Live Bait vs. Gulp Shoot-Out 2012

[Johnny wilkins]

Two Baits Enter, One Bait Leaves!

I have seen and read, I know a lot of people look for an edge, but I have to take this on once and for all. Are there any Gulp champions or distributors who would like to participate in a fish-off comparison?

I will take live grubs and will go up against Gulp artificial canned baits.

I do however wish to make this fair in terms of data collection but I will need your help. I will try to use all the good suggestions, while still keeping this test where I can complete it without this test becoming too fat, or too expensive, too complex.

Post your thoughts here and I will assemble this test. Along with some local testers I will do my best to keep this as scientific as possible. This topic has been partially discussed but I want some data this Spring to show which works on bluegills best.

If you live near Chicago I would need some help filming, counting and recording this test.

• Where can I get enough Gulp for a 5 hour fish-off?
  Berkley Reps anyone I know on the can it says Outfishes Live Bait - Care to donate?
• I might need a volunteer as well who is free one Saturday or Sunday
• All tackle will be supplied

I actually have a 1-man test that will work, but this will require two assistants to record fish by the quarter hour and to guide me to transition times. If we can get 4 people, I have an idea for a 2-person simultaneous  test.

Does this sound interesting? If so, add some thoughts, let me know that you can volunteer this Spring etc. Any help on getting Gulp would be appreciated ...

[Dwayne Denison]

this is right up my alley, homemade baits

[Johnny wilkins]

The results are in - I am putting the results into scientific form so that we can take a look at my methods and take the data with us from this first test.

Yes, I am willing to take suggestions on the method. If anything - I can argue that I gave Gulp MORE than a fighting chance as my natural baits were fished up-current from the Gulp.

I gave each a :30 min. fishing session within 8 feet of each other in identical depth, with identical rigs and I personally fished each. $24 of product fished for each competitor - what do you think the results were?? Any guesses? Gulp fans, live bait fans check in. What are your guesses.

And NO the results are NOT an April fool's joke- this was fished yesterday and the testing was done in a very serious fashion to a timer and everything measured out.

Each Live Maggots and Berkley Gulp Maggots were fished 3x in :30 min. sessions. 

Gulp :30    _______  Fish , Live Maggots :30  _______  Fish

Gulp :30     _______  Fish, Live Maggots :30  _______  Fish

Gulp :30    _______  Fish, Live Maggots :30   _______  Fish

Each test had it's own keep bag and all fish were counted at the end to assure accuracy with witness and assistant.

Now- place your bets, I will have graphs and full testing written out using scientific method and will post those results after a few guesses.

[Jeffrey D. Abney]

I gotta' believe the live maggots out fished Gulp stand alone......I had a kid on the boat today and we were in some active Crappie and he wanted to fish the Gulp Minnows solo and I thrashed him with live minnows 9 to 1 and he then went back to live minnows....Too late.... We had our limit of 20 a piece..... I will say 6 to 1 "Live" not knowing more about the area fished........

[Leo Nguyen]

Hm..based on your optimism, along with the warm weather at shallow depths, I would say something like:

Gulp: ten. Live bait: seven
Gulp: seven. Live bait: twelve.
Gulp: eight. Live bait: seven.

I'm probably shooting low, but the weather was not optimal yesterday based on NOAA weather reports nation wide.

[Johnny wilkins]

Attached is the results sheet for the test breaking down the Gulp vs. Live Bait experiment by session.

I fished a Bear Tackle float Ready Rig ( using a size 14 hook  with 3 lb. main line and 2 lb. leader). This was fished on a telescopic pole from shore.

A. (Live Bait) was fished to my left and all fish were put in a blue keep bag to the left. B. GULP - was fished to my right aprox. 6' away from the live bait test area (fished from same seat- which never moved).

3- :30 minute sessions were fished for each of the bait types.

$24 of each bait was purchased and used during the test.

The clock was stopped once for each bait to remove a tangle and tie on a new leader after a big fish break-off.

1 large fish was landed for each bait

1 larger fish broke off on the live bait

See the .pdf for results.

What I learned:

Fishing the Gulp produced missed hook sets. The fish were ejecting this bait and did not hold on or consume the bait the same as they did a live bait. Several ejections with no contact on hook set occurred during the Gulp sessions. Live bait was a better bait to hook up on and connect on a hook set.

Manufactured bait sizes were inconsistent and large compared to a real maggot. There were several different sizes of artificial bait in the jar. This would lead to inconsistent fishing.

Price: Live Bait was a better deal ( a key point) here's why:
A jar of Gulp maggots held 220 pieces and cost $6 with tax.

4 jars held 880 pieces (approximate) 880 for $24 = .027 (.03 cents each).

2,000 spikes (maggots) cost $12 with shipping and tax (Dealers here sell for $13)
My club gets them for $8/1,000 wholesale). I can also get them shipped in bulk for a cost as low as $6/1,000 maggots.

I used the $8 x 3 to get 3,000 maggots. (.008) or less than .01 cent per grub to get the live bait - even at the higher price.

