Paddletail Lure Casting Contest [What Size Casts The Farthest?]
- By: Luke Simonds
- on
In this Paddletail Lure Casting Contest – what size lure will cast the farthest???
I was interested to see if there was any difference in casting distance between a 5-inch, 4-inch, and 3.5-inch paddletail.
All else being equal, will the bigger lures have the farthest casting distance??
Let’s find out!
Paddletail Lure Casting Contest [VIDEO]
Lures Used In The Test:
- 5-inch – Slam Shady BOMBER
- 4-inch – Slam Shady Mulligan
- 3.5-inch – Slam Shady 2.0 Paddletail
- Hoss Helix Hooks
To keep things fair I have the same exact rod, reel, and rigging hook to keep everything equal except for the paddletails.
We conducted 5 casts for each lure.
Conclusion
The jump from 3.5 inches to 4 inches was a BIG deal.
There was about a 14-foot distance advantage with the 4-inch paddletail which can be monumental in triggering strikes over smelling the skunk!
It was no surprise the larger 5-inch BOMBER cast the farthest, however, the 4-inch Mulligan was not far behind.
As far as fishing with a small profile that casts far, the Mulligan had proven to consistently fit the bill.
The NEXT test I plan on conducting is going to be between different brands of 4-inch paddletails to test against the Mulligan.
Please comment below a 4-inch paddletail that you want to see tested against the Mulligan!!
It could be a part of my next casting experiment!
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Maybe you could make the test in a closed building with Dead air.
Good info and some pretty good comments also.
It would be interesting to see how far the jerk sheds would cast in comparison. Along with a top water like the Moonwalker or the super spool junior.
I have tried the Mulligan & not only does it cast further, its a great “Skipper” It sled under mangroves much better than the 2.0. Great Lure
cool
The bomber is extremely buoyant. With any current you need a hefty weight to get to the bottom, unless you’re fishing only 1 – 2 ft. of water. I’ve been going with the 3/4 oz weedless football head.
Try testing against the H&H Lures 4″ Queen Cacahoe paddle tail, I fish this quite a bit.
Try the 4″ Gulp Shrimp. That has a little weight too. Thanks
4inch diesel minnow by zman. That would be interesting
Yes, I’ll be sure to test that one out too.
Thanks for the testing, Luke. It would be helpful to know the weight of each lure for comparison. You can buy a small jewelry scale for less than $20, which will measure in fractions of an ounce or in grams.
Great question, Adam. The tackle store provides that info. The weight of the Mulligan is .25 oz.; weight for SS 2.0 paddletail is .14 oz. That nearly two times weight is the main reason it casts farther, not the dimples. Your point should probably be stressed more as the added weight also increases the speed of the decent all else equal. Alternatively, if farthest casting distance is the goal, adding 1/8 oz. to the jighead for the 2.0 paddletail would make them more comparable other than the 1/2” difference in length between them.
Thanks for sharing the helpful details Rob! Yes, the extra mass of the two larger lures was surely the largest factor in their different distances… the core reason I felt this experiment was helpful was to show how much extra distance the larger lures have when rigged for covering the same depth zone.