I HATE Using Gulp Sandworms to Surf Fish. Use THIS Instead!

Gulp Sandworms are one of the most popular surf fishing baits and are often cited as the first bait used by most saltwater fishermen. In this video, I explain why I hate using them and what I use instead that will help you catch fish and enjoy more of your time while you're out surf fishing!
RAW Catch and Cook! I'll prepare a delicious poke dish with our Surf Perch!
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[@robertmayo5830]

9:42 2 things I noticed,1- you need more line on your spool,it needs to be 1/8 from the top for longer casts to get to the bigger fish,2- you need super glue to hold the bait on the hook,I noticed another problem the eyes on your rod aren't aligned,it looks like the top of your rod is about to fly off

[@thefishingfoodie]

Yeah it’s funny I didn’t even notice the guides on the rod being loose until the end of the session. Thanks for sharing your input!

[@SJVR4758]

Try using a baitholder hook. Has small barbs on the shaft and the sandworms will def not fall off your hook

[@thefishingfoodie]

Yeah I use a bait holder hook but it does very little to keep a gulp sandworm on due to its material. The barbs do a much better job on other soft plastics.

[@legitbetterthanvinny9725]

IMO, surf fishing success is much more dependent on the place than the bait. Most of my larger perch are caught on sand adjacent to rock structure or on sand and pebble/grit beaches. They were caught on various gulp types, jerkbaits, and 4/0 swim baits with 20 lb test. For gulp, I use size 4 mosquito lite hooks for their small diameter and shape. Since gulp is usually ruined on a missed hook set that rips or slides the worm down, I let it eat longer so the fish will either move on or take the bait. This results in more connected hooksets and less ruined gulp worms. The shape of the hook works like a circle where it almost always catches the corner of the mouth, meaning no gut hooks. This is an improvement over the ebi bait holders I used to use where I had to set it early to avoid gut hooks but possibly miss the hook set. Two inch grubs for me seem to attract the attention of the smaller faster perch, especially in clear conditions. I do think the scent of the gulp helps, and they do attract more fish. Perch, croaker, batray, even mackerel. My dad caught a legal halibut in Huntington off a 2 inch camo in October. I usually use the gulp or grubs to find where the fish are stacking then toss in a bigger presentation such as an egged sand crab, artificial lure, or gulp new penny shrimp. For such an effective bait as gulp is, I personally am fine with rebaiting if a worm is ripped up. I usually keep on rebooking it till it breaks in half and it still catches. Just my experience tho. Also the gulp new penny shrimps in two inch and size 4 hook will get you into a yellowfin croaker blitz

[@thefishingfoodie]

Appreciate the perspective. Thanks for sharing your experience!

[@FranciscoRuiz-wy1el]

Sweet tips thanks for sharing

[@WestCoastWheelman]

>when the comments are more helpful than the video 👌😎🤙 Just curious, how do you put your grub on the hook? Do you just slide them all down up shank the traditional way or do you "slip-rig" them? I've also considered using barbless circle hooks to inflict minimum damage on all the fish I release.

[@legitbetterthanvinny9725]

@@WestCoastWheelman line up the hook to go down the center of the grub and have the hook eye at the tip and the hook barb exiting perpendicular to the body, so ig the traditional way. no idea what a slip rig is, but if you mean Carolina rig then yes that's the only rig I use for gulp and grubs. don't use barbless circles, the point of barbless is the hook comes out easily and immediately and the point of circles is that they stay in the corner of the mouth where you can easily remove it. Both are designed to prevent traumatic hook removal, so using both simultaneously may just increase the amount of fish lost. use the barbed circles for bait and wait only. if you are slow retrieving a grub or gulp no need as you'll be able to just set the hook. i would only willingly use barbless if c&r fishing for trout or fishing on private waters

[@WestCoastWheelman]

@@legitbetterthanvinny9725 Cool, thanks so much for the detailed reply! I was taught a slip rig is when you put your worm or grub or whatever on the hook first at the front, then slide that up and just barely puncture through it one more time further down the body so it's held on the hook in two places at the head and halfway down, and the hook point is somewhat hidden parallel to the body of the grub, with curve of the hook sticking out the other side. The theory is it's a quick and easy weedless setup typically for bass fishing but it worked great for me on surf perch. I've also heard people in my neck of the woods have great success cracking open some of the mussels or gooseneck barnacles found on the edge of any beach and using those as traditional bait, but I haven't tried that yet.

[@douglasschonewald9093]

A drop of superglue when you thread them on keeps them from pulling off or down

[@snipergene]

I use baitholder hooks with Gulp Sandworms. The barbs of the back of the hook help keep them on better.

[@thefishingfoodie]

Yeah I use them too but I find they offer little value when perch are pulling on Gulp Sandworms, but it’s better than nothing.