This Live bait was nearly 4x less expensive than GULP. For the test, I had 3x as many grubs to fish with using live bait - a key to attracting and catching bluegills, shiners, perch.

One benefit the GULP had during the test was that the wind current was carrying live bait scent to the GULP test area. The GULP I feel benefited from the live bait scent and I believe the GULP numbers would have been lower had the live bait not been used up current from the GULP location...

That said - the GULP was 6x less effective than it claimed on its website. Claiming it was 2x better than ALL other Baits- seems to be false to me. Outfishing ALL other Baits is right on the label - and it should be removed. Test results showed that GULP got out fished by 3x using live bait.

Each Live Maggots and Berkley Gulp Maggots were fished 3x in :30 min. sessions. 

Gulp :30   9  Fish                 Live Maggots :30   25 Fish

Gulp :30    25  Fish              Live Maggots :30  41  Fish

Gulp :30    4  Fish                Live Maggots :30   46  Fish

Total Gulp: 38 Fish             Total Live Maggots:  112 Fish

Again - I explain the middle number for Gulp to have benefited from live bait scent and particles from the maggots being carried across the the Gulp testing area. I would NOT like to repeat this test and would NOT like to fish with Gulp ever again. I take that back - I could see a use for the product when I teach kids. I would like them to catch fish but not too many, the product is good for people who do not wish to put live bait on the hook and parents who don't wish to either.

But - if I personally would have fished with just live bait - I could have caught somewhere around 250 fish instead of just 150 fish during my 3 hours on the water.

Download the test results - send my your thoughts... good guesses. Remember, I was fishing both under a very sensitive float rig as I would have done for the best live bait rig on the day. The packaging says that when fished still -allowing the scent to disperse in the water column... etc. yadda yadda.

Gulp is defeated in the Gulp Shoot-Out 2012 and is 66% less effective than live bait - study shows...

[Leo Nguyen]

Very intense testing and results Johnny. Excellent work! Live baits definitely have their overall advantage, but all live baits do perish. GULP may be an accessible preserved materials, but nothing beat nature's own fresh materials which is a renewable resource if we want to maintain the constant supply. Just take an hour or two out of our busy schedule to take care of them all. Once again, excellent data. This should be posted in the Field Research group as well.

[Johnny wilkins]

Great observations LEO - maggots are VERY TOUGH and can withstand a LOT with a little care - as you say -take the time which might be as short as :15 min. to pack them in a small cooler - and your bait will last you many trips out. Don't take care to pack it and keep it cold and, well, you get dead bait. I thought the killer was that some 800 pieces for $24 as compared to 2,500 - 3,000 pieces of live bait for that same $24 - I thought this was also something to look at. Not only did the GULP catch 1/3* of the fish - but it also cost 3x what live bait did. That is 9x less effective in my book.

[Johnny wilkins]

Results Sheet Attached - also description of results - I believe it could have been WORSE result for GULP if I repeated the experiment again.

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

I have to agree that Gulp does work, and it has its place. But it is not the end all bait, nor does it meet the claims made for it when compared to natural baits. I've tried it in several different forms in several different ways and live bait inevitably does better in side-by-side use.

If you have magic chum that attracts fish like a magnet and gets them feeding madly, the a Gulp bait might be ideal. Less fuss and mess.

It also stores like no other live bait.

For the most part, though, it is not a reliable substitute for natural baits. I think your results are spot on, Johnny.

[Johnny wilkins]

I think I will run another test with the remaining bait. There are TWO faults with the outcome. I think the GULP numbers were inflated and should have been lower on the day.

1. The live bait was in the area of the GULP and I believe it enhanced the GULP numbers in session two - and possibly the other sessions

2. The action from the fish digging the live bait and loose live bait in the water, attracted more fish to the area that GULP would have failed to attract

3. The scent and particles of the live spike was carried down current 6' away to the GULP area and also attracted more fish.

I will need another 3 x :30 sessions where the live bait is distanced from the GULP area - I believe the bait to be far inferior - even more so than this test result indicates.

If the fishing were tough, I think GULP would NOT impact or assist in your fishing results.

GULP alone is only a "Last Resort" or a angler's Veggie burger compared to Ground Sirloin Cooked Perfectly with all the fixings. To its claim of Outfishing ALL Other Bait - mission accomplished it has been found out - and it does NOT and never will.

If it helps your confidence in your rig - you might want to check that - there are better cuts of meat available to you as an angler. I can not make these claims without the data and real testing. I just don't know how much of my catching I want to give up to do more tests.

[Jeffrey D. Abney]

Interesting to me that Gulp did as well as it did....good research Johnny...thanks for sharing.......I do have Gulp baits available but I never fish them alone because of the results that I have experienced and this research amplifies that fact for me......The example I give most often is presentation, like the Chartreuse minnow combined with a live cricket in tanic water.....I truly believe this helps the fish locate my bait but the live bait is what creates the bite more times than not......I immediately add a new cricket when it is gone without question.....

[Johnny wilkins]

Well - i think a large object might help them locate it but our insectivore friends like to eyeball their food-  altering the natural silhouette  (shape) size, color, taste of your naturals - might not help you out - plus it is EXPENSIVE...