Merthiolate Lures You May Not Know

Merthiolate Zoom Trick Worm

When I first started fishing in Virginia around 1995, all of the old-time Buggs Island sticks talked about the springtime trick worm bite. In particular, they liked two colors – bubble gum and Merthiolate.

Since then I’ve always kept a stash of Merthiolate (some manufacturers leave out the “r” and call it “Methiolate”) Zoom Trick Worms in my stash. I’ve also had occasional success with Merthiolate Super Flukes and Finesse Worms when I can find them.

I’m colorblind, or at least color-ignorant, so I have a hard time accurately describing some lure colors, but as best I can tell it’s a pinkish orange hue. If that’s something you need to integrate into your fishing life, definitely stock up on the lures listed above, but you might also want to consider these other options that are outside of that basic realm.


Zoom Merthiolate Salty Super Fluke next to a bottle of Thimerosal Tincture

And if your soft plastic doesn’t come in Merthiolate, or needs a dose of it on the tail, you can always invest in Spike-It dipping dye.

What the Hell is Merthiolate?

In case you’re wondering where the name comes from, Merthiolate the most popular branded version of the topical antiseptic Thiomersal, as marketed by Eli Lilly. For a long time, it was used as a preservative in many vaccinations, but was eventually replaced because of concerns about its mercury content.

 
Previous
Previous

New Products for Mexican Bass from ICAST 2025

Next
Next

Matty Wong’s Glide Bait Starter Set to Cover A Wide Range of Scenarios