Trouble Hooking em on Gulps

[Gansett]

I've been experimenting with Gulp Minnows. I've been using the 4" because that is all I could find. I am getting pretty good bites; however, I am having trouble hooking and landing them. Seems they are hitting short of the hook. I've now bought some 3" Gulps and will try them this week. I'm also thinking a hook with a larger bend will work as there seems to be little room between the barb of the hook I'm using and the side of the minnow. Anyone else having trouble like this using Gulps?

[Hillbilly910]

Have had great success(several times i can actually vouch for it out fishing live bait, and i NEVER dreamed i could ever say that) with them.
Have been using the 2.5 gulp alive minnows. But i too have missed alot of fish for them not getting to the hook. Have been wanting to try som sickle hook jig heads, see if that doesnt help some. Other wise i try and use a hook/jig that gets the hook as far back as possible. My best bet so far has been using a #4 or #6 hook, and thread the minnow up as far as possible up the shank, thus keeping the hook point near the tail. The action they have when hooked like this is unreal, just gotta hook it right to it dosnet just spin, otherwise its golden.

HB

[Ferdi]

I've been experimenting with Gulp Minnows. I've been using the 4" because that is all I could find. I am getting pretty good bites; however, I am having trouble hooking and landing them. Seems they are hitting short of the hook. I've now bought some 3" Gulps and will try them this week. I'm also thinking a hook with a larger bend will work as there seems to be little room between the barb of the hook I'm using and the side of the minnow. Anyone else having trouble like this using Gulps?

Try cutting 1/2-3/4" 0ff the Gulp baits so you don't waste the baits AND the biggest thing is open the hook gap. That has improved my hook setting on roadrunners and live minnow rigs too. Ferdi aka Fred

[Gansett]

First, thanks to HillBilly and Fred for such great advice. I do have a follow-up question for Fred. When you say "open the hook gap" I'm not sure what you mean. Do you mean to physically open the gap (don't know how to do that) OR do you mean to buy hooks with larger gaps? Thanks again, I'm going out tomorrow and will let you know what happens.

[fishinRod]

First, thanks to HillBilly and Fred for such great advice. I do have a follow-up question for Fred. When you say "open the hook gap" I'm not sure what you mean.

He means to physically open the gap, use a couple pairs of needle nose plyers, make sure you dont smash the barb or open it to much to where you have to bend it back, it'll weaken the hook

[The Lip RIPPERS]

I had good luck with the 3" Gulps, but only found them in 1 coloronly tried them last fall and only once did not produce, but neither did any other jigs that day. What impressed me was a 14" bass landed on these had a 4" shad sticking out of his throat! So I know he was not hungry.

[slipbobber]

Something that I have been experimenting with on hook gaps is to take the jig before you put any plastic on it is to mash the start of the hook bend (this is where the straight part of the hook meets the start of the bend) with the wide part of your needle nose pliers. If you do this right it'll make a straight angle from the portion of the straight part of the hook going into the bend and make the hook gap much wider. Looks and works just like the sickle hook. Hope this makes sense.

[Jameslin]

I too fish with gulp and i use the number 4 sickle hook to give me more of a gap between the hook and jig.I make all my jig heads and if you wont to try them out i have some made up send me a pm if intrested.
Thanks James

[SLABurns]

I have only used the 2.5" on 1/32 and 1/16 jigs. I just bend the hook out a little like the others said if I have trouble hooking the fish.

[shipahoy41]

I have only used the 2.5" on 1/32 and 1/16 jigs. I just bend the hook out a little like the others said if I have trouble hooking the fish.

Same here.