Gulp worms

[FrankT]

There have been some fishing reports where people caught walleyes using Gulp worms. I've looked in the stores and have seen several styles and colors of Gulp worms, but they all look like something you would use for bass fishing. What style, size and color of Gulp worms has anyone used for fishing for walleyes with crawler harnesses?

[jcass]

I have been having good luck with Gulp minnows on jigs. Chartruese color. Have cought walleye, crappie, big bluegills, perch and bass on them. 2 and 3 inch sizes. Love them.

[Bill Krejca]

Had OK luck in Manitoba in late June trolling 6" Chartruse Nightcrawler, 4" black Turtle Back Worm, 7" Black Minnow Worm. Friend used 4" Turtle Back Worm in the dark green color, not sure what the offficial color name is. The water temp dropped 4 degrees the week we were there and the fish were tentative, to say the least.

I missed a number of fish until I went to a larger hook than normally used on the harness. I believe I ended up replacing the hooks on the two hook rig with number 2's.

The Gulp plastic is much harder than, say, Power Worm material. The good side of this is that it is really tough, and will stand repeated abuse before it needs to be replaced. Also, each night I removed the bait and put it in a ziplock bag with a little water. It was good to go the next day and did not harden like it does when it is left on the harness. Also, it seems like the colors can be mixed without getting the "blending" that takes place with other plastic baits. Anothe test I am running: I put the bag with assorted baits (and a little water) in the freezer just to see if anything interesting developes.

Good luck,

[Dan T.]

Thumbs up from me. I tried Gulp a few times this summer and had good results using 4" Pumpkinseed Minnow Worms on worm harnesses behind bottom bouncers. They performed at least as well as crawlers on the active and neutral walleye I was fishing and they had the advantage of not having their tails pecked off by perch and small walleye. The 4" Minnow Worm is actually about 6" long if you include the flutter tail, so I trimmed about an inch and a half off the thick front and then tapered the front so more of the #4 hooks I was using would be exposed and so there would be less resistance for a good hook set. There is also some entertainment value when they bite short, behind the back hook, and you feel it twang when they let go.

[GR8WTHUNTER]

I have been doing OK with the 5 and 6 inc minnow worms. Watermellon has been the best, purple and black with red glitter also did well. I find the Stripers have been smacking the spinners as much as the eyes have.

[mrwalleye5]

I usually go through 2 flats of crawlers per season ( approx 80 dozen ) I have never used the Gulp worms. Would you gentleman say with confidence that the Gulp worms work as good or better then the real thing. If the Gulp works this good I would be very tempted to switch to it and save the fuss and mess associated with baby sitting night crawlers. One more question. If lindy rigging, do the Gulp worms have any boyancy characteristics. I usually give the crawlers a shot of air just to lift them off bottom a bit.

W5

[Kolby]

If you are moving at all, then the Gulp products will work as good or better than live bait. When holding vertical/near vertical or moving very slowly, the bait must work itself (live bait). This is what I have found to be true on the slightly stained to dark water I fish.

[Dan T.]

I agree with Kolby about the bait needing to work itself when stillfishing or moving slowly. In terms of buoyancy, I just dropped one into a full bathroom sink...and it sank, so probably a blown crawler or a leech would be more effective.

Either way, it's not nearly as much fun as twitching floating Rapalas for big hungry post-spawn females in three feet of back bay water after dark when all of the other shore fishermen have gone home because the fish weren't biting.

[Crappie Kid]

I have been using the Gulp grubs in natural and pink colors for Crappie & Bluegill. Although they do not outfish crawlers and minnows most of the time, I can rig them weedless (bury the hook) and they don't get snatched away as easily.

[fishstalker]

I have had excellent luck with the 6" natural gulp nightcrawlers. I have caught some nice bass, channel cats and walleyes on them. They have a very supple, lifelike action and I can see how they would work well on a spinner harness. I usually put them on a jig and cast them.

[Ted Merdan]

I ran Gulp nightcrawlers in the natural color this year during the PWT tournament in July on Lake Erie on all my spinner rigs - never used a real cralwer during tournament hours. This is how much I believed in them. I was catching 3-6 fish (up to 8#) on one crawler and always had the confidence that I was fishing with a baited spinner. Next time you are out, try gulp next to the real thing. They especially excel in areas where you have panfish/white perch, etc. that like to steal your bait!

I will always carry them from now on!

ted

[bob why]

I have done good with the 6" Gulp nightcrawler in natural and the 4" turtle back worm in pumpkin seed. Both on jigs and on harnesses.

[Gilligan]

We were pulling spinners and crawlers this spring, 4 rods and everything getting bit. Switched 2 over to gulp and never got another bite off those 2 set ups. Considering the cost, the nusiance of storing it I will stick to the real thing.

[Ia Walihntr]

Mrwalleye5,
Try putting a styrofoam floatter in fron of the beads for bouyancy. Works well.
Marv

[Ia Walihntr]

Here is another thread from WC a couple months ago. Another Gulp Bait discussion. http://www.walleyecentral.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=5&topic_id=35868&mode=full
Marv