, the hooks are dull, the paint has sagging, don’t buy it.

To sum up today's conversation, I want to say that there are much more disadvantages from purchasing counterfeits than advantages. And remember, a fake spinner is always a lottery...

NHNCH, big fish and quality baits to everyone!

author: Konstantin Shorin

You can buy original Mepps spinners in the online store of goods for fishing and outdoor activities Ugra Sport: https://tk-ugrasport.ru/shop/primanki/blesny/mepps/

Meps spoons for pike

Mepps Syclops (Meps Cyclops) is an amazing spoon bait for its catchability and versatility. The manufacturer himself states that if a spinner needs to choose one bait for catching a predator, then it should be a cyclops.

For pike, the best sizes are 1-3. It flies killer, but requires powerful gear with a reserve for the test.

It has an interesting profile and shape, which allows the oscillating spoon to operate at a variety of fishing speeds. But still, the main one for pike is uniformly lazy with failures to fall. In the current it works well across the stream or against the current but at almost a complete stop of the wiring or at minimum speed.

Keeps the specified wiring horizon well. In still water, this allows you to quickly process a vast area of ​​water both in depth and in width using the fan method. You can animate either evenly or in steps/pauses, if the water area allows it.

Variations on a Cyclops Theme

It is worth separately noting this most famous variation of the Mepsian Cyclops:

Mepps Syclops S-Light . A lightweight option for fishing in shallower waters. It works well in spring on flooded floodplain lakes, as well as in summer over underwater vegetation. Vibration and acoustics are top notch. We recommend it for still water for fishing over nettles and along water lilies.

Numerous types of cyclops are also produced with different colors, weights, sizes and equipment, we note that they are 100% working: the Platinum Vert series, Fluo Orange, Fluo Chartreuse, Fluo Tiger, Phosphoresctnt.

Timber doodle - non-snagging Meps for pike in strong places

It is not the meps who catch pike, but the fisherman. But it’s easier to find an approach to a capricious predator if you have a set of high-quality baits in your arsenal.

The best spinner "Meps": reviews and opinions

By studying the popularity of spinners designed specifically for pike fishing, you can make a kind of list based on reviews from anglers.

In first place in the rating, despite the fact that the spoon spoon is considered a classic pike lure, is the “Aglia”. This model is most popular among predatory fishing enthusiasts. It is applicable to any body of water and any conditions, and even if there is no pike in it, a large perch will definitely respond to it. The models most often used by anglers are sizes No. 1 and No. 2.

The second place of honor is occupied by “Cyclops”. This is a classic of pike fishing, gaining popularity for its simplicity and unique behavior in the water. “Cyclops” is the only narrowly targeted (pike) lure “Meps”. Reviews from fishermen about it indicate that it is not advisable to use it for catching perch, pike perch or asp. But for pike there is no better bait than the Cyclops, especially if we are talking about a reservoir without a current in early autumn.

“XD” gets “Bronze” in our rating. According to anglers, it is this spoon that best copes with pike at great depths and in strong currents, without threatening the gear with frequent snags and breaks.