The Squidy Mangler, an inline spinner that will spin 100% of the time
 

Total Score: 8.00

Introduction: Inline spinners... many Anglers use them for different species of fish.  They come in all sizes, shapes, and colors.  Cox Lures has developed The Mangler Squidy which has outstanding action thanks to a blade design that enables it to spin every time.
 

Impressions: When I first saw The Squidy Mangler from Cox Lures I knew that this lure would catch fish because it is similar to some well known lures shapes used for big game fish such as Marlins or plastic tubes used for Bass fishing.  The Squidy Mangler is an inline spinner that contains all lead-free components.  The spinner consists of a propeller like spinning blade, a plastic squid-like or tube body, and a hook at the end.  The overall length, from where you tie your line to the end of the skirt, is approximately 3.25 inches.  At this size The Squidy Mangler is ideal for many types of fish that reside in rivers, lakes, and the ocean.

The Squidy Mangler uses environmental friendly components.  At only 3.25 inches in length this inline spinner can be used for multiple types of fish

The Squidy Mangler comes in only one size, but there are 10 different combinations of body and blade colors to choose from.  The blades available come in either gold or silver. Similar to fishing with a standard spinnerbait, picking a skirt color depends on preference and conditions.

  
Real World Tests: Some lures are designed for species specific fishing while others are more broad and can be used for many types.  Like other inline spinners, The Squidy Mangler is a lure that will catch multiple types of fish in different bodies of water.  Throughout the summer months I ventured out to different locations to see how well this inline spinner would work on different water conditions and multiple species.  The entire test cycle took place in rivers and lakes targeting largemouth bass, striped bass, stocked rainbow trout, and wild trout in the backcountry.

Casting: Being 3/8 ounces The Squidy Mangler casts very easy.  The lure will go exactly where you want it to.  Casting with light line for trout or heavier line for bass, you can still achieve good distances with this inline spinner.  You might think the propeller blade would catch the wind and create a lot of air resistance, but it does not.

Even in windy and rough conditions the Squidy's overall design allows you to cast to your targeted location

Retrieving: One thing all Anglers will notice when using the Squidy during the retrieves is this lure will always, and I mean always, exhibit a certain level of resistance on the retrieve. This is because the large blade spins everytime you work it.  No matter how you cast, how hard it lands, or how fast the water current, the blade will spin.

You might be asking what we are looking at here.  It's the Mangler being retrieved back to the boat.  As you can tell the blade really shines!

While the blade is spinning the entire spinner has incredible action produced by both the flash of the blade and the Squidy life-like movements.  Similar to other inline spinners, one will get line twist and sometimes the best way to minimize this is to put a high quality barrel swivel between your line and the lure with the help of a short leader.

A simple yet effective design.  The Squidy Mangler's blade spin everytime you start cranking your reel

The good thing about the Squidy Mangler is that you can work them in both rivers and lakes.  You can retrieve slowly or fast.  In lakes the weight helps it get down lower, but due to the design it will not sink that fast and can be used for river fishing as well.

Durability: After many fishing trips and catching fish ranging from small wild trout to hard hitting stripers The Squidy Mangler was still in good condition.  No performance altering damage to the blade nor the squidy body were apparent.  The bait can be customized for different applications, for example I trimmed the tail of the Squidy when I was fishing for smaller trout because fish would always bite the end of the skirt and I wasn't able to hook them.

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Conclusion: Inline spinners are now becoming  popular for some anglers when fishing for their preferred game fish.  They can be used for bass, trout, and much more.  Cox Lures has introduced a new spinner to add to your arsenal of inline spinners, one with a unique action, and a combination of elements that make this lure different then other inline spinners.  The Squidy Mangler produces great action and has a blade that spins every time.  No matter where you fish it, in the ocean, river, or lake, the Squidy will catch the attention of numerous species of fish. As with all lures don't be afraid to cut the skirt or make alterations to make the lure more appealing to the particular species you target. Hopefully we will see more sizes introduced so that we can experiment these lures on some larger game. In the end the Squidy is a well designed lure that performs well for a number of different fish ranging from larger trout to bass and stripers.