Skinny Lipper vs. Mulligan Bomber: Lure Experiment Insights
- By: Luke Simonds
- on
How much does your lure—or the way you retrieve it—affect your catch rate? In this experiment, I tested the Mulligan Bomber, a paddle tail, against the Skinny Lipper, a slash bait, to find out.
The goal? Learn what works, when, and why—so you can make better decisions on the water.
Equipment Used
- Rod: Slam Stick 7’6″ Medium
- Reel: Fuego 2500
- Line: 10 lb J-braid
- Leader: 20 lb Ande mono with 30 lb Ande mono bite tippet
- Lure: Mulligan 5″ Bomber rigged on 4/0 1/8th oz Hoss Helix hook
- Rod: TFO Pro C 7′ Medium
- Reel: Daiwa Coastal SV 150
- Line: 15 lb Proprietary
- Leader: 20 lb Ande mono with 30 lb Ande mono bite tippet
- Lure: Skinny Lipper – Slam Shady
The Experiment
Early Morning Action
The test started with alternating casts—three with each lure. Both were the same color for a fair comparison. Early on, the Skinny Lipper outperformed, landing a trout and a snook near the mangroves. Its vibration and flash gave it an edge in low-light conditions.
Meanwhile, the Mulligan Bomber struggled to get bites.
Changing the Retrieve
Instead of swapping lures, I adjusted my technique with the Bomber. Switching to a twitch-style retrieve made an immediate difference—the very first cast hooked a fish. This tweak turned the Bomber into a solid producer as the sun rose and visibility improved.
Key Lessons
- Retrieve Matters More Than You Think
A simple adjustment in how you work a lure can make all the difference. Before switching lures, experiment with your retrieve to see if it changes your results. - Match the Lure to Conditions
The Skinny Lipper excelled in low-light, low-visibility conditions, while the subtler Mulligan Bomber performed better in clear water. Knowing when to go bold or subtle can help you maximize strikes.
See the difference for yourself—pick up your Skinny Lippers or Mulligan Bombers today and get them in the water.
Tried similar tests with similar lures? Share your experience in the comments—I’d love to hear your insights.
Tight lines!
Luke Simonds
Chief Fishing Addict
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STOP WASTING TIME ON THE WATER!
Do what the “SMART ANGLERS” are doing and join the Insider Club.
Here’s what you’ll receive today when you join:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish every trip
- Weekly “spot dissection” videos that walk you through all the best spots in your area
- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
Your retrieve videos are very valuable to me as I learn inshore fishing! So many things to take into consideration…Appreciate all your efforts Luke. And to the rest of the team!
Thanks for making time to post the nice comment!
Might be a bit off topic but do you guys ever fish with metal jigs? So far I’ve only seen you fish with soft plastics and hard plastics. Was wondering what your thoughts are on metal jigs.
Thanks for all your content, learning alot from you guys !
Metal jigs can be great for offshore fishing. We don’t use them for inshore simply because they sink so fast.
Yep, just like my Spanish mackerel lures, long skinny and heavy…
I have to agree with you about using the right retrieve. Several things can mean a bite or no bite on a lure. First might be putting a lure within a fish’s strike zone. It can be a foot or two outside the zone, and the fish won’t try to chase it down. Another certainly is the retrieval of the lure. Speed, twitch rate, and speed of the twitch, and lure depth as retrieved. The Bomber, being a weighted and sinking lure, can have depth controlled by either speed of retrieve or angle of your rod tip. Holding the tip high will keep the lure closer to the surface, while lowering it will cause it to sink to a greater depth. This can also change the strike zone as with distance from the fish, and the depth at which fish are holding.
Few tests like these can be conclusive, particularly in a three-hour test. Conditions for success for each lure will vary because some lures perform better under certain conditions than others. Spend a few hundred hours fishing with each lure and documenting your catch along with the conditions for each period, and see what you come up with.
All of these videos have some great takeaways to learn from.
Thanks for making time to post the helpful insights Capt. Ray! Yes, the only way to get even somewhat conclusive data is by doing tests like this hundreds of times with detailed segmentation based on water clarity, cloud cover, etc.
But as you said, there are often nuggets of very helpful intel that can be gained from short tests like these. After this one, I have been more diligent about altering back and forth from twitch retrieves with paddletails, and it has paid off with some good catches.
As always great information thanks much
Another very good video and presentation… Job well done Luke
Thank you for this video. Would adding a rattle increase the paddle tail attraction in low light? I can’t remember you doing a comparison between one with a rattle and without one.
Yes, the use of rattles in soft plastics can help attract predator fish to the lure in churned up water as long as a twitch-pause retrieve is used (a straight retrieve wouldn’t activate the rattles very much).
You’re right, Luke. However, I have seen some lures that have rattle chambers sideways in the lures so that when the lure swims and the tail goes side-to-side, the rattle clicks with every movement.
Great insight on the retrieve change prior to the lure change.Thanks!
Nice quick experiment!
I think I need to start trying some hard baits. I mostly use paddle tails and really don’t do any comparison. Need to expand.
Bomber with battle rattle works good . Out fish the the skinny lipper today loved it .