Berkley Gulp Alive

[muddpuppy]

Wondering if people are using or have used in the past. If so please let me know your thoughts. I keep looking at in the stores but so far have not been able to pull the trigger.

[BartmanMN]

Just bought a bag of shad minnows, but I haven't tried them yet. Can't believe how realistic they look.

<>just noticed you said Gulp Alive, which comes in the plastic container. I purchased normal Gulp.

[HeIsLegend]

Haven't used any during ice season, but in open water season I out fished my buddies a few days using the 5inch Leeches. Just like the real dang thing except i paid about 40 bucks for those things which was kinda a pain. They react such like a real leech, I don't know why i just buy real leeches.

[evinrude19]

i was gonna say if the are so real y not just buy real minnows then ....

[muddpuppy]

What made me look at these was a fishing speacial i was watching on VS I think. Berkley show talking about how their bait attracts and entices the inactive fish. How it is supposed to out fish live bait. So where better to poll peoples thoughts then FM!

[Neiko]

I saw the same thing and it did look impressive. However I will wait a little before buying some. Is there a shelf life on it?

[fishinlocal]

The one thing I like about the leeches is you can take them into Canada. Since you cannot transport leeches across the border and they are very expensive up there the alive work great if not better than the real thing because they last longer and you can re-charge it by putting it back into the solution.

[bassphish2005]

I have been fishing the Berkley 'power' maggots for years,many times they do as well or better than wax worms or grubs.I am getting away more and more from live bait,I never use it anymore during the open water season,and more slowly phasing it out in winter as well,I would have never envisioned this ten years ago....but it is true .

[evinrude19]

i use berkley power wigglers for pannies but when i am going out for eyes i just buy real minnows instead of fake stuff imo

[TroyMcClure]

Let Corey Bechtold weigh in on it.

I keep trying new Gulp Alive baits and like them very much. They don't seem to entice fish to bite, but they do get just as many bites as the real stuff. The major benefit is that they are very durable and don't need changed all the time. I can catch quite a few on one maggot style before replacing it, but with a real maggot I would have to put a new one on after almost every fish. This is really nice when they are in a frenzy and you don't want to waste time getting your line in the water.

[katoguy]

Troy, are you getting Gulp confused with Gulp Alive? I'm not aware of maggots in Alive, but I could be wrong. (Nothing about it on their HSOforum: Peeler Crabs, Shrimp, Squid, Pogys, Sandworms, Swimming Mullets, Minnows, Minnow Grubs, & Leeches.)

[zamboni]

$40 for a tub of the minnows seems a little steep, but if they can be used over and over then you are coming out money ahead. I might have to try them sometime

[Northlander]

As good or better than live bait? No not in my opinion. On the other hand it has its time and place. I caught lakers and walleyes on the Alive smelt this winter. The alive leeches are very good but not as good as the real thing. IMO.

[hanso612]

I have a longstanding bet with anyone. 20 dollars I can outfish you- in your boat, in your favorite spot-me using leeches you using gulp. Any takers? Hans.

[TroyMcClure]

That is a pretty egregious bet. You are saying that anytime, any place, that you can outfish someone. For example, I could put you in a situation where the only fish around are bass. I could fish the Gulp Alive leech on a jig as a trailer and hammer bass all night, but your live leech might as well be a lead sinker.

That is not a challenge, but I have personally met people on this site that could put on a fishing clinic with plastics.

That does not include the Gulp Alive baits that this thread is about though. So back to the topic.

The most common complaint about them is that they don't mimic live bait. This topic has come up time and time again. The primary reason is that the "plain hookers" or "lindy riggers" don't do anything but put the bait on a hook and expect it to catch fish. The bait is by far more durable, and in my opinion that is its benefit. Work it a little harder and the fish bite.

I was of course mistaken, the maggots are just the Gulp brand. They have some new ones that I have been ice fishing with that soak in that foul liquid, and I thought that was the new Alive style. I will say that when the fish are tight-lipped I have been able to coax them into biting with them on a Genz Bug. I can keep them around all the time because they don't die and shrivel up. Another advantage of the actual Gulp Alive products in my opinion.

