What is Berkley Gulp!?
Berkley Gulp is the next generation bait. Anglers from around the globe
have tried it and have become addicted because fish just can't resist it.
Berkley Saltwater Gulp! is without a doubt the most effective and
most revolutionary artificial bait ever invented. It truly out catches
ANY other baits on the market, including live or cut bait. Due to it's
incredible catch rate compared to anything else, in just a short amount
of time, it has become the most sought after bait by Saltwater Fishermen
all around the world. If you are already a believer and are coming back
for more, you might also look at our new 2nd generation of Gulp!
products called Gulp! Alive!.
More about Gulp!:
While Gulp! and Gulp! Alive! have become overnight sensations,
dominating fishing markets previously ruled by live bait, the
development of the two products was anything but fast. For more than 20
years, Gulp! technology has existed in Berkley's Spirit Lake, Iowa,
testing labs. Berkley fish biologist Dr. Keith Jones and chemist John
Prochnow devoted two decades to perfecting the baits, waiting until the
baits performed up to their rigorous standards before releasing them.
Long known as a company that is steeped in technology and constant
product innovation, Berkley previously revolutionized the soft bait
market with the development of Power Bait. But now, as the inshore
saltwater, cold water and bass markets are embracing Gulp!, many are
asking what is Gulp!, what makes it so effective and what makes it
different from Power Bait. While some of that information is highly
guarded, Berkley is now making available answers to some of these
questions to help anglers learn more about the most powerful baits on
the market.
Gulp! is not standard PVC plastic! Standard soft plastic baits
(worms, lizards, craws, etc.) are made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), the
same material used to make pipes and other items. To make a soft plastic
bait out of PVC, the material must be heated up and combined with an
oil-based resin. The more oil-based resin added to the PVC, the softer
the bait will be. This is how Berkley Power Bait is made.
The difference between Gulp! and Power Bait is that Gulp! is made using
water-based resins. This allows for much more scent distribution than
with oil-based resins. Because oil and water do not mix, when scent is
added to a bait created from PVC and an oil-based resin, the oil
literally traps the scent inside the bait. While some of the scent does
get out, the oil is actually functioning as a barrier. However, anglers
know that when fish bite Power Bait, they hang on much longer than they
do with others. By biting the bait, the fish is releasing that scent
which makes them think it is actually food. This results in more
positive hook sets.
"I always tell people to throw a Power Bait worm until it falls off the
hook," Prochnow said. "Once that bait gets chewed and mangled, that's
when the scent is going to be escaping the most."
Gulp!, on the other hand, disperses scent as soon as it hits the water
because there is no oil barrier keeping the water out. This allows the
bait to disperse scent almost like a blood trail, expanding the strike
zone by attracting fish that do not see the bait. When fishing with
Gulp!, it is important to fish the bait slowly and allow the bait to do
what it is intended to do: disperse scent. The scent that is dispersing
comes from the liquid that the bait is packaged in. Whether it's the
liquid in the bottom of a package of Gulp! or the large volume of liquid
found in a pail of Gulp! Alive!, the Gulp! baits soak it up like a
sponge. Like with live bait, the fresher the Gulp! bait, the more
effective it will be.
Truthfully, you can use a single Gulp! bait all day and it's still going
to be putting out more scent at the end of the day than anything else.
But I like to keep mine fresh and full of scent," Prochnow said. "That's
why Gulp! Alive! is so effective. If you use a bait for an hour or so
you can just drop it back in the juice, and after 15 minutes that bait
is like new. It's the equivalent of taking a dead shrimp and bringing it
back to life."
About Gulp!'s Scent
Because fish live in water and every part of their anatomy is
designed to work in water, fish cannot smell oily things. But just like
the Gulp! baits are water-based, the Gulp! juice is water-based, as
well. Not only does the bait release more scent, but the scent is
actually easier for fish to detect. "When you put on a spray scent and
cast it out and see that oily sheen come off in the water, that scent
isn't actually doing anything to attract fish," Prochnow said. "It's
really just working as a barrier. When a fish eats that lure it doesn't
smell or taste anything. But when a fish eats Gulp!, it picks up all the
flavor and scent just like it would if it were eating a living creature.
That's why Gulp! works: the fish actually think it's real food so they
hit harder and hang on longer."
About Gulp!'s Flavor
While there is no shortage of so-called "fish attractants" on the
market today that imitate the smell of garlic, cheese, shrimp, crawfish
and baitfish, the flavor makeup of Gulp! baits is more complicated than
simply adding something to the bait that smells like something a fish
might want to eat. The actual combination of scents and flavors is a
heavily guarded secret, but the results are achieved through a
three-layer formula. Decades of research have shown Jones and Prochnow
that fish are somewhat like people in what they eat: just about anywhere
in the world, people eat the staples of meat and potatoes. Fish,
research shows, are the same way. Whether it's a bass, redfish, pike,
flounder - any species - they all consume the same staple diets, much
like meat and potatoes. These staples are the base layer for all Gulp!
products and contain a formula that Berkley scientists have found to
appeal universally to fish. The second layer of the Gulp! flavor formula
is akin to local and regional differences in human diets. In some parts
of the world, different spices are used; sometimes sauces. Following
this analogy, the second layer would be considered the seasoning layer,
with each bait "seasoned" to adhere to what flavors research has shown
the fish to be attracted. Ultimately, the third layer is specific to the
style of bait. From shrimp to baitfish, extra ingredients are included,
so that in the under water environment of the fish these baits smell
like the bait they represent. "When a redfish eats a Gulp! Shrimp, it's
actually tasting several different things. He gets the shrimp layer, the
seasoning layer and the meat and potatoes," Prochnow said. "That's why
fish won't pass up a Gulp! meal when they can get it."
Gulp! is constructed of water-based resins. It is biodegradable
and it doesn't have a oil barrier to keep scent contained in the bait;
releases scent as soon as it touches water. Absorbs scent of Gulp!
liquid from packages and Gulp! Alive! buckets. Gulp! can be recharged
and kept fresh for best performance. Scent is also water based and can
be easily detected by fish, expanding the strike zone and attracting
fish even when they do not see the bait. Three-layer flavor formula that
offers bait-specific flavors as well as universally appealing "meat and
potatoes" and "seasoning" for increased effectiveness. Gulp! is easily
identified as a natural food by fish. Real scent and flavor cause fish
to strike harder and hang on longer for more positive hook sets.
|
.jpg)
Buy Berkley Gulp