MirrOlure 17MR MirrOdine Suspending Twitchbait Review
- By: Justin Ritchey
- on
Do you often fish with suspending twitchbait lures?
Have you ever used the MirrOlure MirrOdine 17MR lure?
For over 15 years, anglers have caught countless fish using this lure!
Learn more about the MirrOdine here!
MirrOdine Suspending Twitchbait [VIDEO]
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Equipment Used:
- MirrOlure MirrOdine
- Owner Single Inline Replacement Hooks (1/0)
- Alabama Leprechaun
- Owner Weighted Twistlock Hook
The MirrOlure MirrOdine is designed to imitate a variety of different baits and its intended application is to swim just beneath the surface of the water.
There are a plethora of different MirrOdine lures in endless color variations.
If you are interested in adding the MirrOdine to your arsenal, there are a handful of styles that will cover all the bases and provide you with the desired results.
MirrOlure MirrOdine 17MR
To start your collection of MirrOdine lures, you will want to check out the 17MR MirrOdine lure number 18.
The lure is a silver holographic color on the sides with a greenback on top.
In addition to this lure, the newer C-Eye Series from MirrOlure is also something to add to your collection.
The C-Eye Series lures are skin prints of different baitfish from pilchard to pinfish to mullet and more.
Also, these lures have a matte finish to them and not so much the holographic design like the other MirrOdines.
If you are fishing in clear and calm water, you will want to use the matte finish MirrOdine.
On the other hand, the flash of the holographic lures is ideal for dirty water scenarios.
In terms of the finer details of the 17MR number 18 MirrOdine, it comes in just under 3 inches and weighs 5/8 oz.
This lure will not plummet deep into the water column, however, it will suspend right below the surface.
A 5/8 ounce jighead or other lures will behave differently and sink lower towards the bottom, but not the MirrOdine lures.
MirrOdines will excel in 1-3 feet of water in an array of situations, whether it be on grass flats, over potholes, or along the edges of docks.
The MirrOdine is a versatile lure that can be applied to any fishing situation and species of fish.
MirrOlure also makes larger size suspending twitchbaits called the 27MR and the 37MR.
In both cases, the colors are the same as the smaller MirrOdine but the lures are larger in profile and longer in length.
Out of all the size options, the best choice for inshore anglers is the 17MR.
It is easy to cast and retrieve with applications in any fishing scenario.
Hook Options
All of the MirrOdine lures come standard with stock treble hooks.
You have the option of changing out the treble hooks with single inline replacement hooks.
The stock treble hooks that come on the lure are sharp and work well.
If you plan on keeping fish and bringing them home for dinner, treble hooks are effective for that.
However, if you are fishing strictly catch and release, it is easier to use single hooks.
When you bring that fish closer to you and try to remove the hooks, there are six hook points on the trebles that you have to worry about.
Single hooks allow for a quicker and easier catch and release.
If you fight your fish properly and have your drag correct, your catch rate will not drastically decrease.
It is easier on the fish and on you.
Owner single replacement hooks in the 1/0 size pair well with the MirrOdine.
The split rings that come on the MirrOdine from the factory are solid and can withstand a lot of pressure put on them.
If over time the split ring rusts, the best size to replace it with is a #3 split ring from Owner or something of a similar size.
Retrieving MirrOdine Lures
There are certain do’s and don’ts with any fishing lures, but with MirrOdines there is a fine line between how to properly retrieve these lures and what NOT to do.
The biggest mistake anyone can make when retrieving a MirrOdine in is reeling far too fast.
This type of retrieve may catch fish but in a sense, you are hindering the way the lure is designed to be worked.
You also can try the straight retrieve with these lures.
There is a slight side-to-side action on the lure but not as much as other lipped, diving lures.
The MirrOdine is designed to be worked using the twitch-twitch-pause method.
A difference in the MirrOdine to other suspending twitchbaits is how slow and level the descend is when you pause.
Fish are keying into the pauses of the lure with the help of the holographic design and rattles inside the lure.
The design and rattles are added to attract the fish but the descend is what triggers strikes from fish.
Furthermore, the direction you twitch your rod impacts the speed with which the lure comes back to you.
If you twitch your rod to the left or right, the lure will swim faster in the water as opposed to if you twitch your rod straight up.
This creates the proper slack in the line for the lure to sharply twitch up and then descend slowly back down.
Your lure will stay in the strike zone for a longer period of time.
Why Use A Suspending Twitchbait Over A Soft Plastic Jerk Bait?
Suspending twitchbaits are a perfect choice for catching big inshore game fish around structures in shallow water.
If you choose to use a soft plastic jerk bait to fish around potholes or oyster beds, your soft plastic lure might get chewed up by small baitfish.
Potholes and oyster beds are common areas for pinfish and other baitfish to frequently hold and stay around.
These baitfish will bite the tail off and chew the sides off of soft plastic lures.
This is why you may want to opt to use the suspending twitchbait.
You will keep your lure in the strike zone longer and mitigate the issues associated with small baitfish and soft plastics.
Moreover, the soft plastic lures on weighted hooks or jigheads will fall down to the bottom much faster than a suspending twitchbait.
Suspending twitchbaits are especially effective in the winter months when redfish, seatrout, and snook are a bit more lethargic and do not want to expend a lot of energy.
Cons Of The MirrOdine
The MirrOdine is going to get snagged on structures and debris in the water because of the treble hooks.
You will find it hard to avoid structures that this lure will not get snagged on especially if you choose to leave the stock treble hooks on the lure.
Suspending twitchbaits aren’t direct substitutions for soft plastic lures on weedless hooks that are snag-resistant.
This is not to say you won’t catch fish around structure with a twitchbait, but be mindful of the structure around you.
Another con of the MirrOdine is hard-body lure hardware and maintenance.
