Gulp shrimp colors?

[JSeamans]

I'm about to order a bucket of Gulp shrimp for a March 17 -24 trip to Charlotte Harbor/Boca Grande/Lemon Bay.

I usually fish a 3" natural shrimp on a 1/8 or 1/4 Cotee jig head. Any of you FLA anglers recommend any other Gulp shrimp colors you like such as new penny or plain white?

For flies I have the usual tan crustacean critters and my own Johnny's Shrimp-O-Matic which has fooled pompano, snappers, and reds.

[lemaymiami]

I use a lot of Gulp tails for my anglers that aren't into fly fishing and also buy them by the quart container. As far as the 3" shrimp tails, I haven't seen any difference in the number of bites no matter what color you're using... My wholesaler says, though, that the New Penny color outsells every other color combined... As far as the 4" mullet tail, most of the fellows I know just use pearl white. I alternate between the white and chartreuse or yellow and don't notice much difference in how the fish attack them.

There is a great difference, though, in the various jigheads you can use. I started with the Cotee heads many years ago but went to others that have stronger hooks.... If you have a Bass Pro near you get a look at the available choices and pick up some with stronger hooks. You'll be glad you did.

[JSeamans]

I use a lot of Gulp tails for my anglers that aren't into fly fishing and also buy them by the quart container. As far as the 3" shrimp tails, I haven't seen any difference in the number of bites no matter what color you're using... My wholesaler says, though, that the New Penny color outsells every other color combined... As far as the 4" mullet tail, most of the fellows I know just use pearl white. I alternate between the white and chartreuse or yellow and don't notice much difference in how the fish attack them.

There is a great difference, though, in the various jigheads you can use. I started with the Cotee heads many years ago but went to others that have stronger hooks.... If you have a Bass Pro near you get a look at the available choices and pick up some with stronger hooks. You'll be glad you did.


thanks - I ordered a pint each of natural and new penny, plus we'll be going to the local Bass Pro before then and I'll take a look at jig heads. I know jacks will crush a Cotee but other than that they've been pretty good for me.

[lemaymiami]

If you're using light line and not pulling really hard on fish, the light wire jigheads work fine, but heavier hooks are important when your next bite might be anything from a little trout to a giant tarpon... Where I am, those jigheads are getting beaten up (and occasionally twisted up, even with the heavy hooks) often enough that I'm wanting them to be pretty sturdy. The Hook Up jigheads have solid hooks, but are a bit on the pricey side, there are less expensive heads that work just as well.

By the way, the first day I had my anglers using the Gulp products we caught and released, trout, reds, snook, a 60lb tarpon, and three or four other species. The miracle was the tarpon on one of those light Cotee heads (but on a very light rod...) and we didn't straighten the hook. I'm not on any guide program with Pure Fishing (Berkley - Gulp), but I sure wish I was. I'm buying their stuff, four quarts at a time....

[JSeamans]

By the way, the first day I had my anglers using the Gulp products we caught and released, trout, reds, snook, a 60lb tarpon, and three or four other species. The miracle was the tarpon on one of those light Cotee heads (but on a very light rod...) and we didn't straighten the hook. I'm not on any guide program with Pure Fishing (Berkley - Gulp), but I sure wish I was. I'm buying their stuff, four quarts at a time....


Yeah, I've been using them two seasons down there and they're pretty amazing, if you just toss them out and let them sit on the bottom the small fish will find them and chew them to shreds, but I work them with my best luck casting in skinny water between oyster mounds. I've caught all kinds of fish including bull reds on the 3".

I think this trip I'll also try a 2" shrimp whole or cut in half to trick the bait stealers under the fishing pier at Boca.