Gulp lures have revolutionized the soft bait lure market, and can be deadly when used to target game fish like striped bass. Although many people know about the effectiveness of Gulp baits on speckled trout and redfish, anglers are just now learning how deadly they can be when used where stripers prowl.
Here are the top 5 Gulp lures to use when striped bass fishing:
Striped bass are a delicious table fish.
Jeffrey WeeksGULP! Alive! 5″ Jerk Shad Pearl White
The perfect size bait for schoolie-sized stripers, you want to work it high in the water column when you arrive at a likely spot. If you don’t get a hit let it go lower and keep working it jerkbait style back to you. Striped bass love the flash and movement of the lure but is the scent that really gets them, so give them a little time to hone in on this bait. If hungry stripers are around it’s hard to beat the 5 inch jerk shad body if you work it right. Choose your jig based on the current but try not to go too heavy, 3/8 ounce is about right.
GULP! Alive! 6″ Sandworm Bloody
This is the ideal striper bait for crawling the bottom and bringing fish in with scent. Rig it up on a Carolina rig for best results, and then you can fish it like a plastic worm (but slower). Throw in some darts and dashes to the retrieve, but remember this is one bait that was made for bottom fishing so let it touch the sand and draw those stripers in.
GULP! 7″ Jerk Shad Nuclear Chicken (Glow)
This is the lure you want when fishing at night for those trophy stripers. Fish this lure high in the water column at first, flashing it to let stripers see it in the dark. If you haven’t got a hit on the fast retrieve after five minutes let it drop and work it back to you jerkbait style mid-range and then along the bottom. The combo of heavy scent and the flashy visual make this a great big striper lure around lights or out at night under the full moon. If you surf fish for striped bass you want to try this one out.
GULP! 4″ Fat Sandworm Motor Oil w/ Red Fleck
The Fat Sandworm is perfect for crawling along the bottom on a Carolina rig to tempt those lazy winter stripers. The combination of scent and movement as this bait slithers over and around structure will really bring the fish in. You don’t want to fish this bait fast at all, but let it lazily crawl back to you with frequent pauses. Stripers love the action as it imitates a real sandworm or sea worm.
GULP! Alive! 4″ Swimming Mullet Pumpkinseed
If you are on a striper school chasing baitfish this is the lure you want to throw. match it to a 3/8 or 1/4 ounce jig head and give it a lot of life. A terrific hot water bait that can also be used in slow don mode in winter. The powerful scent dispersal will draw vicious bites from a striper school, and don’t be reluctant to make two or three casts into the same likely drop-off— sometimes it takes a striped bass a pass or two with a Gulp bait before the scent gets them to hit.
For many more striped bass and other fishing articles and links see my website Surf and Salt.
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