Professor Skinner applies science, satellites, and surveillance to fishing. This channel is the best. You can’t watch and not learn how to be a better fisherman. Thanks John.
Great experiment John. Proof that you can take the boy out of the lab but you cant take the lab out of the boy. Rather than a fisherman who loves science, I believe you are a scientist who loves to fish and is particularly good at it. Well done my friend.
Hey John, love the way you (old scientist/engineer??) approach these questions as I am an older scientist/fisheries biologist. You really have the feel for isolating variables. What impresses me even more is your "followers" have a really great sense for setting up an experiment and understanding how science works. You probably have the most scientific following of any fishing site that I follow. Keep up the great work!
Great video John! We too noticed that our old batches out performed the new ones. Probably supplier changes/ the mountain yams they're made from have changed. We even tried throwing them in the microwave and cooking them in the juice for a few seconds. Interesting stuff.
John I think you were a mad scientist in a previous life, these investigative videos are genius! recharge with gulp juice and hold on for that fluke to strike! Thanks for sharing this was great.
This was a great video & experament & I love when people use there minds to make sense of what makes things work. It shows that the gulp grubs do absorb liquids, But the dye is a different makeup than the gulp juice & maybe present for longer than the gulp juice because it is a dye. Bravo!
I thank you for confirming that the non-Gulp baits that I have been putting into my Gulp bait container was a waste of time, money and numbers of fish caught. That being said, I will not be drinking any beer that John is offering his guest in clear Solo Cups! =)
After years of gulp usage, I can say pretty confidently that the 6" pink/glow jerk shad will outperform anything for NJ ocean flounder fishing. Traditional grubs always work well but the shads get more strikes, they dart left/right when jigged, it triggers that reaction strike better, look how many videos you have of them just trailing the grub without striking. Agressive big jigging the jerk shads is way out preforming the slight jigging bumping it along the bottom technique with the grubs on my boat.
I find this so interesting. Been using gulp here in New Zealand for snapper which are like giant versions of porgies up to 30lb. Colours and shapes vary on the day, depending on light conditions I suppose. But casting forward of the drift for us is the most important method for big fish, ten pound plus. The.most popular here is 5 inch jerk shads, nuclear chicken. My favourite is new penny. But for us it depends on the day
@@joedennehy386 I am in Auckland would have written the same comment word for word. Yeah New Penny rocks for sure when I was a bait fisherman I never caught a 20lb plus snapper since taking up the softies its now a regular thing.
Gulp is a game changer in fresh and salt water. I fish almost daily for Crappie and started using it years ago and increases your bite rate significantly.
I started out with gulp using the 4" swimming mullets. Particularly with the chartreuse, the tubs always were much duller and a little firmer. The package gulps were always bright and shiny, they seemed softer and more fragile. Obviously they were different recipes; no way that was just different batch issues as this persisted over years. Probably marketing. Gotta keep those 8$ packages shiny. They certainly are effective baits, though. Great video John, a smart, thought provoking experiment.
Doing this is very informative for me as I'm looking to catch my first fluke next year. But it's also R&D work for Berkeley, i hope they notice this and at least recognize the work you did here. It's valuable for them, too
Awesome video, John! Our fluke group of guys always ponder stuff like this. There have been times where I've used the same grub (because it was so successful) until it couldn't stay on the hook anymore. Sometimes with keeping it in the gulp juice and sometimes just dropping it right back and still having great success. So, your video does prove how tje scent does last. Obviously, it would be stronger when freshly taken out of a pack, but perhaps the fluke's ability to smell might be much stronger than we know, making even small amounts of leaching enough to attract them!
Impressive John. Attention to detail is what makes the best fisherman, and it ‘s easy to see why you are so successful. Even if I’m squid fishing , I always look for new nuances and slight details that will make me better. I guess that’s why own Yamashita, molix, and squid jigs from around the world.
This is a great test. Thanks. I have some generic plastics along with Berkely Power Baits. And I was of the mindset to drop the generics into the Gulp Juice to charge them. But after watching this, it seems the generic PVC baits are so non-porous that they don't take a charge. Great info.
I've never used gulp and rarely fish in the salt, but I see a trout and salmon rod dedicated to trying gulp minnows come the spring. Thanks for the video
Great info! I would be curious to see a follow up using the depleted grubs where you recharge them for different times and then retest their dispersion (e.g. How does a quick dip recharge compare to 30 seconds or an hour?).
Theoretically the grubs would go through osmosis practically for as long as youre using the bait. Since it would constantly be going through a process of having as much water and dye equivalency in itself as its surroundings would allow. Pretty cool stuff. Well to have polymers available to the public that do that constantly. Scientific proccess is pretty wild.
John I have to agree GULP has changed the game..an amazing product..one down side..more so on the small sizes..tail biting..on the smaller sizes I’ve switched to Z-man with Pro Cure.. any comments? Very helpful channel..thanks
The tail biting is even worse on the big ones, because it gets expensive when seabass are biting those grubs that cost a couple of bucks apiece. My personal experience with ZMan vs Gulp was that both might work evenly on snook, but for me, Gulp 5'' jerk baits outperform for reds and trout on the flats. I have been in places though where there are just so many pinfish that using Gulp is pointless.