It is important to keep up with a hard-body lure and spray it down after each use or it may become unusable.
The hardware on the twitchbait is prone to rust out if not properly kept up.
Conclusion
MirrOlure MirrOdine Suspending Twitchbait lures catch big fish and provide an alternative to other soft plastic lures and topwater lures.
The MirrOdine matches most baitfish profiles in the water and the suspending action paired with rattles creates an attraction and triggers committed strikes from fish.
Keep in mind how you are retrieving this lure to ensure you are creating the best presentation possible!
If you have any further questions about MirrOlures, please ask me down in the comments!
And if you know an angler who wants to learn more about the MirrOlure MirrOdine, please TAG or SHARE this with them!
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Question about the rattles in the 17mr. How important are they since they never seem to work more than one use?
Ha! I’ve experienced the rattles not working before on some of my 17MRs, I can understand that’s probably annoying. Overall I don’t think it plays a huge factor in the overall performance of the lure. It’s one of those “better to have it & not need it” type of things.
I believe you mean a 17MR-18 Green Medium 01?
The main product being referred to in this Review is the 17MR-18 (17 refers to the Model Type, and 18 refers to the color, which is Green Back/Silver Sides).
Where does the “Medium 01” come from? Here is the Product Listing by MirrOlure directly: MirrOdine 17MR Suspending Twitchbait (shopmirrolure.com)
https://www.academy.com/p/mirrolure%C2%AE-mirrodine-bait?sku=green-medium-01
“https:// http://www.academy.com/p/mirrolure%C2%AE-mirrodine-bait?sku=green-medium-01“
1.) I am not sure why Academy Sports coded this product as a “Green-Medium-01”. There is not classification made by MirrOlure directly calling the product as that.
2.) Academy Sports also calls this lure a “MirrOdine Bait”…which is clearly their personal description of the product, as a “Lure” and a “Bait” are two totally different things.
3.) The pricing they have listed on their Website is the price after a 5% discount is applied once you register for their Academy Sports Credit Card. The MSRP Pricing by MirrOlure directly is $8.99, which can be referenced here: Suspending Twitchbaits (shopmirrolure.com)
Well Academy like Walmart, not exactly Rocket Surgeons in my experience.
So, screwy descriptions, listings are their forte.
I basically needed a cart filter for free shipping on an order, so picked up a Mirrolure.
The online rendering of the color isn’t much help, so I best guessed the one you had posted.
You can’t find them around here.
The Gold lure looked interesting, thinking gold spoons work well around here.
Now need to get a D.O.A. PT-7.
Very good points. Lol.
In the coming months, we are looking to offer Free Shipping for our Insider Members in the Club. We are working out the details over the next few weeks and hope to implement this by the Jan. 2023.
I LOVE that Gold & Orange color! It blends in very well with tannic colored water (or Muddy water). It’s a Custom Color I think made for a store down in SW Florida. It would work well up in the Carolinas as well.
Very informative, Justin. I have dealt with puffers destroying my soft plastics. I will add a couple of these even if that is the only time that I use them. Thanks!
Justin, I was really happy with your review. Excellent format and your thoroughness of the review was wonderful. You gave both sides of the story and the underwater footage and your commentary were very informative. I will slow down my retrieve on my fishing use of the MirrOdine. I also like your structured follow text notes. Great Job Justin!
Thank you Alan! It’s a lot of content to go over, but I always try to pay respect to the popularity of a lure while also offering as much info as I can on its application. Appreciate the feedback!
Puffer Proof!!!
Don’t jynx it! 🙂
Great information guys. I fish freshwater part of the year and have used suspension baits successfully for bass in colder weather in the fall and spring. (Fish in Florida in the winter 🙂
I regularly get adult tarpon in the lake near our home and the marina. As always, they have their days when they just won’t bite, even when I can see them rolling all over. I am going to try the 17MR and the heavy dine you mention with single hooks swapped in. With tarpon being super lazy I am hoping that suspending something under their nose will get some action. Have some snook around too so we shall see what happens.
Thanks as always for the thoughts and info!
Appreciate the kind comment, Dave! Thank YOU!
FYI: These lures work incredibly well for Juvenile Tarpon. I landed 2 yesterday on them!
I have a huge arsenal in my tackle box I guess most serious anglers have every kind of lure known and I like exploring and using different lures to fool fish but I have my few that are constant producers and as far as hard twitch baits the mirror lure mirrordine is one of them the action is incredible it can be cast a long way and is deadly in the right hands used the right way and yes all my hard baits from crank baits to topwaters all now have online single hooks either from vmc or owner and I guess I should mention I have found the owner online singles are a bit bigger in size then the vmc inclines I use the size 1 for my small hardbaits like the mirrordine and the 1 ought in my bigger hardbaits like my spook jr topwaters and I have found that one needs to feel the fish before setting the hook as compared to treble hooks where fish seem more prone to setting the hook themselves plus as most anglers know inclines are easier on the fish and easier to remove once the fish is caught thanks for the tip and all you do😉👍
Thanks Steven! Always happy to dive deeper into all types of Fishing Tackle 🙂
Just got the 17`s and thanks for the lesson on working it .
Anytime Paul! Thank you
Thanks, Justin! Gonna use these 17MRs for middle water column trout fishing in the creek/marsh system of the SC lowcountry during my trip there in December.
Good deal Brian! I’ll be reviving these back into my arsenal when fishing shallow sand flats for laid-up Trout & Snook. Should be a killer approach.
Great reminder that these baits are truly classics that have caught fish for many many years. And, most of us have a dozen or so Mirrolures in our collection that we need to remember when the trout bite is on fire. Kayak or skiff it doesn’t matter. Thanks for a terrific video.
Absolutely. Appreciate the comment here, Jeff!