August 24, 2017
By Ned Kehde
A veteran Midwest finesse angler and Finesse News Network contributor who spends a lot of time searching for new and old finesse baits reported that Berkley reintroduced its three-inch Berkley Gulp! Fry to the angling world at the 2016 International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades show at Orlando, Florida. This angler wondered why we had failed to publish a gear about it in one of our Midwest Finesse columns.
Some folks say it was originally created several years ago for anglers who pursued steelhead trout. Some other folks say it was created by and for finesse anglers in Japan. Whatever its origin, this Midwest finesse angler said it was high time for us to publish a gear guide about it and introduce it to the Midwest finesse devotees. We agreed with him.
In essence, it is similar to the tiny soft-plastic stick-style baits, soft-plastic worms, or soft-plastic leeches that Midwest finesse anglers have affixed to a small mushroom-style jig for years on end.
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Some folks say it was originally created several years ago for anglers who pursued steelhead trout. Some other folks say it was created by and for finesse anglers in Japan. Whatever its origin, this Midwest finesse angler said it was time for us to publish a gear guide about it and introduce it to the Midwest finesse devotees. We agreed with him.
In essence, it is similar to the tiny soft-plastic stick-style baits, soft-plastic worms, or soft-plastic leeches that Midwest finesse anglers have affixed to a small mushroom-style jig for years on end.
The folks at Berkley say that their Gulp! Fry differs from our traditional Midwest finesse baits because it possesses the texture and chemical nature of live bait, and that allows it to release "400-times more scent than ordinary plastic baits." They say it was designed for black bass and walleye anglers to affix on a drop-shot rig, split-shot rig, or wacky rig to inveigle their finicky and wary quarries. Besides black bass and walleye, it allures a wide range of species.
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Of course, Midwest finesse anglers will rig it on either a 1/32- or a 1/16-ounce mushroom-style jig with an exposed hook. And they can present it to largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and spotted bass by employing all six of the standard Midwest finesse retrieves or slight variations of those retrieves.
It is available in three colors: Green Pumpkin, Pumpkinseed, and Watermelon Pearl.
Anglers can purchase a package of 12 for $5.49.
Endnotes
(1) Here is a link to a Midwest finesse column about the six Midwest finesse retrieves: http://www.in-fisherman.com/midwest-finesse/six-midwest-finesse-retrieves/ . A mushroom-style jig with a No. 4 hook is the best combination to employ with a three-inch soft-plastic bait, like the Berkley Gulp! Fry, and these retrieves.
(2) Here is a YouTube video that features the Berkley Gulp! Fry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IHjpZQCMMA . It was published on Oct. 8, 2013. It was created by Adam Royter who is an Australian angler, journalist, photographer, and filmmaker. He says it is an effective multispecies bait, and in this video, he explains how he affixes it to a jig and employs it for saltwater species.