Looks to me like Berkeley knew what they were doing... If you weren't sponsored before this John, you sure as hell should be now. Over 11,000 views so far 👏👏👏
Should try it again with salt water from where you regularly fish. It could affect the uptake of juice if it's covered in salt when you go to recharge it between drifts. Neta experiment though, definitely good info to keep in mind.
I think the results would be the same in terms of how the grubs take and disperse the colored juice in relation to each other. If there is any difference salt/fresh I would think it would be in the rate of dispersion and uptake.
Great experiment John. I've noticed that firmness differs on some colors too. For me the 4 " mullet is my go to-the white glow is much firmer than green. I'd be interested to see how the colors dry out at different rates...
Exactly on the firmness difference among different colors! It's exactly why I did this. BTW, if you like the mullets, try the 4'' grubs. I find those are even better.
In Florida we really don't use gulp. But I find that procure is more effective. The stores and few tackle shop put gulp stuff even the juice in the clearance section.
Maybe next time forget the dye and use a volt meter to see how well each of the cups of liquid conducts a weak electric charge. Great video. I can't wait to show this to my students.
Great experiment. Blows away my suspicion that the juice leached out quickly. Another issue is - do gulp get stale if you keep them around too long? I started putting all my gulp in a sealed container because I was tired of leaking packaging and mixing them all up. figured it was all the same juice. I did this for a couple years and then wondered if I was adding good fresh gulp to old stale juice. I don't have an answer but I stopped mixing prior year's gulp with this year's gulp. I did some online searches but never found a conclusive answer. p.s. I will be down in Charlotte Harbor next week for 3 months. I will keep an eye out for you.
I replicated your experiment with Slam Ultrabite softbaits, a long out-of-production and failed Gulp competitor made in Australia I believe. They are also biodegradable and have an appearance similar to Gulp, but weren't successful because the material was perceived to be too rigid to produce a nice action. Anyway, after a night soaking in Gulp juice mixed with dye, the dispersion was very similar to that of Gulp! Since my primary use for these softbaits is as a trailer on jigs, I think they will be perfect, but the main advantage is that they're $1 in the bargain bin instead of $13 a packet for Gulp. Thanks again for this video.
Great informative video. I've wondered this for a long time and like you've mentioned, I think we've all tried other brands soaked in gulp juice. Now we know that is probably a waste of time and gulp juice. Very interesting testing!
Watching another of Skinner's great videos this evening, I thought about soaking pork-rind in gulp juice. Or pork-rind perforated with a thousand pin pricks to increase absorption. Great action, indestructible compared to Gulp, someone must have tried it before.
Thank you for sharing. Another take away is confidence still high with a trailer that's had several drifts. I think you might like to view a video of Edwin Evers and a scientist from Berkley. They discuss fish behavior and Berkley"s freshwater version of gulp called maxscent.
Thank you, John. As always, a very informative video. One question… how do we know that the leaching continues to be gulp juice, and not just the dye bleeding? Is it possible that the gulp juice was washed away in the first round, and only the dye remained? That would certainly justify your recharging and catching more fish on a recharged gulp compared to a gulp that was not recharged.
The solution was mostly gulp juice, and there was no visual separation between the dye drops and the gulp juice, like you would see if you tried to mix oil and water. The juice and dye droplets are both water-based, so given the uniform appearance of the two combined, I'm pretty comfortable that you're seeing colored gulp juice bleeding, not just dye.
So the packages of gulp vs the jars doesn’t make a difference. Really interesting to see there isn’t a difference between them based on durability too.
Here is a test for you, put gulp in juice, in a jar that can be drawn into a vacuum. See if bubbles come out of the baits hence scent goes in when it is released.
I wonder if the packets have the exact same juice as the tubs.... when u dropped the grubs were they from a tub or packet, do fish all respond to both..... just a thought.....man , Jon .greAt video. The Questions keep coming!
I did use tubs, I called them jars in the video, as well as packs. They performed equally well, which contradicted what I expected based on fishing the two this past summer. Because we usually have the same 3-5 guys on the boat for our ocean fluke trips, we get to evaluate the different colors and packaging.
I love nerding out on fishing! Great approach. But I do think it’s a big assumption that the scent and the dye will uptake similarly… wouldn’t be surprised if the scent is oil based whereas the dye is water based. Could be a very big difference in results if you tested an oil-based dye? Great channel, John. Thanks for educating us.
@@JohnSkinnerFishing Ahh. I bet you’re right. I’d suspect that a drop of straight gulp juice in a cup of water would sink. Or disperse, not float. And they wouldn’t include hydrogenated oils because there’s no solidifying at cooler temps. Plus one for your results!
It would be interesting to put some foam on the jighead then slide the gulp on. I remember when the gulp came out and the stuff was like a sponge, if you let them dry out and cut them they were full of holes.
One thing I've learned is that Gulp baits are made of a water based resin which is why they absorb & disperse more juice. Many of the plastics are oil based like the Power Bait & don't perform as well with Gulp juice. Pro-Cure gel would be better for the oil based gummies.
