Reviewed by: CAPT. MIKE SCHOONVELD
Each Scented Flicker Shad or pack comes with a tube of Gulp Gel so is the gel only effective when used with the special Flicker Shads? Of course not. The scent strips helps hold the scent, but I slathered Gulp Gel some on slick-sided crankbaits and fished some of them as much as an hour. When I reeled them in, I could still feel the gel on the sides of the bait. I put Gulp Gel on a gauze pad and stuffed it inside a Yakima SpinFish and absolutely crushed Lake Superior lake trout with the lure.
I’ve used other scent products that were like smearing axle grease on the lures. After an hour of trolling, the Gulp Gel was still present, but far less than when I smeared it on. I can only assume it still smelled okay to the fish, perhaps a bit subdued. It’s not water soluble, but it’s not axle grease, either.
Did it work? As with most scent products, it’s hard to quantify the results, but it gave me more confidence and I’m convinced the scent helped a little or a lot each day I tried it. I put a small spritzer bottle of dish detergent and water on the boat to clean the lures before or after using. John Procnow, “the Gulp guy at Berkley Fishing” says the product won’t degrade over time, but I’m of the “fresh is best” philosophy.
In cold weather, keep the tube of Gulp Gel in an inside pocket. When the temps are in the 30s or low 40s, it gets hard to squeeze out of the tube. Again, available at www.berkley-fishing.com or at a variety of tackle retailers.
FISHING TOYS 