How To Retrieve A Berkley Gulp Shrimp Jig To Catch More Inshore Fish [VIDEO]
- By: Luke Simonds
- on
- Found In: Fishing Tips, Lure Reviews, Retrieving Lures, Shrimp Lures
It’s soft plastic fishing lure time once again!
And this post is specifically focused on Berkley GULP! shrimp jigs because we’ve had many questions come in about how to work them to catch redfish, snook, trout, tarpon, and flounder (you can see the Berkley Gulp Shrimp rigging video that caused the casting and retrieve questions by clicking here).
But before we get to the “How To Retrieve A Gulp Shrimp Jig” tutorial video below, it’s extremely important to know that the retrieve is not the only important factor in catching fish on Gulp shrimp.
An equally important factor (if not more important) is the rigging of the shrimp on the jig head…
Why?a great retrieve can’t overcome a bad rigging.
Well, because a great retrieve can’t overcome a bad rigging.
Rigging A Gulp Shrimp Bait On A Jig Head
When rigging a Gulp shrimp onto a jig head, it is CRITICAL to make sure that the shrimp is straight on the hook.
Because if it has any sort of bend in the bait, or if it isn’t hooked in the center, it will helicopter underwater during the retrieve which will spook fish due to it’s an unnatural motion.
Here’s a picture of what a Gulp shrimp jig should NOT look like:
And here’s a picture of how a perfectly hooked Gulp Shrimp should look like:
As you can see in the above pics, the amount of plastic that the hook goes through makes a huge difference. The first picture shows a bait where the hook went too far into the plastic causing the tail to curve upward.
Always make sure that your soft plastics are properly rigged before using them.
Click here to see a post explaining exactly how to rig Gulp shrimp if you need help.
How To Retrieve A Gulp Shrimp Jig [Video]
There are many different ways to retrieve jigs, but the one that I find most effective is the “double-twitch” technique shown in the video below.
This double-twitch method comprises of making two short and quick twitches before letting the jig fall back down.
The reason I believe it works so well is because predators are always on the lookout for the injured and weak when feeding…
And this double-twitch retrieve style is most similar to an injured fish or scared shrimp, so a predator fish can’t help but to at least explore further.
Watch the video below to see exactly how to more the rod in order to maximize your strikes while using Gulp shrimp jigs.
Here are links to the two items mentioned in the video:
- How To Rig A Gulp Shrimp Bait Onto A Jig Head
- The “Inshore Slammer” Course That Guarantees You’ll Catch More Redfish, Snook, & Trout
Conclusion
Gulp shrimp jigs can be an extremely effective lure to catch redfish, snook, trout, tarpon, flounder, snapper, and pretty much anything else that feeds on shrimp.
But there are two factors that must be met in order for you to get consistent results:
- The shrimp must be rigged properly on the jig head
- The retrieve should have the motion of a baitfish or shrimp in distress
Once those two factors are covered, there is no limit to the amount of fish that you’ll be able to catch without even having to waist time/money on live bait.
If you’re looking to improve your consistency on catching quality redfish, snook, and trout, then I highly recommend giving our Inshore Slammer online course a shot because it will help you catch inshore slams consistently… even comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee!
Click here to learn about the Inshore Slammer Online Course
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Thanks for making time to leave the nice comment Gordon! Glad to see that you’re enjoying the tips. Fish On!
Excellent demonstration. I haved used gulp shrimp in the past and have been fairly successful. Any suggestions when in really grassy areas?
Hey Gilbert, here’s a post that shows how to rig a Gulp shrimp so that it can be worked in heavy grass without getting snagged: http://www.saltstrong.com/articles/weedless-gulp-shrimp/
Note: It’s very important to rig them perfectly for this, so be sure to watch the video in the above link and get the proper hooks because they make the rigging easy.
Excellent video. Discussed the technique, rigging importance, situation where the technique works best & details on the lure & jig weight. Everything that an angler would want to know. I fish most days each week and watch a bunch of videos as well as monitor fishing reports of Tournament Pros. Your website rocks as it is loaded with useful info and explanations as to the what, why, when, where and how. Thank you.
What rod/reel combos do you use for inshore? Surf?
I use a 7’6″ rod with a 2500 size reel when targeting redfish, snook, and trout inshore… links to exact rod/reel are in the Equipment section of this post: http://www.saltstrong.com/articles/snook-fishing-in-the-winter/
And I typically use the same exact thing when beach fishing since I target snook and pompano out there. If going for sharks or tarpon, then getting heavier gear would certainly be needed.
Until yesterday I had never caught a fish using the gulp shrimp. I’ve tried them but never had success like I have the gulp swimming mullet. I watched this video on Friday. Saturday afternoon I followed your directions and caught a keeper flounder on my very first cast. Awesome! Thanks!
Hey Bryan, I’m glad to see that you found fast results. I’m sure you’ll be catching many more fish with the Gulp shrimp jigs in the near future. Fish On!