I didn’t catch it perhaps but was the sample water used fresh water? I believe that the Gulp Juice is high in salinity. Perhaps the rapid leeching of the gulp juice visualized in the test was due in part to the tendency for the mixture to obtain a passive homeostasis in salinity. Ie. The fresh water rushes into the gulp and salt rushes out. It was just a variable I considered. Really interesting Stuff John.
You should dry out the grubs so they shrink (get a dry weight) than soak them until they puff back up and get another weight... That will really tell you how much each grub holds
@@JohnSkinnerFishing yeah, those things hold a lot of liquid which is obviously why they leach for so long. Now I'm curious of the dispersion times based on size...Thanks for doing the test, very helpful
@@JohnSkinnerFishing uptake is directly related to dispersion .. I'm sure the giant grubs release scent 10x as long as a tiny gulp swimming mullet... Or do you think it releases for the same time just a smaller amount ?
This is all very interesting and useful information. Thanks for doing this experiment. Have you tried the Fish Bites swim bait tails and grubs? They're supposed to be tougher but the scent isn't quite as good. And I wonder if the Fish Bites strip baits and eels would be good for tipping flounder jigs?
I wonder if it’s not length of time where it will disperse, but how efficiently it can dump the scent initially. If that first round was difficult to parse because it was all very saturated, it’s possible that the softer (presumed to be higher performing) dumped a greater amount of scent initially and then *still* hung on and kept producing after the various water changes. If so, it’s possible that the theory still holds that it could outperform, since it could be putting out more scent on that first part of a drift after a drop. You note how important the recharge is because the initial dump of scent matters-maybe that initial cloud of scent in combination with the long lasting trail that either firmness produces is the key to the perceived difference in performance. We know from your videos that fish will follow a scent for a long ways, so that initial cloud of scent being strong could matter.
I agree with you! Another thought was, these tests were done in cups, which released only a bit at a time to make an even saturation between gulp and water. What about putting each one in a bucket? Will it leach out at different speeds as you (and I) are hypothesizing?
You should try to put the same exact amount of juice in separate cups and see which one takes in the most. Maybe mini measuring cups with increments on it
Hey John! Good experimental design. I have a background in biochemistry and I have a few comments. I do sense one potential flaw. Although the dye does get mixed into the gulp juice, it may embed and leach from the gulp juice at a different rate than the scent itself. So while the grubs were still dispersing the dye at 1 hour, that does not necessarily convey that there will be scent dispersing at that one hour mark. Differences in chemical structures of individual molecules will cause them to migrate in and out of the grub at varying rates, even if both molecules are water-based (polar compounds). What the experiment should still be able to tell you is the relative differences between grubs. A slower rate of dispersion of the dye should also correlate to a slower dispersion of the scent.
Thanks, and it was that comparison among the grubs that I was initially looking at. Since the Gulp juice was dyed, I've got to think there is some correlation between color and scent dispersion. If I don't dye the juice, it's hard to see what's happening.
@@JohnSkinnerFishing Thanks for the reply. I bet someone could test the duration of the scent release by doing a serial dilution like you just did and then sipping the water!
I made the mistake of putting some PVC grubs in gulp juice since gulp is a bit pricey. Found that it actually made the gulp juice smell different (subtle chemical odor) - had to dump the whole batch!
Also I bet if you try squeezing out the gulp with a rag before charging it may work better to. This should get some water out of the gulp to fill back in with juice. Wonder if salt water would have made a difference I your test, gulp seems to work much better in salt water then fresh.
New Zealand snapper fisherman here (snapper = HUGE porgy). This video confirms what I already know. The scent in Gulp is key to getting bites. I was catching snapper on chunks of Gulp in dirty harbour water the other day. Baits were getting smashed straight away. In contrast, Zman soft plastics of all colours got very little attention. This isn't a criticism of Zman, they are very different products. Just a shame Gulp aren't more robust.
@@JohnSkinnerFishing They do fight hard. They don't have the stamina of pelagics, but the big ones will give a few long runs before settling down to a more dogged fight. You should visit sometime. I would love to see your methods and gear employed over here.
Taking it and dispersing it wouldn't necessarily have been the same thing. I wanted to see how long and at what intensity they put out the colored juice.
@@JohnSkinnerFishing hi John, to follow up on your comment. Does this test really measure the “intensity of the dispersal?” I think it covers duration, but how fast is one really dispersing over another? Couldn’t rate of dispersion be the key factor in one grub outperforming another, especially where strong currents and water movement, like out at Montuak, whisk it away rather quickly. Maybe the effectiveness isn’t the duration of the leach but the initial intensity that attracts the fish to the bait. Just a thought, either way love your channel, thanks.
