Gulp panfish bait fails fair tests

[Questor]

I've been using Gulp panfish baits, the chartreuse maggots, for a few weeks. In fair tests comparing it against night crawlers, it fails miserably. My son and I have been panfishing (perch and bluegill) with slip bobber rigs. I never caught one single fish on the Gulp baits. We were doing well in the same area at the same time with the same rigs when using nightcrawlers for bait. When I started fishing with the Gulp bait I would stop catching fish. When I resumed fishing with nightcrawler parts I would start catching fish again.

The rig was a plain hook with a split shot and slip bobber.

I was hoping the Gulp baits would be an emergency backup bait if I ran out of live bait, but it just doesn't seem to be worthwhile for that purpose, or any other as far as I can tell.

[shfishinsticks]

I'd hardly call the test fair. You were using chartreuse Gulp and real nightcrawlers. Try it with the earthworm Gulp or Natural nightcrawler Gulp and see what happens.

[Schuler]

I've used the gulp ice fishing and it definitely isn't as good as real spikes or wax worms...but when I can't get them, gulp is nice to have and does catch fish.

[Questor]

shfishinsticks:

Chartreuse is an excellent color for these waters. We also use chartreuse twister tails effectively without any bait on them.

I've posted this in a couple of places and it seems odd that most of the responses I've gotten have been to tell me that I'm doing something wrong. I contend that if a bait is advertised to outfish live bait, that I should at least be able to catch one bluegill in three weeks of otherwise excellent fishing in excellent locations with it.

As it stands, a 1/32 ounce charteuse unscented plastic twister tail jig outfishes the Gulp baits. Chartreuse wooly worm flies the same size as the Gulp maggots also outfish the Gulp baits.

The only good feedback I've seen from people who have had good results with this bait have been ice fishermen, and people who tip jigs with them.

It looks like marketing hype trumps first hand experience every time.

[l2yan]

Thanx Questor. I have actually been wondering about their effectiveness as a live bait substitute for a while. I havent had any decent results with them the two times I purposely fished them as live bait for panfish yet either. They smell pretty strong. I thought at least some small catfish or something world take a nibble.

Ryan

[Questor]

I also have the earthworm baits and will try them for trout and perhaps bluegills. It would be nice to have a compact, easy-to-carry, and effective substitute for live bait in some circumstances.

From what I can gather, this bait is an extension of the old "enhancer" concept, where fish hold it longer than plain plastic, and are more likely to be hooked.

I've used the Gulp saltwater shrimp baits with jigs and am happy with them.

[dampeoples]

You just can't beat live bait, no matter how they sell it to you

[l2yan]

You just can't beat live bait, no matter how they sell it to you

I beat live bait all the time . Especially striper fishing with eels, sometimes I will literally beat the living crap out of them if all the ice has melted!

Ryan

[NBS]

Have to agree with you on the gulp. I have had great success with the shrimp on mahi mahi, but have had little success with the other ones. The only other one I have caught fish on is the earthworm colored earthworm for panfish. I went surf fishing one night and put their bloodworm against fishbites, and it wasnt even close. Fishbites blew it away. I would like to try their new ALIVE! series but I am not about to waste 40 bucks on a bucket. That is 25% of a new reel!

[shfishinsticks]

I have had great success with the Gulp baits. 6" nightcrawler & 3" Fry have been a big producer on one particular lake. The 3" minnows are ALL I fish on the 3-rivers. 4" minnows and gobys have been very good to me in Erie. Maybe the bass are just too dumb to know any better.

[Bronzeye]

Questor, did you thread the hook with nightcrawler, covering most of it, while leaving more of the shank exposed with the Gulp maggot?

[Fbass]

Thanks for the input. Marketing does beat first hand experience unfortunatly!
I have tried the shrimp in florida water next to a real shrimp. I counted a bite after having a live shrimp on the bottom an average 10 seconds. It took usually 20 to 25 seconds to get a bite on a gulp shrimp. So in that case it still doesn't beat the live thing but is a good substitute!

[obxer]

It's been my experience (saltwater) that the effectiveness of the gulps lies in the fishes nose. If the fish mainly scent feed then the gulps seem to work. On some fish (like reds) they really stand out. The redfish tournament guys talk about deadsticking, putting a gulp on a hook and just soaking it. They'll find it. So will catfish. With fish chasing bait above the bottom I don't see any real advantage.

[Papageno1791]

I contend that if a bait is advertised to outfish live bait, that I should at least be able to catch one bluegill in three weeks of otherwise excellent fishing in excellent locations with it.

You are right about your expectations and I would say Berkley goes too far by stating that their lures outfish live bait. On the other hand, I also find too naive to believe in such asseveration. Since when fish prefer eating plastic instead of a juicy natural worm?

[Jean Scurtu]

I can tel you i was catching more flounder using GULP MINNOW GRUB 2 INCH ,CHARTREUSE and RED .Many fishermans around me don't catching so many with live bait (shrimp,mullet).
Is very important how you know to fish with artificial lures.

The same i was catching more speckled trout with jig and plastic grub,comparativ with people around me fishing with live shrimp,so you can't say all the time the live bait work better(some fishermans don't know to fish and the live bait don't make this people to catch fish.

Jean