Skinny Lipper vs. Mulligan Bomber: Lure Experiment Insights
- By: Sean Person
- 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).
Great testing Luke. I wonder if slipping a battle rattle in the bomber during that test would produce the same results. I like that you do these tests. Great food for thought. Very interesting the change-up in retreive and how it produced. Thanks for the lessons.
Thanks for all the info 🎣
Our pleasure!
Great lesson, Luke. Just use a few lures and change up the retrieve. Got it.
Yes, it’s more effective to get really good at triggering strikes with a few lures vs. being ok with triggering strikes with 100+ lures.
Love your R & D Luke, great info !!
Thanks George!
Great information! The water here has been much dirtier since Milton going to have to lean a little more on the Skinny Lipper and see if that helps. Thanks!
Yes, the skinny lipper has been my top producer since the hurricanes rolled through for that exact reason (windy and murky water).
I love the action of the bomber in shallow water . The skinny lipper a little deeper water the trout hit it . Thanks
Thanks for sharing your findings.
Great video as usual. I have found the new Mulligan Bomber to be a great lure in almost any condition in the northeast. Is the original Bomber out of production? The reason I ask is that in heavy weeds (lots of floating grass) the original bombers hook slot on the top of the bait really helps. The Mulligan Bomber is good if you bury the hook point but you can only do that so many times before it becomes weak to hold the hook point. Just curious.
Yes, the original bomber is no longer in production. The new bomber allows for burying the hook point which is the best way to be ultra weedless. And after enough catches to tear the material to the point it can no longer hold the hook point under material, you have 2 options: 1) move the hook over to side slightly so it has new material to dig into (the wider body allows for the lure to look good even if not rigged directly down the center) 2) let the hook sit in the newly formed grove so it stays below the top of the lure similar to how the original bomber’s top slot allowed.
Always good, interesting info- I’ll have to run those tests, myself!
Glad to see that you enjoyed this video!
Great video Luke and definitely thank you for sharing ….. I don’t think that there was enough testing here but it was on its way to be …. Think there should and hopefully will be more testing on this and utilizing the same exact lures for the study …. You did however have a good start in the right direction though … Once again Luke, thanks for sharing ….. !
Thanks for making time to post the nice comment Thomas! Yes, this was the first of a series of tests that I’ll be doing with these 2 lures to determine when they are best used.
Very interesting, worth adding to my collection of notes.
Glad to see that you enjoyed this video!