Hey John, using a system and just wanted your input, buy plano liqua-bait locker bottle and gulp recharge juice, buy the package 4" gulp swimming mullit packages and fill up the bait lockers with the gulp and juice. I also have gulp spray to spray on the gulp each time i bring it up. I'm trying to wean my way to jigging but little at a time. Last year using a combo of #2 Colorado chartreuse spinner, 4" gulp swimming mullet and live killie. Have almost non stop action which i'm using with my 10 year old grandson to keep the action coming. Of course not a lot of keepers but keeping the rod bent. He is already hooked on fishing but this just reinforces the fun. HIs mom is already hooked had her in the boat from a youngin. Already in withdrawal till next season. The 85 seanymph is tucked away in the garage for next year. Best wishes for the holidays for the holidays and enjoy your winter sojourn to the land of sun and fish. Tight Lines..... Walt ps a recruiter from Berkley is probably reaching out to you,
Maybe you need to test how quickly they absorb the sent. When you recharge it is not over 24 hrs just a short time so some may absorb faster then others.
If I bought different grubs and put it in .juice.... I think the difference in washing it off would be different but the scent is what attracted them first.
Good idea.. test your original theory you should of kept going to see which held the most those were small cups of water a quicker way would of been to put each in a 5 gal bucket then pour into a clear cup after an hour to see color differences
custom coloring your gulp baits might be a fun thing to try? Tie-dyed hippie grubs could be a hot new color!? ;) Thanks for sharing Mr Skinner you inspire some of us to think, get up n get out and find that next bite.
I think if you'd dye them, it wouldn't absorb the gulp juice the same; as the dye would take up some of the "space" that the gulp juice otherwise could.
I inject 💉 gulp juice into all sorts of plastics. This solves the problem of absorption and can be done at home before your out on the water. I'm curious if vacuum sealing them in the juice may help with absorption
Very interesting test. I am also a huge fan of Gulp and motor oil is my go to color when freshwater fishing for bass. I am curious if you would have gotten a different result using salt water instead of plain water being that your using these baits for saltwater fishing??
Has there been a side-by-side comparison, on the water, between those Gulp baits and the 5 in. "Dirty Boxer" curly tails from Fishbites? It would be very interesting to see an overall evaluation that would include ( in no particular order ) effectiveness, price, availability, convenience, and durability. Bonus question: "Which product stinks up your hands, and can spill everywhere?"
I spilled Gulp juice on the back seat of a truck that was later totaled in an accident. I remember thinking when the insurance company totaled it that at least I finally got rid of the Gulp juice on the seat.
Amazing experiment John! I’m just wondering if plain tap water vs saltwater can affect the dispersion rate and duration. Perhaps out in the water it’s a lot different
I agree with Pat Curcio maybe should've included a control sample with just water and die, to see if the die is actually a solution or a suspension. Intrigued by all your videos live on Gulf coast try to correlate similarities between deep water and shallow water fluke/flounder fishing. We do not catch the monsters you do up north. I personally do not know anyone who flounder fishes off shore in the Gulf????
is it the absorption rate of the grub that's important? The color doesn't seem to be critical, since the fish seem more interested in the scent. What does Berkley think of this?
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Professor Skinner applies science, satellites, and surveillance to fishing. This channel is the best. You can’t watch and not learn how to be a better fisherman. Thanks John.
Totally agree!
I’ve soaked the orange foam ear protectors in gulp juice and put them on a baited hook and it was noticeably better then bait alone.
Great experiment John. Proof that you can take the boy out of the lab but you cant take the lab out of the boy. Rather than a fisherman who loves science, I believe you are a scientist who loves to fish and is particularly good at it. Well done my friend.
Hey John, love the way you (old scientist/engineer??) approach these questions as I am an older scientist/fisheries biologist. You really have the feel for isolating variables. What impresses me even more is your "followers" have a really great sense for setting up an experiment and understanding how science works. You probably have the most scientific following of any fishing site that I follow. Keep up the great work!
Great video John! We too noticed that our old batches out performed the new ones. Probably supplier changes/ the mountain yams they're made from have changed. We even tried throwing them in the microwave and cooking them in the juice for a few seconds. Interesting stuff.
Very informative John. Thanks for taking the time to conduct this experiment.
Very informative, John, thanks for taking the time do it! Great job as always!
John I think you were a mad scientist in a previous life, these investigative videos are genius! recharge with gulp juice and hold on for that fluke to strike! Thanks for sharing this was great.
This was a great video & experament & I love when people use there minds to make sense of what makes things work. It shows that the gulp grubs do absorb liquids, But the dye is a different makeup than the gulp juice & maybe present for longer than the gulp juice because it is a dye. Bravo!
I thank you for confirming that the non-Gulp baits that I have been putting into my Gulp bait container was a waste of time, money and numbers of fish caught. That being said, I will not be drinking any beer that John is offering his guest in clear Solo Cups! =)
I am a Bio.Major and I approve this test! Very well done!
Flip flops and nylon gloves Gulp juice testing, this is why we love you John lol. Awesome test man, you bring so much to the table.... literally. 🎣🎣👍
I live in those sandals!
Bravo ! now this is the kind of content I want to see, thanks John.