[@AndrewClark-h5n]

Hi try bait keeper hooks with the barbs at the back I put carp bait stoppers on my hook that aren't bait keepers

[@christophersharp7198]

What was the purpose of scaling the fish if you planned on removing the skin from the filets?

[@thefishingfoodie]

When you cut into the fish when fileting, those scales will get everywhere on the meat.

[@christophersharp7198]

@thefishingfoodie gotcha. I haven't noticed it with the perch I've kept and cooked, but when I cook fish whole I'll scrape off the scales so the skin is more palatable. Who doesn't love crispy fish skin? Lol!

[@TexasPapa13]

@@thefishingfoodieyou still have to rinse the filet though regardless

[@snoozn11]

@@christophersharp7198 I cleaned it wrong once, and even one bite with scales in it was enough to ruin the meal. I ordered a fish de-scaler that day.

[@angling31]

What type and size of hook do you suggest using with this setup of Carolina rig and sand worms? I’m just a beginner at surf fishing.

[@snoozn11]

Wow, I've been needing a video like this. I'm the guy: gulp sandworms on a carolina rig on mosquito hooks. From the surf, I've caught some big corbina, but mostly perch. I'm always willing to try a new setup, and what I really found useful was your approach to cleaning and cooking the perch. Thanks for taking the time to make this video. I hope to run into you out on the sand 🤙🏼

[@thefishingfoodie]

Thank you! I very much appreciate it. Hopefully we can meet on the sand one day! 🤙🐟

[@tommc70]

I agree with your take on the Gulp Sandworms. Thanks for the info and for sharing your recipe - definitely going to try that!

[@thefishingfoodie]

Thanks I appreciate it! 😃

[@taco472]

If you will take the sand worms that you plan to use for the next day and spread them out on a paper towel in the sun for an hour or two it firms them up and they stay on the hook much better.

[@fishnislife_813]

I don’t think just bait coming off is worthy of being hated but to each its own I love those baits they get the job done. I’m going to try the grub for sure that looks like a good option what brand you use for the grubs?

[@thefishingfoodie]

I use “Charlie Brewer”.

[@juans3728]

We call the flat fish Winter Flounder they are triple the size smaller than the Halibut and the flounder has a round shape tail where as the Halibut is huge in weight and size and their tail has a V-shape. We also have the summer Flounder called a Fluke which range bigger than the flounder with teeth caught in the summer yet smaller than the Halibut, all three are in the same family but caught in different locations.

[@thefishingfoodie]

Thanks for sharing! Appreciate it!

[@jamesg90]

I've found the gulp spray with a motor oil grub works pretty well.

[@thefishingfoodie]

Cool idea. Thanks for sharing!

[@do1du]

Which gulp spray do you use for surfperches

[@Tinyscraftschick]

try owner EBI bait holder hooks with the barbs on the shank. They stay on!

[@juans3728]

I use " Baitholder Hook ", they have two barbs that face upward to the hook eye, try that for any bait.

[@thefishingfoodie]

Yep I use that too.

[@edquier40]

Nice! I wish we got those BSP up here, I fish the other end of the coast.

[@thefishingfoodie]

I’ve always wanted to fish for pompano on the east coast. One of my favorite eating fish!

[@edquier40]

@@thefishingfoodie Yeah, me too! We are going to make a drive this year just for that. I catch a lot of Redtail up here, the other end of THIS coast. I fish Kellog Beach, 7 miles South of the border with Oregon

[@thefishingfoodie]

Ahh… got it!

[@addicted2fishing119]

Me too 😂 Might as well use a sabiki rig… dink attractive

[@thefishingfoodie]

👍

[@drierdan]

Do you have a link for those grubs?

[@thefishingfoodie]

amzn.to/3P7LYvs

[@drierdan]

Thanks. Will try them next week@@thefishingfoodie

[@thefishingfoodie]

Awesome. Good luck!

[@tcrrolle1004]

I saw that bleeding the fish keeps the meat fresh, do you think this is necessary with perch? Thanks for the video

[@thefishingfoodie]

Yes, bleeding the fish keeps the meat fresh. I try to do that with all fish I harvest.

[@M.Deards]

Bair hooks and a bait button fix the gulp worm issue.

[@gbunton]

silly, the solution on the gulp's is leave them in the sun and let them dry out some try it they won't slide anywhere on the hook when you do and they don''t lose their scent.

[@FlyByFrancis]

great video bro!

[@thefishingfoodie]

Thanks bro, I appreciate it!

[@sotakchouem5037]

Nice catch, I can’t find a decent beach to fish in Orange County beside seeing all those two legs seal on the surfboard. Where do you fish bro?

[@thefishingfoodie]

Actually I fish all over the OC. Lots of good places as long as they’re free from perpetual salad.

[@larryd1296]

I always fish with all my rod guides lined straight in a row,

[@thefishingfoodie]

Haha! Yeah I didn’t even notice that until later that day. 😂

[@otroflores91]

What style lf hook do you use? I use mosquito circle hooks but the gulp sandworm does slide off sometimes. Switched back to bait holder style hooks .

