The worst kept secret among winter speckled trout and redfish anglers is that Gulp lures are the real deal. Whereas once scented baits were looked upon by saltwater anglers as gimmicks and cons, brands like Gulp have made believers out of even die-hard traditionalists. The age-old argument about whether scent matters has pretty much been settled.
So you have your Gulp baits and you’re ready to boat some specks and reds. Is it that easy? Unfortunately, no. Gulp baits may seem to work like magic at times, but when you actually get on the water seeking speckled trout and redfish in the winter the majority of the work is still up to you.
Gulp baits leave a powerful scent trail and taste a lot like the real thing when hit, but presentation is still key as with any lures. If you head out on a chilly January day whipping Gulp baits around from dock to dock like you are fishing for largemouth bass you aren’t going to be rewarded.
Leaders for Gulp Baits
Different anglers use different leaders when fishing Gulp lures. Some guides use fluorocarbon while others have never been swayed from monofilament leaders. Whatever your choice, 20 lb leader is plenty when dealing with specks and redfish as neither is likely to bite you off. The real key is to keep a light drag, as hooks often pull out of a trout’s paper-thin mouth during a fight.
Rigging Gulp Baits
Rigging is as varied as leader material. Some folks like 1/8 to ¼ ounce bullet weights ahead of offset worm hooks, a technique brought over to saltwater by largemouth bass anglers. Other experts use jig heads of various colors and sizes, sometimes mixing and matching based on the way the fish respond. Some pros will simply rig Gulp baits under popping corks the same way they would fish live shrimp. You can try different approaches, as trout will often move up and down the feeding zone.
Retrieving Gulp Baits
However you choose to rig your Gulp baits, if you don’t retrieve them correctly and at the right time it isn’t going to matter. The number one consideration, especially in the cold waters of winter, is to slow down. If you think you are going too fast, you are.
One good winter retrieve is a simple crawl along the bottom. Another one is to let your Gulp bait sink and then bring it back to you in foot-long hops with long pauses. Trout and redfish will often nail the lure as it falls back. You can also swim it back to you like a twitchbait, but if you do so you should be reeling very slowly.
When to Fish Gulp Baits
Even Gulp baits won’t entice specks and redfish when they aren’t feeding. In the winter you want to look for times when the tide is really moving. Fishing around structure such as marsh grass, a dock, or a creek mouth on a rapidly falling tide is one of your best winter scenarios.
Hitting a rising tide on a sunny day along dark banks where fiddler crabs hang out will often result in a smashing red drum bite. A falling tide at sunrise can be the perfect trout scenario. Basically you want structure and moving current, which is where you will find the schools of trout and reds waiting to feed on wary and slow-moving prey that Gulp baits imitate.
For many more inshore fishing tips and tactics check out my new book Surf and Saltwater Fishing in the Carolinas.
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