I wonder if Gulp even did such an in depth study.. Thanks John
After years of gulp usage, I can say pretty confidently that the 6" pink/glow jerk shad will outperform anything for NJ ocean flounder fishing. Traditional grubs always work well but the shads get more strikes, they dart left/right when jigged, it triggers that reaction strike better, look how many videos you have of them just trailing the grub without striking. Agressive big jigging the jerk shads is way out preforming the slight jigging bumping it along the bottom technique with the grubs on my boat.
100% favorite color
I find this so interesting. Been using gulp here in New Zealand for snapper which are like giant versions of porgies up to 30lb. Colours and shapes vary on the day, depending on light conditions I suppose. But casting forward of the drift for us is the most important method for big fish, ten pound plus. The.most popular here is 5 inch jerk shads, nuclear chicken. My favourite is new penny. But for us it depends on the day
@@joedennehy386 I am in Auckland would have written the same comment word for word. Yeah New Penny rocks for sure when I was a bait fisherman I never caught a 20lb plus snapper since taking up the softies its now a regular thing.
That was very interesting and informative video . Thank yoy John, I always love your experimental videos.
Thanks for sharing your lifelong journey of learning about fishing
Gulp is a game changer in fresh and salt water. I fish almost daily for Crappie and started using it years ago and increases your bite rate significantly.
I started out with gulp using the 4" swimming mullets. Particularly with the chartreuse, the tubs always were much duller and a little firmer. The package gulps were always bright and shiny, they seemed softer and more fragile. Obviously they were different recipes; no way that was just different batch issues as this persisted over years. Probably marketing. Gotta keep those 8$ packages shiny. They certainly are effective baits, though. Great video John, a smart, thought provoking experiment.
Wow great experiment. I will also use this info. West Coast river stripers!
I like your Scientific approach very interesting 👍
Best regards Smith
Great research. Very valuable for all fisherman who use gulp.
John always tests the things we all think when on the water. Great content always and my family thanks you for constantly helping us improve
Doing this is very informative for me as I'm looking to catch my first fluke next year. But it's also R&D work for Berkeley, i hope they notice this and at least recognize the work you did here. It's valuable for them, too
Awesome video, John!
Our fluke group of guys always ponder stuff like this. There have been times where I've used the same grub (because it was so successful) until it couldn't stay on the hook anymore. Sometimes with keeping it in the gulp juice and sometimes just dropping it right back and still having great success. So, your video does prove how tje scent does last. Obviously, it would be stronger when freshly taken out of a pack, but perhaps the fluke's ability to smell might be much stronger than we know, making even small amounts of leaching enough to attract them!
Impressive John. Attention to detail is what makes the best fisherman, and it ‘s easy to see why you are so successful. Even if I’m squid fishing , I always look for new nuances and slight details that will make me better. I guess that’s why own Yamashita, molix, and squid jigs from around the world.
Very cool stuff. Thank you
This is a great test. Thanks. I have some generic plastics along with Berkely Power Baits. And I was of the mindset to drop the generics into the Gulp Juice to charge them. But after watching this, it seems the generic PVC baits are so non-porous that they don't take a charge. Great info.
I've never used gulp and rarely fish in the salt, but I see a trout and salmon rod dedicated to trying gulp minnows come the spring. Thanks for the video
Another interesting video Skinner!
Great info! I would be curious to see a follow up using the depleted grubs where you recharge them for different times and then retest their dispersion (e.g. How does a quick dip recharge compare to 30 seconds or an hour?).
Theoretically the grubs would go through osmosis practically for as long as youre using the bait. Since it would constantly be going through a process of having as much water and dye equivalency in itself as its surroundings would allow. Pretty cool stuff. Well to have polymers available to the public that do that constantly. Scientific proccess is pretty wild.
Super interesting video. Thanks for posting!
John I have to agree GULP has changed the game..an amazing product..one down side..more so on the small sizes..tail biting..on the smaller sizes I’ve switched to Z-man with Pro Cure.. any comments? Very helpful channel..thanks
The tail biting is even worse on the big ones, because it gets expensive when seabass are biting those grubs that cost a couple of bucks apiece. My personal experience with ZMan vs Gulp was that both might work evenly on snook, but for me, Gulp 5'' jerk baits outperform for reds and trout on the flats. I have been in places though where there are just so many pinfish that using Gulp is pointless.
Looks to me like Berkeley knew what they were doing...
If you weren't sponsored before this John, you sure as hell should be now. Over 11,000 views so far 👏👏👏
Should try it again with salt water from where you regularly fish. It could affect the uptake of juice if it's covered in salt when you go to recharge it between drifts. Neta experiment though, definitely good info to keep in mind.
I think the results would be the same in terms of how the grubs take and disperse the colored juice in relation to each other. If there is any difference salt/fresh I would think it would be in the rate of dispersion and uptake.
Great experiment John. I've noticed that firmness differs on some colors too. For me the 4 " mullet is my go to-the white glow is much firmer than green. I'd be interested to see how the colors dry out at different rates...
Exactly on the firmness difference among different colors! It's exactly why I did this. BTW, if you like the mullets, try the 4'' grubs. I find those are even better.
In Florida we really don't use gulp. But I find that procure is more effective. The stores and few tackle shop put gulp stuff even the juice in the clearance section.
