Berkley Gulp! maggots.

[himjunkie13]

I've had really good luck with Gulp! maggots (pink) for crappies in about 8' of water on little glow jigs. They work great! i caught 3 nice fish in 3 min. one day and several in a few minutes another. I'm wondering if anybody else has had success with these baits.

[IndyEFI500]

Almost every one I know uses the same. Even myself. I know they are a real big hit in Cheddar land according to my co-workers.

[Huck]

Ive been using the Gulp white maggots and find they work as good as live waxies. My last trip out a week ago I also tried Berkley Crappie Bites in green. Work well too. I like the Crappie bites because there smaller. I put a piece of thin chicken skin to make a small tail just over the barb of the hook for more action. The teaser can be the ticket. IF your gonna use skin, store it in salt water to keep it from spoiling.

Huck

[Blueman]

where are you finding the gulp maggots? I cannot find these things anywhere...I have used the burkley waxies, but can't seem to find the maggots.

[himjunkie13]

i found them at fleetfarm for like 3 somthing. theres like 200 in a jar so one jar could easily last one season and into open water. if you cant find them at fleetfarm look at gander mountain or Dick's sporting goods.

[vikingmeatwad]

You guys still use normal waxworms or colored larvae or doe these work well as a substitute?

[himjunkie13]

I still use live grubs of different kinds sometimes but usually i use a minnow with a Gulp! maggot or just 2 Gulp! maggots. I go with the mood of the fish, some days they want live grubs, some days minnows and gulp, some days just Gulp!

[john.wells]

I LOVE Gulp! I caught about 30 crappies one night to my brother-in-law's 5; he was using minnows. Granted, when the fish want minnows, the Gulp does OK, but I guess that is the way it works. At least gulp doesn't require any maintanence and it comes in a sturdy jar (nothing worse than a pocket full of waxies-especially if you don't find them all: makes an awful smell )

[Bigfife]

I have caught 300+ crappies through the ice this season, and only a handful have come on Gulp. I have tried it during fast and slow bites and I wasn't impressed. I did not have anything else on the jig, so I suppose a teaser of some sort would have helped. I will give it another try next time out. Most of my fish were caught with waxies, but I have been using a minnow head lately and finding some bigger fish.

[john.wells]

One thing I have noticed with the maggots is the straight ones work better than the curled ones, and only using one piece seemed to do best. I do prefer live minnows or heads, but the Gulp is a nice piece of ammo to have with when the bite is hot. I like the fact that they stay on for several fish and it doesn't die. On a side note, I have been getting a lot of crappies on big ol' rattling buckshots with fathead heads! Even dinky crappies have been nailing it.

[himjunkie13]

Bigfife,

Try using a minnow/minnow head w/ Gulp! on the tip of the jig, it might increase your catch, especially in shallow water, thats where i've had the best luck with them. I dont think the fish can see them as well deep.

[CrappieBuster13]

Gulp really hasnt seemed to work well for me, live bait always has the advantage, wax worms and euro larva work for me all the time on lakes in my area. What has worked for me is crappie nibbles from berkely powerbait.

-Nic

[Bobb-o]

I second what crappiebuster said. I have tried both the gulp and the powerbait crappie nibbles and the nibbles will outfish the gulp everytime. I have even caught walleyes on the crappie nibbles.

[metrojoe]

I picked up a couple jars of the maggots the other day and was thinking of giving them a try this weekend. Seems like the opinions are about 50/50. It's always fun to try new stuff.

[sluggo106]

Variety is very important. I go with both just in case.

[Little John]

I have never used a product that was more disappointing than Gulp. I've actually seen it spook fish. I don't know anyone that still trys to use it. Now, the power baits and power naturals are another story. They do work and have earned a place in my tackle bag for those days when I'm catching small fish and don't want to waste soft plastics or mess with live bait...

[Northlander]

I have done very good with the power maggots and gulp earth and redworms.

[NELS-BELLS]

Lately I have been marking fish but couldn't get very many of them to bite on either crappie minnows or Eurolarve. I tried various colors and jigs and still the same. Finally I took a pink Gulp maggot and threaded it on a horizontal white glow jig (like you would a fuzzy grub body) then I tipped it with a Eurolarve and bam they started biting on that, both crappies and sunnies. I tried it on a different lake the next day and same results. Don't know if its the color or the scent that is making the difference but it works.

Nels

[federline]

Ice Gulp!... Tried gulp maggots when perch were biting on waxies... a big goose egg. When I went back to wiggly waxies, I was back to frenzied action. I've decided only to tally a valid data point for Gulp! maggots when I am on top of a good bite on a natural bait already. I haven't had a chance to get a data point for either crappies or sunnies yet. I'm starting to think, tho, that the magic is definitely in the wiggle of the waxie... and the cold water stiffens up those Gulp so they don't wiggle naturally. I have a theory that you want to thread on the Gulp maggot to a jig, and not have any dangling off, cause I think it doesn't look natural enough. It just looks like a little stick of something.

[Shorelunch]

I've yet to catch any fish soley on GULP this winter. I usually use just a minnow/minnow head or a minnow tipped with a Gulp waxy. Haven't tried the Powerbait though . . .

[Walleye71]

I've caught perch on mille lacs this year with the pink maggots. I only tried because I ran out of waxies. They only seemed to work when the bite was on. If it was a slower period of the day, the perch only wanted waxies or whole minnows.

[Ritz]

Yeah, they work, but a plain wax worm works just as well for me if not better.... IM old fashion, so i usually just stick with my waxies!

[federline]

Well, I got another data point for Gulp! maggots. This weekend had a nice sunnie bite, big bulls, all on waxies. Switched to Gulp, nothing. Gulp plus waxie, got 'em. Waxie only - got 'em.

I'd say buy waxies in bulk instead of shelling out for Gulp maggots.

[CrappieJohn]

I have not been much of a fan of gulp. Especially in the cold water and especially if the fish are in a funk. I have given the gulp products a real fair shake as far as proving their claims to fame, but personally think they are more odor than useful. Some of the powerbait products work well for larger species of fish at times during the winter season and I know that some people even find a good cold water bite on the 2" power minnows when used for crappies.

As far as being worth theeir cost and perverbial weight, I think not. I'm definitely along Federline's point of veiw.....by the waxies or euros. But so you don't think I am totally biased towards the meat, I do carry a few of the power minnows in the in the rod bag and have yet to turn a crappie with one. Open water, different story with the pb minnows.

[metrojoe]

I haven't got to fish with the Gulp yet, but just from looking at them it would seem they would be a much better summer time bait. I'm still going to give them a try next time I'm on one of my favorite panfish lakes.