How To Rig A Berkley Gulp Pogy Soft Plastic To Catch More Fish [VIDEO]
- By: Luke Simonds
- on
- Found In: Fishing Secrets, Fishing Tips, Lure Reviews, Product Reviews
It’s Berkley Gulp pogy time!
But first, can I share my love/hate story of Gulp products with you real quick?
Can you imagine paying more money for an artificial lure that you ever have before just because it promised to catch you more fish?
Could you imagine paying loads of money for an artificial lure when your primary means of catching your ideal fish is live bait?
Well, that was the conundrum I was in just a few years ago when I heard about Berkley Gulp Baits.
Quite honestly, when Berkley Gulp soft plastics were first introduced years ago, I didn’t even consider using them because I thought that they were an over-priced fad that wouldn’t last long once their claim of catch more fish than live bait was proven wrong.
At that time, I thought that the only way to consistently catch quality snook, redfish, and trout was to have a livewell full of energetic baitfish. And probably like many weekend warrior anglers, I’d spend a full hour in the morning sometimes just to catch bait.
However, as time went on, I began getting better at catching quality snook, redfish, and trout on artificial lures. And as you probably know, the Gulp “fad” continued much longer than I had thought…
Eventually, I was talked into giving them a shot and I finally began realizing how powerful these baits can be if used properly.
And now today I am one of Berkley Gulps biggest fans.
I started out just using Gulp Shrimp, but I then began using Gulp Jerk Shads and Gulp Pogy tails… the latter of which I’ll tell you exactly how I maximize their effectiveness in this article.
Have you read the UPDATED “Inshore Fishing Manifesto?”
Gulp Pogy Overview
Gulp Pogy tails are the bait that I’ve recently begun embracing for specific fishing situations.
The reason I like them is because they have the great scent of all Gulp baits, but they also have some added action because the small paddle tail at the end of the bait gives out some wicked good vibrations.
So far, I’ve found these baits to work incredibly well when fishing for snook along the beach, and when fishing grass flats and shallow channels in the 2 to 6 ft depth range.
Pros Of The Berkley Gulp Pogy
- Easy to rig
- Added action compared to Gulp Shrimp due to paddle tail
- Good size for a large variety of inshore species
Cons Of The Berkley Gulp Pogy
- They can easily be ruined by puffer fish and pinfish (once the tail is bitten off, it’s not very effective)
- Prone to get damaged after catching a strong fish (thin top part will tear from the pressure)
- Like all Gulp soft plastics, they require added care (click here for Berkley Gulp care tips)
How To Work A Gulp Pogy
When fishing for snook, redfish, and trout, I’ve found that a jigging retrieval method consisting of a series of two short/quick jerks and then letting it sink back to the bottom before doing it again gets the most consistent results.
If done right, wait for strike right after it hits the bottom.
Note: If there is a lot of bottom structure in the area that I’m fishing, I then speed up the retrieve and hold the rod tip up so that the lure stays just above the snags.
Also, I’ll adjust the jig head size depending on the depths… 1/8 oz is my favorite for fish 2 to 4 ft of water, and I’ll go up to a 1/4 oz when fishing 4 ft of water, and will go up higher as the depths increase.
How to Rig A Gulp Pogy [VIDEO]
Watch this short video to see the most effective way to rig a Gulp Pogy on a jig head for maximum fish catching.
And don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any questions or other tips on how you like to rig your soft plastics like this pogy.
Enjoy the video.
Conclusion
Berkley Gulp Pogy soft plastic tails are an extremely effective bait for catching snook, redfish, trout, flounder, and almost any other fish that feeds on small baitfish.
However, please know that Gulp pogy baits are NOT some magical lure that immediately catches fish once put on a jig head.
The true results are based on these three factors that ALL must be in place for consistent fish catching with Gulp pogies:
- Properly rigging the Gulp pogy
- Properly presenting the Gulp pogy
- Finding active feeding grounds for your target fish
Again… all 3 of these factors have to be accounted for in order to catch fish with a Gulp pogy.
And the #3 item above doesn’t have anything to do with the pogy… it applies to any lure or live bait that you could possibly use, and it’s the most significant factor that determines who can consistently catch quality fish (more about that towards the bottom).
Any questions or thoughts on rigging this soft plastic?
Let me know in the comments.
Fish On.
Related Video: How To Rig Berkley Gulp Shrimp For More Strikes [VIDEO]
Have you read the UPDATED “Inshore Fishing Manifesto?”
P.S. – Click here to order the 3-inch Gulp Pogy soft plastics (my favorites are the “white” and “sardine” color options).
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Is there a positive difference in getting fish to strike, when adding a rattle to a soft plastic? My experiences tell me yes. But, I’d like to know what’re your thoughts on the matter?
I have not yet tested that out. I’ll add it to my list of experiments to conduct.
Q what type of knot do you use for the jig head?
Thanks Ed
A loop knot or canoe man knot. It will give the jig room for some added action.
Better price here. Also best prices I have found for Jerk Shad. Free shipping for orders over $25
https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/berkley%C2%AE-gulp%21%C2%AE-3-pogy-baits-8-pack
also what colors do you recommend the video shows white
Color is not nearly as important as most people think… the bigger factors to consider is the retrieve style, speed, and the size of the lure. That being said, I typically just go with a natural color pattern or just plain ol’ white.
what size hook on the 1/8 head a 1 or a 2
Both of those sizes can work. I typically go with the smallest hook options because they get snagged on underwater objects less while not having a noticeable difference in hookup rates of strikes.
Luke- I assume you are tying on the jig head and weedless hook with loop knots. Correct?
Yes, I use a loop knot for all lures because it enables them to have more action in the water.
Thanks Luke- you guys are really quick with responses. It’s like you’re in the next room!
Nice Video
Hi Luke, Reading comments about gulp and procure. I was like you didn’t begin using gulp till a couple years ago. I read about your success with Owner hooks and watermelon redflake gulp jerk baits, tried it and have been using them since. Also up in Maryland where my summer home is(winter in Palmetto, Fl) on the Eastern shore of MD and Virginia Gulp shrimp rigged on spro bucktails and drifted for flounder has had great success and many have changed from drifting mud minnows because the gulp works so well.
How cool to see that they are working up in Maryland and Virginia too! Thanks for sharing your results with us.
Do you use a loop Knott for the big head? New subscriber.
Hey Luke thanks for the comment but seriously you really need to try procure fish scent its the most awesome scent I have found its a gell and it stays on the bait a long time which in turn saves money it comes in 2 size squirt bottles the pro size and the smaller size I bought the pro size in mullet and the inshore saltwater scenr about 5 years ago and have yet to use it all up and I use it all the time gulp scent costs about half the price about 10 bucks a bottle compared to procure which is about 20 dollars a bottle but to me it lasts way longer but again it’s whatever your comfortable and confident with anyways worked the whole week and weekend and will be off this Mon and Tues 5hose are my normal days off gonna try it on Tues the tide is better and the wind will be to last week was a no fish day with 30 mph out of the northeast so even with your wind fishing advice I doubt it would be very productive but that’s fishing and between you and me its better then work or football any damn day of the week take care and godbless
Which one of the procure scents do you like best? I’ll be sure to pick one up next time I see it in a store.
My best fishing successes come with Pro Cure’s Menhaden scent, applied liberally, and often to my non scented plastics.