Maybe next time forget the dye and use a volt meter to see how well each of the cups of liquid conducts a weak electric charge. Great video. I can't wait to show this to my students.
Indeed. Is the solution more or less saline?
Thanks for this test john, very interesting stuff!
Great experiment. Blows away my suspicion that the juice leached out quickly. Another issue is - do gulp get stale if you keep them around too long? I started putting all my gulp in a sealed container because I was tired of leaking packaging and mixing them all up. figured it was all the same juice. I did this for a couple years and then wondered if I was adding good fresh gulp to old stale juice. I don't have an answer but I stopped mixing prior year's gulp with this year's gulp. I did some online searches but never found a conclusive answer. p.s. I will be down in Charlotte Harbor next week for 3 months. I will keep an eye out for you.
Gulp seems to last forever. I had some very old packs with brown juice and they actually seemed to catch better than the fresh stuff.
I replicated your experiment with Slam Ultrabite softbaits, a long out-of-production and failed Gulp competitor made in Australia I believe. They are also biodegradable and have an appearance similar to Gulp, but weren't successful because the material was perceived to be too rigid to produce a nice action. Anyway, after a night soaking in Gulp juice mixed with dye, the dispersion was very similar to that of Gulp! Since my primary use for these softbaits is as a trailer on jigs, I think they will be perfect, but the main advantage is that they're $1 in the bargain bin instead of $13 a packet for Gulp. Thanks again for this video.
Very cool! Thanks for sharing that.
Excellent info. Really enjoyed watching that. Thanks, Mike.
Great informative video. I've wondered this for a long time and like you've mentioned, I think we've all tried other brands soaked in gulp juice. Now we know that is probably a waste of time and gulp juice. Very interesting testing!
Watching another of Skinner's great videos this evening, I thought about soaking pork-rind in gulp juice. Or pork-rind perforated with a thousand pin pricks to increase absorption. Great action, indestructible compared to Gulp, someone must have tried it before.
Thank you for sharing. Another take away is confidence still high with a trailer that's had several drifts. I think you might like to view a video of Edwin Evers and a scientist from Berkley. They discuss fish behavior and Berkley"s freshwater version of gulp called maxscent.
Fascinating. Great experiment. Guess the moral of the story is rotate gulp baits in and out of juice on a regular basis.
COOOL STUFF!!!! Only 156 days till Fluke season. Not that anyone's counting!!
Hi Cliff! I knew it was you as soon as I saw the countdown!
Yet another very informative video John, thanks for sharing!
And this is why John Skinner is a top fisherman.
A good test would be rate of absorption. Drop them in the dye for a couple minutes (as we would to "recharge"). And then drop them in the fresh water.
Thank you, John. As always, a very informative video. One question… how do we know that the leaching continues to be gulp juice, and not just the dye bleeding? Is it possible that the gulp juice was washed away in the first round, and only the dye remained? That would certainly justify your recharging and catching more fish on a recharged gulp compared to a gulp that was not recharged.
The solution was mostly gulp juice, and there was no visual separation between the dye drops and the gulp juice, like you would see if you tried to mix oil and water. The juice and dye droplets are both water-based, so given the uniform appearance of the two combined, I'm pretty comfortable that you're seeing colored gulp juice bleeding, not just dye.
So the packages of gulp vs the jars doesn’t make a difference. Really interesting to see there isn’t a difference between them based on durability too.
Lots of variables in this, I great job. I wonder if dying would replace the juice red is my choice 🤔
Here is a test for you, put gulp in juice, in a jar that can be drawn into a vacuum. See if bubbles come out of the baits hence scent goes in when it is released.
I wonder if the packets have the exact same juice as the tubs.... when u dropped the grubs were they from a tub or packet, do fish all respond to both..... just a thought.....man , Jon .greAt video. The Questions keep coming!
I did use tubs, I called them jars in the video, as well as packs. They performed equally well, which contradicted what I expected based on fishing the two this past summer. Because we usually have the same 3-5 guys on the boat for our ocean fluke trips, we get to evaluate the different colors and packaging.
I love nerding out on fishing! Great approach. But I do think it’s a big assumption that the scent and the dye will uptake similarly… wouldn’t be surprised if the scent is oil based whereas the dye is water based. Could be a very big difference in results if you tested an oil-based dye? Great channel, John. Thanks for educating us.
Good thinking, but Gulp juice is definitely water-based. That's why it washes off the PVC grubs so easily.
@@JohnSkinnerFishing Ahh. I bet you’re right. I’d suspect that a drop of straight gulp juice in a cup of water would sink. Or disperse, not float. And they wouldn’t include hydrogenated oils because there’s no solidifying at cooler temps. Plus one for your results!
Excellent video. I’m wondering though if the water was salty like the bay, instead of tap water, would that have any effect on the rate of leech.
It would be interesting to put some foam on the jighead then slide the gulp on. I remember when the gulp came out and the stuff was like a sponge, if you let them dry out and cut them they were full of holes.
One thing I've learned is that Gulp baits are made of a water based resin which is why they absorb & disperse more juice. Many of the plastics are oil based like the Power Bait & don't perform as well with Gulp juice. Pro-Cure gel would be better for the oil based gummies.
