# Berkley Gulp: Worth the effort?



## Kellercl (Jan 28, 2010)

In a few weeks I will be doing some dock fishing in the bay and surf fishing around Perdido Key. I was thinking about giving Gulp Shrimp, Sand Flea and Peeler Crabs a try. Anybody have luck with Gulp baits? The reviews are very high on these products, but I have yet to try them. What method do people use with these baits? Carolina rig? Jigging? Popping cork? All the above? Any advice/experience would be stellar. Thanks in advance.


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## ILV2F5H (Aug 2, 2007)

Where have you been? Gulps are awesome, just darn expensive. I have only used the jerk shads, swimming mullets, pogies and shrimp. All have caught multiple species of fish. I jig with a quarter ounce weight. Heavier depending on depth and current. You cant go wrong wih Chartreuse and pearl white colors.

Tight lines!


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## rwh (Dec 10, 2012)

Not sure about the sand flea, but all of the others are great baits (love the swimming mullets!). All the methods you mentioned are good. An easy, productive method as ILV2F5H said is just to put them on a jig head just heavy enough for the depth/current you are fishing. For the Perdido Key area, I would definitely give the shrimp (new penny color) a try on a popping cork. Good luck!


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## Kellercl (Jan 28, 2010)

Thanks for the information. Gulp it is, might as well try it and see what happens. How long do the last? Meaning if I buy a bucket this year and don't use it all, will it still be good next year?


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## rocket (Dec 1, 2008)

Kellercl said:


> Thanks for the information. Gulp it is, might as well try it and see what happens. How long do the last? Meaning if I buy a bucket this year and don't use it all, will it still be good next year?


Yeah, they should be fine as long as you have a good seal and the liquid doesn't leak or evaporate. I like gulps but their containers suck. Once opened, they will leak even when the lid is tight.


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## SmoothLures (Feb 13, 2008)

I prefer the shrimp as little trash fish like to bite the tails off of the swimming mullet. New penny and natural are good colors. I use the packs and once opened put them in a good quality ziplock bag and haven't had problems yet.


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## bigjim5589 (Jul 23, 2005)

I've done well with the shrimp, peeler crab, bloodworm & sand worm Gulp, anything that I might use the real thing as bait. Cannot say I've done better with "moving" baits such as the jerk shad or pogy or mullets compared to regular plastics of similar style. I do also like the cut baits, added to bucktails to sweeten them, but sometimes pork rind works as well as the Gulp. I guess it depends on the fish you encounter most too. For me it's primarily striped bass, bluefish, croakers, perch & tidal LM bass, catfishes or pickerel. 

I'm usually fishing Gulp baits on a jig head, with a bucktail in the case of the cut baits, or weightless with just a hook. I've used the cut bait on a weedless spoon too. Have fished them on a top & bottom rig or a fish finder also, just like real bait.


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## dawgfsh (Mar 1, 2005)

If you buy one of the jars don't pull the seal just cut an x in the middle of it. Then you won't have a leak issue.


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## JamesRiverVa (Apr 24, 2012)

In my experience and from conversations with others, Gulp works best as a replacement for soft plastic (i.e. on a jig head or weedless hook and fished as a lure Gulp will often outproduce a similar looking soft plastic) but not so well as a replacement for live bait (i.e. the gulp sand flea fished stationary on a two hook bottom rig is unlikely to outproduce live bait though ymmv).

That said - even though I wouldn't use it instead of live bait, it is great as a lure. The main problem is that it's expensive, and pinfish, croaker and other small fish love it and will often tear it up before I can get it in front of a gamefish.


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## Kellercl (Jan 28, 2010)

Thanks for the information. I am taking my minnow trap and crab trap, with hopes to capture live bait. I did go ahead and purchase some Gulp shrimp, peeler crab and sand flea just in case I have issues getting live bait. I'd rather be prepared. Otherwise I will be fishing with shrimp (dead).


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## JamesRiverVa (Apr 24, 2012)

Kellercl said:


> Thanks for the information. I am taking my minnow trap and crab trap, with hopes to capture live bait. I did go ahead and purchase some Gulp shrimp, peeler crab and sand flea just in case I have issues getting live bait. I'd rather be prepared. Otherwise I will be fishing with shrimp (dead).


I probably shouldn't have said "live bait" because most bait I bottom fish with in the surf isn't alive. But it was alive once. And I'd feel better about my chances with "real" dead shrimp or squid strips or cut bait on a bottom rig, than I would with the gulp. If using Gulp on a bottom rig in the surf I would keep it moving, use a light weight and let the rig move around in the waves and slowly retrieve it, rather than just spike it and leave it sitting.


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## sunburntspike (Oct 4, 2010)

absolutly worth the effort...fished the surf at jennettes on sunday morning,no remarkable structure except the fall-off at low tide.at high tide in the morning i fished that bit of structure for 2 hours ,produced a 19" pupy drum on chartreuse swimming mullet and a 4# black on pink.no trout ,unfortunatly,but 2 eaters that no one else caught,as i was the only one fishing the gulps.


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## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

Gulp works.


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## surffshr (Dec 8, 2003)

If you are going to bottom (let bait sit on a rig) fish try Fishbites. they also work pretty could. they will stay on the hook when the rel shrimp is being picked off. I often put real shrimp on one hook and fishbites on the other.


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