Gulp enabled this young lady to take a full stringer of eating size catfish in short order.

This season anglers are seeing a “new” bait on shelves at tackle shops all over. The artificial “bait” has certainly started a buzz in angler’s circles. The idea that “artificial bait” could be made to outperform live bait or real bait was unheard of up to this point. Berkley took up the challenge and came out with GULP, which is said to outfish live bait. That is quite a claim that left many of us skeptical.

GULP is predominantly made of natural ingredients that put out 400 times the scent than other bait. The GULP also comes in a variety of colors and actions, which can certainly be a HUGE help on tough days. I was VERY skeptical of the bait but had to give it a try since I was weary of lugging around a cooler for my squid, bloodworms and shrimp. (Did I mention that keeping GULP is as easy as keeping it sealed in the bag it comes in?)

My first attempt to use GULP was in Florida when I fished for snapper during the spring. I was fishing with two friends who used live shrimp for bait while I used the Berkley shrimp bait. I fished side by side with them and caught just as many fish as they did. I later tried the chicken liver GULP baits on catfish in freshwater. The results were great, with plenty of fish for dinner in a short amount of time!

Next, I tried the cutbait, shrimp and the squid in the Chesapeake Bay. I would have to rate the baits in the order above for effectiveness on the half dozen trips I tested them. The cutbait is phenomenal and really takes all kinds of fish. My father is not normally open to trying anything newfangled but he did try the GULP cutbait and was surprised how fast it caught spot and croaker. I have caught bluefish, rockfish, croaker, spot and even a flounder on the GULP so far.

GULP has some great features you will not find with any other artificial bait on the market. I spoke to Karen Anfinson, Media Relations Specialist at Berkley about the GULP and found out the following:

1-GULP does not need to be used in warm water like other baits to be effective. It works in cold and warm water.

2-GULP should be kept hydrated but if it does dry out you can submerge it in water and soften it up again so it can be used.

3-GULP is made of natural ingredients and is biodegradable.

Those three reasons in conjunction with the shelf life and easy care, and no mess use make GULP a hands down choice for me to take on every trip. I found myself using GULP nearly every trip I make to the bay and the river these days. If you have not tried GULP you might want to take a look at the lineup of baits offered by Berkley. Virtually any live bait you use is made into a GULP imitation. I recommend the cutbait and sand crab for saltwater applications but there are over a dozen more baits to choose from. The freshwater lineup is even more extensive.

Good fishing!