Gulp! is the next generation of scented softbaits from
the company that practically invented the genre
with the creation of their PowerBait brand. Berkley Gulp!
baits claim to have over 400x more "attraction" than
other scented baits and unlike plastics, Gulp! claims to
be made of 100% biodegradable
materials.
First Impressions
It's not cheap. That was the first impression.
About 15 baits for almost $6 bucks, or about $0.40
each. That's significantly more than old fashion
nightcrawlers. The materials are bio-degradable,
however the feel of the bait is very pliable like
a quality plastic. And without question, the scent
is very apparent.
Fishing the Bait
Our reviews and myself use the Gulp! Minnow
Grub two ways depending on the water. For deeper
water and weedbeds, we hooked the bait Texas-style on
a Carolina slip rig and
jigged the bait across the bottom of the lake.
For shallows, rocks and other cover, we loaded
the bait onto a jig head with skirt to create
a "creature" presentation for lurking
bass. We used the only three colors available at
the time of testing: Chartreuse, Pumpkin Seed,
and Bubble Gum.
When choosing colors, skip the "Bubble Gum".
I'm sure there has been scientific field testing
on this color and it may work somewhere, but in
our neck of the woods it couldn't catch a cold.
I know this because we absolutely nailed 'em on
the Chartreuse and Pumpkin Seed colors. On the Carolina
rig, I caught my biggest largemouth of the
year (6 lbs) using the Chartreuse color in about
12-15 feet of murky water. With my buddy (and fellow
reviewer) Dave, we had our best day of the year — 16
bass, 12 keepers (all were released) — using
the Pumpkin Seed color rigged onto an Enticer Jig.
I really like the comfortable size of the 3" body
and the action of the tail moves perfectly during
the retrieve. In addition, the Gulp! Minnow Grub
is surprisingly durable, helping to offset
the cost. You'll find that you may able to reuse
most of your baits for multiple catches.
Review Summary
It seems the 3" Minnow
Grub Gulp! by Berkley actually does attract fish
as we've caught more bass on this "plastic" than
any other scented bait we fished all year. I
caught my largest bass of the year, and we had
our most productive bass day using this bait. The
Chartreuse and Pumpkin Seed colors continue to
produce. I keep both colors in my Plano
travel-box,
and hooked Texas-style on
a Carolina Slip-Rig has
become the "go to" set up when bites
get tough and I want to fish deep or heavy cover. |
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| BETTER-FISHING.COM RATINGS |
| ACTION |
 |
9/20 |
| VERSATILITY |
 |
14/20 |
| DURABILITY |
 |
12/20 |
| VALUE |
 |
18/20 |
| |
| COLOR |
 |
3/5 |
| FLASH |
 |
0/5 |
| NOISE |
 |
0/5 |
| SCENT |
 |
5/5 |
| Overall Score |
Very Good 61/100 |

Available at Bass Pro Shops®:
Clicking
link above will take you to Bass Pro Shops web site.
When you're done, don't forget to come back and visit
us at www.Better-Fishing.com!
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