There’s doubtful an angler reading this who isn’t familiar with the low-down effectiveness of Berkley’s gulp line of fresh and saltwater soft baits, particularly on inshore predators like red drum, speckled trout, and flounder.
The Gulp Shrimp, perhaps the most popular bait in the saltwater line, has been fooling all those species and more since its introduction, and with nearly a decade on the market, Gulp is introducing an updated version, the Gulp Hollow Shrimp.
The new baits don’t sacrifice any of the appeal of the original versions but incorporate some new features to add bite-enticing action that will ultimately lead to more fish in the boat.
As the name implies, the new lures have a hollow body that boasts a number of advantages over the solid-body originals. First and foremost, the spongy feel of the Hollow Shrimp more closely replicates an actual shrimp, leading fish to hold onto the baits longer and allow anglers a better chance at a good hook set.
When rigged on a weedless hook, the hollow body offers less resistance than a solid-body bait, also enhancing anglers’ ability to score a solid hookset after the bait attracts a strike.
The hollow body also serves to slow down the lure’s sink rate compared to a standard solid shrimp, which can often make a big difference in strikes when fishing for finicky fish like speckled trout.
In addition to the hollowed body, the new baits feature a skirted tail, eight legs, and long antennae to give them more movement and action versus the original lures.
Gulp Hollow Shrimp are available in eight of Gulp’s most popular colors and will be hitting tackle store shelves over the next few weeks. Anglers can visit local Berkley retailers to see the new baits themselves or check out www.berkley-fishing.com for more information.