A GULP! Substitute? Maybe So . . .

Cany, I (like many of us old schoolers) swore by killies & squid back in the day. They were the go-to bait that in those days could not be beat. I would still use them today but my local tackle shop doesn't have live killies available and I haven't been able to catch any good "bait sized" killies at my dock in years.

We do, however, deploy live peanut bunker when they are available in July & August. Seems like a very tight window for when they are effective here to the west. That being early August thru early September. Besides that bite (at that time of year) the jigging bite is the most productive technique for fluking nowadays. Anyone not employing the Gulp with jigs is missing one heck of a great method for putting keeper fluke in the box.

If someone can demonstrate to me that there's a more effective way to put good sized fluke in the boat on a consistent basis (besides Gulp), I'd love to see it firsthand.
 
Getting back to the original point of this thread, I look forward to giving these "All American Stink" baits a whirl - and reporting my findings.

Why I may even put one on the back of a Krokodile.

It would be funny if THAT turns out to be this season's big killer!

Hey, its all good! :p
 
Last season fluke trip, when the bite was on we all did well with various baits. Mostly squid and Peruvians. But once the bite tapered off the one guy using Gulp was getting significantly more bites than the rest of us. So there is definitely something to the stuff.
 
To be perfectly honest, I wish that killies were more "readily available" because I truly enjoy using live bait to catch ANY targeted species of fish. Nothing seems more "authentic" to me. One of my favorite bass trips I ever made was in Montauk using porgies to catch monster bass. My two best fluke (over 10 pounds) were BOTH caught on live peanut bunker. The biggest tuna I ever personally reeled in, a big eye, was caught on live bait. The largest tuna I ever held the rod on (estimated over 400 lbs. at the side of the boat) was caught on a live bluefish. The biggest sea bass I ever caught was on a live peanut bunker.

So you see, I'm not indifferent to the live bait method. My point is that we have been evolving over the years in this sport and we've reached a point where this Gulp bait seems to be outfishing all other techniques with striking regularity. My plan is to embrace the trend and ride it out.
 
Hey, believe it or not, I caught a keeper fluke on a popper in Mt. Sinai Harbor!! Was bass fishing with an "old school" sinking popper (Striper Strike_ and when I casted out got a wicked wind knot which took me a long time to unravel. When I was finished and cranking in my popper as soon as the line came tight my rod started bouncing and up came a 19" fluke, back in the days of 14"!!

No, I'm not suggesting we start using poppers...
 
Roccus7 said:
Hey, believe it or not, I caught a keeper fluke on a popper in Mt. Sinai Harbor!! Was bass fishing with an "old school" sinking popper (Striper Strike_ and when I casted out got a wicked wind knot which took me a long time to unravel. When I was finished and cranking in my popper as soon as the line came tight my rod started bouncing and up came a 19" fluke, back in the days of 14"!!

No, I'm not suggesting we start using poppers...
Click to expand...

I've had fluke (well once anyway )come up for a trolled worm in about 20 feet of water.....
 
sometimes I may "save a used 4" swimmer" back into its container, most times not. I think it may contaminate the main juice, any thoughts... cellfish...
.
 
I put used ones back in the container all the time to "rejuvenate." IIRC this is not a bad practice. But my dismal results the last couple years fishing mainly the backbays are not exactly rave reviews.

And, of course, I am part Scot... and a full-time piker.
 
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CELLFISH said:
Good video, those ZIP bags are useless after the first opening while beach fishing., leaks everywhere. I transferred mine to the screw top container next size up and it still leaks a bit. Carry only a few gulps with minimal juice, inside a glad bag... cellfish...
.
Click to expand...
Cellfish
You’re right about that
I keep them in a separate container and when I’m walking the beach I just throw a few in my own ziplock and return them when I’m done
 
Leprechaun said:
Getting back to the original point of this thread, I look forward to giving these "All American Stink" baits a whirl - and reporting my findings.

Why I may even put one on the back of a Krokodile.

It would be funny if THAT turns out to be this season's big killer!

Hey, its all good! :p
Click to expand...
I’d be shocked to see you use a crockadile Pete!
 
When I see this, my OCD goes through the roof:

3b8TZ1J.jpg


Start sticking old baits in there, and you end up with a primordial stew...
 
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