[goggy eyes]

I really think alive does prevoke strikes. I like the fact that you can catch multi fish with out ripping up the bait. I'm hooked but I wish the price would come down a little. My 2 cents.

[Esox_Magnum]

I have been outfished by Gulp before, I havent tried the Alive yet but will I'm sure. THeres times and places Gulp is all they will bite on.

[89Bronco]

I have not tried it yet, but will this summer. I think it would be great when it's a pain to bring live bait and keep it alive like the Boundary Waters, or lakes where live bait is not allowed, like crossing into Canada and lakes in VNP. I have done well with Gulp in certain situations with catfish and crappies, not so much with walleye. I'll have to try this new stuff.

[fisherman-andy]

 Originally Posted By: Esox_Magnum

I have been outfished by Gulp before, I havent tried the Alive yet but will I'm sure. THeres times and places Gulp is all they will bite on.

Guys guys, Gulp & Alive are the same thing. The only thing different is the packaging. All Alive packaging have the Gulp Secret attractant formula. The Gulp is just soaked in it. So Gulp=Alive in liquid. Alive=Gulp in liquid.

There are different types of Gulp baits but they all pretty much use the the Alive formula as far as I know. What you are paying alot of $$$ for is the formula itself with Gulp soaking in it. Since it's always soaked and ready it provides better scent then the Gulp that are packaged without the liquid. The Gulp is more lively & spongy with scent in the liquid and I have notice it will attract the fish better too.

[jigginjim]

works better for casting at night with jigs for walleyes.

[muddpuppy]

Well I thought I would update everyone and let you know I spluged a little a friend of mine went 50-50 on some 3" gulp alive smelt minows. We fished the Forest lake contest this last weekend and the bald eagle after the contest and had 0 bites all day. Not sure I can blame just on the Gulp as we also had live bait to the same affect. Any way I got some and it only cost me 1/2 price because my buddy told me to keep the Sh#t! maybe it's just not meant for hard water?

[hanso612]

Troy McClure, Check my post again and you'll see the wisdom in my challenge. Just having fun, Hans.

[RJ]

Fisherman Andy, I have been wondering about the difference between Alive and the reular packaged Gulp. I have several packages of Gulp. Minnows, crawlers, leeches, ext. If what you say is true, I can combine all of them into the new Quart bucket of leeches, right? Shouldn't be any problem mixing. I don't suppose the leeches will get eaten by the minnows, will they?

[muc33]

RJ, you are correct. I have plenty of people I know who work for Pure Fishing and I use this stuff almost exclusively in Canada and I asked the same question. I bought a couple of the big buckets and a couple of the small in different colors and sizes, then I emptied my packages in the buckets as well. Now when I go out I will have a mix of colors, lenghts and styles to try to find the bite.

[rangerforme]

 Originally Posted By: evinrude19

i was gonna say if the are so real y not just buy real minnows then ....

Because they don't die, you can transport accross borders, you can catch quite a few fish on one of them before they wear out and they have a shelf life of 3 years. Live minnows are starting to get real expensive now adays with all the new laws. And when no one can get a live leech at the end of summer, guess what, you can get a Gulp! alive leech. In WI now you take 2 dozen minnows on the lake you just lost two dozen minnows even if you even use a one of them, since by law they have to be dead coming off the lake. As long as you are supplying the bait with action I think it fishes right up there with live bait. Now if you are going to hook one on a bobber setup with no wind and let it sit there no it probably won't catch much of anything. I know probably 8 times out of 10 bass fishings I've outfished livebait with it.

You can put any Gulp! product into the bucket and it will soak up the juice, but if you throw a regular plastic in there it will eat it up. You can also mix and match colors, they don't bleed. The Gulp! alive bait is just a hair different than the bagged Gulp!, I guess its treated a little longer to make it a little tougher, the reqular Gulp! when put in the juice will be a tear up just a little easier.