FROZEN Posted August 26, 2019 Report Share Posted August 26, 2019 I’ve used Berkeley’s Gulp Alive exclusively for a while. Any color 3” shrimp as long as it’s pearl white. They work well for me. Went out today, and this batch I bought is so soft that one shrimp barely survives one trout catch and gets totally destroyed by lady fish. I started using Gulps on advice so I would not spend as much time as I did re-baiting with live shrimp. I really think live bait is cheaper, too! $1.00 and up each Gulp is ridiculous! I remember Gulps being a lot more durable. Is it me? Any alternatives out there that you can recommend? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason p Posted August 27, 2019 Report Share Posted August 27, 2019 They’re back to “normal” now I believe. I noticed the same thing last year with the 5” jerk shad, I use them pretty much exclusively when spin fishing. The last batch I got was back to the more durable plastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wanaflatsfish Posted August 27, 2019 Report Share Posted August 27, 2019 38 minutes ago, jason p said: They’re back to “normal” now I believe. I noticed the same thing last year with the 5” jerk shad, I use them pretty much exclusively when spin fishing. The last batch I got was back to the more durable plastic. I have found the same with shrimp....and the same, seems to be "store" and batch dependent... dc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bernieNC Posted August 27, 2019 Report Share Posted August 27, 2019 8 hours ago, FROZEN said: Any alternatives out there that you can recommend? I have found nothing (other than a hard bait) that will outlast Z-man. That and a bottle of Pro-Cure especially when dealing w/ "trash fish". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topshelf 2 Posted August 27, 2019 Report Share Posted August 27, 2019 I use Z man shrimp & Pro Cure shrimp scent, the pin fish can't destroy it works great Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SW Skif Posted August 27, 2019 Report Share Posted August 27, 2019 I too have noticed the gulps have been very soft lately. I quit using them. I get a sandwich bag , squirt some procure and put a few of my favorite plastics in the bag. Im having the same results as gulp. ~Frog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BradM Posted August 27, 2019 Report Share Posted August 27, 2019 I've been a fan of Fishbites in white paddle tail style, for years. They don't have a lot of movement, but I've caught a metric ton of fish on them. I see they recently re-branded/re-marketed their stuff and have not gotten to try the "fight club" and whatever series they have now (sounds dumb to me). I strictly target redfish in murky, N.E. FL water. They're a bit more durable on the hook than Gulp! and seem to get by most of the turd hustlers. Heaven forbid you forget to take one off your hook when heading home! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linesider 159 Posted August 27, 2019 Report Share Posted August 27, 2019 17 hours ago, jason p said: They’re back to “normal” now I believe. I noticed the same thing last year with the 5” jerk shad, I use them pretty much exclusively when spin fishing. The last batch I got was back to the more durable plastic. Last year's jerk shad issue was a production problem. Apparently there is a small window from when they are produced until when they go in a bag. Miss it by a second and it softens, or something like that. Keeping gulps cool will help them hold together as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoneyB Posted August 27, 2019 Report Share Posted August 27, 2019 The toughest bait you will ever put on a jig is offshore angler 3” shrimp. White with a pink tail on a red head. You can catch fish after fish after fish. I do use gulp’s quite a bit as well. But I always have a bag of the offshore anglers in my bag as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROZEN Posted August 27, 2019 Author Report Share Posted August 27, 2019 2 hours ago, linesider 159 said: Keeping gulps cool will help them hold together as well. Who knew? I keep the jars and packets in my tackle bag in the garage or on the hot boat. Soooo........throw them on ice like the live bait I’m trying to replace? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Jazzy Posted August 27, 2019 Report Share Posted August 27, 2019 Yea they have gotten ridiculously soft lately, esp. any of the new penny. If they ever get left out in the sun for a period you can throw them away. They'll tear putting on a jig. Iced tried keeping mine on ice and it helps but not for long. If zman made the same product one jar would last all season. That's the reason they went soft, Berkly is making a fortune. 😡 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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