BAIT TIPPING CHALLENGE...WORMS vs GULP!

[Jim Gronaw]

Well, I had never done it before, but today I decided to try tipping my 1/64th oz shad dart jighead with two different baits to see if it would make a difference. I fished a small public lake in Adams County, PA from 3 to 5 pm. Weather was splendid...68 degrees and partly sunny skies and calm and the fish were biting.

Last week I had to go to the drop-shot/live worm rig to catch fish that had settled near the bottom of 6-8 feet of water after a cold front. Not today, as I found fish 5 ft from the surface over a submerged creek bed. Using the jig with a small piece of garden worm, I caught fish steadily until I reached a count of 19 fish, then decided to try the Gulp! minnows as a tipping bait. Since the entire 1 inch minnow would make a bulky, oversized offering for the gills, I decided to use the back half of the minnow as a tipping option, suspended just like the jig/worm option. Here are the results...The first three fish I caught on the Gulp minnow tipped jig were the three largest of the day at 10 to 10.5 inches. I don't know why this is, maybe a small group of bigger fish just cruised in at this particular time, but the top three were on successive casts. Maybe the jig and Gulp presented a slightly larger offering that only the bigger fish would approach...just a guess.

I caught the same amount...19 apiece...on each tipping option for a total of 38 released fish. Most of the fish on the Gulp tipping were 9 inches or better, and the worm offering fish were just slightly smaller. I fished each option for one hour.

Worm fish tended to take the bobber under with more gusto, and would make the bobber dissapeer. The fish that took the Gulp tipped jig tended to 'trail off' with the jig, not always pulling the bobber below the surface. Sometimes, they would just 'tilt' the bobber and you had to be able to recognize the strike. Most fish were caught over the creek channel, which is easy casting distance from the shoreline.

So what did I find out? Probably, not much. The fish were on the feed as a warm 70 degree November day had them going and action seemed just as fast with either bait. Water was at 56 degrees and clear. The only noticable differences was the 'trailing off' bites on the Gulp and the larger fish on same. Need to experiment more...maybe this Saturday at another lake!

No, didn't prove much today, except it was a beautiful time to be out and those lovely fish made it a great time.

[lupe rodriquez]

Mr. Gronaw, i must say that was a great tip i'll use it in texas and let you know how it proved out

[Bing]

Interesting, food for thought, I'll give it a try.

[Kelly Peterson]

Have had good results with Gulp Alive Hellgrammite's the past couple weeks in Southern Illinois while visiting my son. All I had were the chartruese and black ones. One day the black worked better, another the chartruese.

Also tried other Gulp Alive like waxies, crickets and minnows. All did catch some fish but the Hellgrammite's were the ticket.

Am now back home so am looking forward to trying them here. Oh, used the 1/32 Shad Dart jig in pink.

[Long Creek Arkie]

I have pond fished like this a lot. When  "The fish that took the Gulp tipped jig tended to 'trail off' with the jig, not always pulling the bobber below the surface. Sometimes, they would just 'tilt' the bobber and you had to be able to recognize the strike", I find this to be BG babies, usually 2" or 3" .

[Will Weiland]

When we lived in Wisconsin we caught bluegills,crappies ,perch ,walleyes up to 27 in ,northerns up to 32 inches ,after using gulp I haven't had live bait in my boat . Moved to Tennessee and same thing . I am  sold on the one inch gulp minnow in chartreuse shad .I use a 1/32 ounce trout head jig , orange first choice and no float. Cast out let it sink and twitch it back.   

[Kelly Peterson]

Anybody use Berkeley Powerbait Honey Worms and your success?