That's my understanding too.
I didn’t catch it perhaps but was the sample water used fresh water?
I believe that the Gulp Juice is high in salinity.
Perhaps the rapid leeching of the gulp juice visualized in the test was due in part to the tendency for the mixture to obtain a passive homeostasis in salinity. Ie. The fresh water rushes into the gulp and salt rushes out.
It was just a variable I considered.
Really interesting Stuff John.
I used fresh because I was initially trying to compare grubs, and the water shouldn't have mattered.
Facinating. Not completely suprised.
Gotta ask though. Did Berkley pay for this test?
If not, they should!
You should dry out the grubs so they shrink (get a dry weight) than soak them until they puff back up and get another weight... That will really tell you how much each grub holds
Right, but it wouldn't give info about the dispersion, only the uptake.
@@JohnSkinnerFishing yeah, those things hold a lot of liquid which is obviously why they leach for so long. Now I'm curious of the dispersion times based on size...Thanks for doing the test, very helpful
@@JohnSkinnerFishing uptake is directly related to dispersion .. I'm sure the giant grubs release scent 10x as long as a tiny gulp swimming mullet... Or do you think it releases for the same time just a smaller amount ?
Hmmm, the bigger ones are thicker and hold more, so I'm guessing they disperse longer.
This is all very interesting and useful information. Thanks for doing this experiment.
Have you tried the Fish Bites swim bait tails and grubs? They're supposed to be tougher but the scent isn't quite as good. And I wonder if the Fish Bites strip baits and eels would be good for tipping flounder jigs?
I wonder if it’s not length of time where it will disperse, but how efficiently it can dump the scent initially. If that first round was difficult to parse because it was all very saturated, it’s possible that the softer (presumed to be higher performing) dumped a greater amount of scent initially and then *still* hung on and kept producing after the various water changes. If so, it’s possible that the theory still holds that it could outperform, since it could be putting out more scent on that first part of a drift after a drop. You note how important the recharge is because the initial dump of scent matters-maybe that initial cloud of scent in combination with the long lasting trail that either firmness produces is the key to the perceived difference in performance. We know from your videos that fish will follow a scent for a long ways, so that initial cloud of scent being strong could matter.
I agree with you!
Another thought was, these tests were done in cups, which released only a bit at a time to make an even saturation between gulp and water. What about putting each one in a bucket? Will it leach out at different speeds as you (and I) are hypothesizing?
You should try to put the same exact amount of juice in separate cups and see which one takes in the most. Maybe mini measuring cups with increments on it
Very interesting!
WELL GULPS WORK PRETTY DAMN WELL LOL
John, you should interview a Berkley chemical engineer for insight on best protocol for use
Hey John! Good experimental design. I have a background in biochemistry and I have a few comments.
I do sense one potential flaw. Although the dye does get mixed into the gulp juice, it may embed and leach from the gulp juice at a different rate than the scent itself. So while the grubs were still dispersing the dye at 1 hour, that does not necessarily convey that there will be scent dispersing at that one hour mark. Differences in chemical structures of individual molecules will cause them to migrate in and out of the grub at varying rates, even if both molecules are water-based (polar compounds).
What the experiment should still be able to tell you is the relative differences between grubs. A slower rate of dispersion of the dye should also correlate to a slower dispersion of the scent.
Thanks, and it was that comparison among the grubs that I was initially looking at. Since the Gulp juice was dyed, I've got to think there is some correlation between color and scent dispersion. If I don't dye the juice, it's hard to see what's happening.
@@JohnSkinnerFishing Thanks for the reply.
I bet someone could test the duration of the scent release by doing a serial dilution like you just did and then sipping the water!
Very scientific 👌🏻
I made the mistake of putting some PVC grubs in gulp juice since gulp is a bit pricey. Found that it actually made the gulp juice smell different (subtle chemical odor) - had to dump the whole batch!
When I tried that nothing happened, although I didn't smell the juice. My favorite Gulp packages have the old brown juice in them.
Also I bet if you try squeezing out the gulp with a rag before charging it may work better to. This should get some water out of the gulp to fill back in with juice. Wonder if salt water would have made a difference I your test, gulp seems to work much better in salt water then fresh.
Do fish get effected when they eat gulp?
New Zealand snapper fisherman here (snapper = HUGE porgy). This video confirms what I already know. The scent in Gulp is key to getting bites. I was catching snapper on chunks of Gulp in dirty harbour water the other day. Baits were getting smashed straight away. In contrast, Zman soft plastics of all colours got very little attention. This isn't a criticism of Zman, they are very different products. Just a shame Gulp aren't more robust.
Thanks for that input. I've see pictures of those giant "porgies" you catch there. If they fight pound for pound like our porgies, then wow!
@@JohnSkinnerFishing They do fight hard. They don't have the stamina of pelagics, but the big ones will give a few long runs before settling down to a more dogged fight. You should visit sometime. I would love to see your methods and gear employed over here.
Hey John love your videos thank you for all the wonderful information and entertainment. Wouldn’t a scale tell you which grub took up the most juice?
