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I decided to give hard lures a try this spring. Most of the lures have been reasonably easy to choose one or another brand. However the Mirrodine vs the X-Rap Twitch Mullet have been impossible for me. Does any one have experience with those two lure styles to offer some experience and advice on which is best for the shallow waters here in the Rockport, AP and Port Aransas area. Colors I have made the choices about but not the style. Thanks for the help.

I think both those companies make great products and I do have experience with several lures from each outfit. I haven’t tried the specific Rapala model you mentioned. I have used the mirrodine and wasn’t there an XL version too? The mirrodine was never the first suspending type plug I’d reach for, but that was more about having more confidence using something else than any knock on the mirrodine. Seems like I remember not liking the hooks they used on them at the time. They were some real heavy wire treble hooks at the time, but they might have completely different hooks by now. Hooks can be changed at any rate, but it just takes some time and a little expense to get it done. I don’t like heavy wire hooks if trout are the target. I have this idea that heavy wire hooks don’t set as well and are more prone to tearing free in delicate trout mouths. That idea could be all wrong, but I ran with it. I do believe light wire fly hooks with micro barbs tend to set easier and stay set without tearing trout mouth membranes. That could also relate to the lure’s weight and any leverage and momentum a trout can gain head shaking and thrashing to work the hook free. One thing I like about Corkies at the time was that they came with light wire hooks, although a better redfish could bend them if I wasn’t careful.

Hopefully, folks with experience with each lure will chime in with which lure they like more and why.

The mirrodine is magic for trout back in Florida. Not sure how they work here, but when tying one on I highly recommend using a loop knot. That little bit of wiggle room gives it a lot more action.


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Thank you both for the input so far.

They are both pretty good. just a different shape really. I'd go with the Mirrodine though, it's a bit tougher.

I agree with the post about fishing with whichever gives you the most confidence. Having tried several hard plastics, the only ones I throw now are various Yo-zuris. I have the crystal minnow in various sizes and colors. I sat on the dock near the end of November and just flipped a 3" suspending crystal minnow into the lights and caught three keepers in about a 20 minute period. They probably would have hit anything but that was the lure that I felt best fishing.