When striped bass are feeding on full-size bunker, herring, or mackerel, downsizing your lure is often the quickest way to get ignored. That's exactly where the NLBN (No Live Bait Needed) 7" Big Mullet shines. Built to imitate a large baitfish with incredible realism, this lure has quickly become one of the most exciting big-profile soft plastics available today.
Whether you're casting along Cape Cod beaches, fishing rips at Monomoy, or targeting bass on the Brewster Flats the NLBN Big Mullet deserves a permanent spot in your tackle bag.
Designed for Trophy Fish
The 7-inch Big Mullet isn't your everyday soft plastic. It's built specifically for predators looking for a substantial meal.
Unlike traditional fluke-style baits, the NLBN features a perfectly balanced body that allows it to:
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Skip effortlessly under docks and overhangs
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Wake just below the surface
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Dart aggressively with rod twitches
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Glide naturally on the pause
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"Spook" like a frightened mullet fleeing from predators
Its realistic body profile and subtle side fins create an incredibly lifelike presentation that can fool even pressured fish. The bait is designed to be fished weedless on a BKK 10/0 Titan Rider or Diver hook, making it ideal around rocks, eelgrass, and heavy structure.
Perfect for Cape Cod Stripers
While the lure was originally developed with Florida snook and tarpon in mind, its design translates perfectly to Cape Cod's summer striped bass fishery.
During July and August, many of the Cape's largest stripers switch from chasing sand eels to feeding on larger bait such as:
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Mullet
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Juvenile menhaden
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Atlantic herring
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Small mackerel
When bass become selective on larger forage, the Big Mullet presents exactly the profile they're looking for.
Fish it around:
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Monomoy rips
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Cape Cod Bay shoals
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Nantucket Sound
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Jetties
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Outer Cape Beaches
How to Fish It
One of the biggest advantages of the NLBN Big Mullet is its versatility.
Slow Wake
Retrieve just fast enough to leave a subtle wake on the surface. This technique excels during low-light conditions when bass are cruising shallow.
Twitch and Glide
Give the lure sharp twitches followed by slack line. The bait glides naturally after each twitch, often triggering explosive strikes from following fish.
Burn and Pause
A fast retrieve followed by an abrupt stop makes the lure appear like a panicked baitfish. Many strikes occur during the pause as the bait glides downward.
Rigging
For Cape Cod anglers, pairing the lure with a 10/0 weedless swimbait hook is hard to beat.
A medium-heavy to heavy spinning setup with 30-40 lb braid and a 40-50 lb fluorocarbon leader provides excellent casting distance while still allowing solid hooksets.
Build Quality
NLBN is known for producing some of the most realistic soft plastics on the market, and the Big Mullet is no exception.
Highlights include:
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Ultra-realistic mullet profile
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Durable soft-plastic construction
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Deep belly pocket for better hook penetration
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Balanced body for realistic gliding action
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Natural color patterns including Fresh Mullet and Smoked Mullet
Like most soft plastics, repeated catches can shorten the lure's lifespan, particularly when bluefish are around, but anglers generally praise its lifelike action and fish-catching ability.
Pros
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Outstanding realism
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Excellent surface and subsurface action
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Casts surprisingly well for its size
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Weedless design fishes heavy structure with confidence
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Excellent option when targeting larger striped bass
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Extremely versatile retrieve styles
Rating: 9.6/10
The NLBN 7" Big Mullet is one of the most realistic big-profile soft plastics available today. For Cape Cod anglers targeting quality striped bass during the summer and fall, it fills a niche that few other lures can.
Its ability to fish just below the surface, glide naturally, and imitate a fleeing b aitfishmakes it deadly when large bass are keyed in on bigger forage. While it may not replace your favorite paddletails or epoxy jigs, it gives anglers a completely different presentation that often produces when more conventional lures fail.
If you're hunting a personal-best striper this season, the NLBN 7" Big Mullet is well worth adding to your arsenal.