Taking it and dispersing it wouldn't necessarily have been the same thing. I wanted to see how long and at what intensity they put out the colored juice.
@@JohnSkinnerFishing hi John, to follow up on your comment. Does this test really measure the “intensity of the dispersal?” I think it covers duration, but how fast is one really dispersing over another? Couldn’t rate of dispersion be the key factor in one grub outperforming another, especially where strong currents and water movement, like out at Montuak, whisk it away rather quickly. Maybe the effectiveness isn’t the duration of the leach but the initial intensity that attracts the fish to the bait. Just a thought, either way love your channel, thanks.
Hey John, using a system and just wanted your input, buy plano liqua-bait locker bottle and gulp recharge juice, buy the package 4" gulp swimming mullit packages and fill up the bait lockers with the gulp and juice. I also have gulp spray to spray on the gulp each time i bring it up. I'm trying to wean my way to jigging but little at a time. Last year using a combo of #2 Colorado chartreuse spinner, 4" gulp swimming mullet and live killie. Have almost non stop action which i'm using with my 10 year old grandson to keep the action coming. Of course not a lot of keepers but keeping the rod bent. He is already hooked on fishing but this just reinforces the fun. HIs mom is already hooked had her in the boat from a youngin. Already in withdrawal till next season. The 85 seanymph is tucked away in the garage for next year. Best wishes for the holidays for the holidays and enjoy your winter sojourn to the land of sun and fish. Tight Lines..... Walt ps a recruiter from Berkley is probably reaching out to you,
We stick our gulps in big nut jars from costco that are filled with Gulp juice. BTW, my 1974 tin is also garaged for the winter!
@@JohnSkinnerFishing yes John, keeping our babies safe till next season.
Would love to see this test with Pro cure or A pro cure vs gulp test
Maybe you need to test how quickly they absorb the sent. When you recharge it is not over 24 hrs just a short time so some may absorb faster then others.
I'm not sure I agree. Your measuring the amount of dye leaching out, not necessarily the chemicals that make up the scent.
If I bought different grubs and put it in .juice.... I think the difference in washing it off would be different but the scent is what attracted them first.
That penetration is only from the die not necessary from the sent
I used colored Gulp juice for the liquid. The Gulp juice carries the scent.
Good idea.. test your original theory you should of kept going to see which held the most those were small cups of water a quicker way would of been to put each in a 5 gal bucket then pour into a clear cup after an hour to see color differences
custom coloring your gulp baits might be a fun thing to try? Tie-dyed hippie grubs could be a hot new color!? ;)
Thanks for sharing Mr Skinner you inspire some of us to think, get up n get out and find that next bite.
I think if you'd dye them, it wouldn't absorb the gulp juice the same; as the dye would take up some of the "space" that the gulp juice otherwise could.
@@Lauranyyfan umm.. did you even watch the video? I doubt the minimal amount of Dye needed would even matter in the slightest.
Project Farm will be calling...
Also the leeching is mostly all dye and not sent try the test without the dye and go with smelling the water for the sent
I would love to go fishing with you
I inject 💉 gulp juice into all sorts of plastics. This solves the problem of absorption and can be done at home before your out on the water. I'm curious if vacuum sealing them in the juice may help with absorption
It would be interesting to inject colored Gulp juice and then see if it disperses or stays locked in the plastic.
No wonder you produced a professor daughter :)
I wonder if this is from customer complaints due to the gulp falling off or breaking into pieces to easy. They made a tougher gulp.
Interesting experiment. Is there a difference between the Gulp juice in the buckets and the juice sold in the bottles for recharging?
Very interesting test. I am also a huge fan of Gulp and motor oil is my go to color when freshwater fishing for bass. I am curious if you would have gotten a different result using salt water instead of plain water being that your using these baits for saltwater fishing??
Has there been a side-by-side comparison, on the water, between those Gulp baits and the 5 in. "Dirty Boxer" curly tails from Fishbites? It would be very interesting to see an overall evaluation that would include ( in no particular order ) effectiveness, price, availability, convenience, and durability. Bonus question: "Which product stinks up your hands, and can spill everywhere?"
I spilled Gulp juice on the back seat of a truck that was later totaled in an accident. I remember thinking when the insurance company totaled it that at least I finally got rid of the Gulp juice on the seat.
Amazing experiment John! I’m just wondering if plain tap water vs saltwater can affect the dispersion rate and duration. Perhaps out in the water it’s a lot different
Maybe a little, but not when comparing among the grubs, which was my initial intent.
I agree with Pat Curcio maybe should've included a control sample with just water and die, to see if the die is actually a solution or a suspension. Intrigued by all your videos live on Gulf coast try to correlate similarities between deep water and shallow water fluke/flounder fishing. We do not catch the monsters you do up north. I personally do not know anyone who flounder fishes off shore in the Gulf????
Wish u were my neighbor John
Did you use saltwater may have different outcome
is it the absorption rate of the grub that's important? The color doesn't seem to be critical, since the fish seem more interested in the scent. What does Berkley think of this?
No control group?
The professor
Science!