[@thefishingfoodie]

I use baitholder hooks but they’re actually useless when a surf perch is pulling on your gulp sand worm. The material is just too soft for the baitholder hook to do its job. They do a much better job of holding the bait when using paddle tail grubs.

[@gino55yo]

Hello sir, I discover your channel and I like. I wanted to ask your opinion because I am a beginner and I fish with my family on the beach. You would advise me more this technique with the soft lure and olive lead or a simple metal jig? To make fish easily with my son thank you.

[@thefishingfoodie]

Hi there, thank you! I think using a 2”paddle tail grub with a Carolina rig would be your best option. It’s very simple to tie up. I go into detail about how to do that in my Surf Perch video which is about 3 videos back. A very slow retrieve is all that’s needed. Just make sure to keep the line tight so you can feel the bite and set the hook (pull the rod up quickly) into the fish’s mouth to secure the fish. Have a great time fishing with your son!

[@gino55yo]

Thank you very much for the feedback and explanations. I’m gonna try this. 💚🙋‍♂️👍🎣👈

[@andyc3758]

What fishing pole/ reel do you use Can you explain your set up ? :)

[@thefishingfoodie]

For perch fishing I mainly use an Okuma Celilo which is a very affordable rod paired with a Daiwa BG 3000 reel. From there I go into detail in my Surf Perch video ( a few videos back) on how I rig it up. Hope this helps!

[@thatonebeone]

was going to surf fish but mexico water made sd beach smells like poop and had signs saying water contaminated 🤮been going on for decades when i rains water from TJ is nasty

[@thefishingfoodie]

Ohh that sucks. Hopefully that clears up after we get a month of clear weather.

[@djandison]

What is the specs of you fishing rod I would like to buy one

[@thefishingfoodie]

My main rod is a Medium Light rod which I think is a fun rod to fish when going for surf perch.

[@hybrid902000]

Did you freeze the perch filets before eating? Are they known to have parasites or worms in the meat? Does it taste fishy? Thanks!

[@thefishingfoodie]

Yes, I have another separate freezer that goes down to -4 degrees. I freeze it at that temp for 7 days which is what is advised to kill any possible parasites. Perch actually don’t have a lot of parasites but I err on the side of caution. It tastes great!

[@hybrid902000]

Thank you sir! Love your content!

[@thefishingfoodie]

Thanks I appreciate it! 🙏

[@MLOPEZ-qf7ny]

hi what size main line ands leader do you use?

[@thefishingfoodie]

I use 20 braid for the main and 12lb fluoro for the leader.

[@ronmodafferi8202]

Hi: It looked like you were side casting from your left side with your left hand high and then switching to reeling/cranking with your left hand. Is that how you cast? Does that work better than traditional hand action? Were those platforms OIL rigs in the background of your video??

[@thefishingfoodie]

I actually have a bad case of Anglers elbow which makes casting on my right arm impossible at the moment. I figured out a way to cast like how I hit my tennis backhand that avoids that pain. I go into detail about it in the Corbina video if you wanna check that out. And yes, those are oil rigs.

[@ronmodafferi8202]

I hope your elbow gets better. I enjoy your videos.@@thefishingfoodie

[@thefishingfoodie]

Thanks I appreciate it!

[@mphan1985]

Which paddle tail are you using? I can only find 1.75in or 3in ones?

[@thefishingfoodie]

They’re actually 1.5” paddletail grubs. I misspoke in the video.

[@TheChriscota11]

Hi was wondering where in Southern California? Where you were fishing

[@thefishingfoodie]

Orange County

[@TheChriscota11]

Newport , Huntington , Belmont?

[@GA-fl2hz]

@@TheChriscota11it’s Bolsa Chica Beach just North of Dog Beach. Little bit north of the swamp inlet.

[@manuelchavez5860]

Hi! what size of hook you use?

[@thefishingfoodie]

Size 6 baitholder

[@F-N-C]

Gulp shrimp is better. Catches bigger fish and stays on the hook longer.

[@thefishingfoodie]

I’ve never tried Gulp Shrimp before. Thanks for the tip!

[@TexasPapa13]

I’ve bought probably 10 packs of gulps my whole life and I’ve only caught maybe 5 or 6 fish with a gulp 🤷🏻‍♂️.

[@CameronMacAuley-uc2pm]

So why do you keep buying them 😂 all jokes

[@TexasPapa13]

@@CameronMacAuley-uc2pm I’m almost 50. Haven’t bought then in over a decade. Sometimes you’re in the store like. “Let me give these one more try” lol

[@mryang3644]

Too soft... leave it in the sun for abit to harden up/ dry

[@legitbetterthanvinny9725]

They’re designed to expand in water, it will soften by the time it hits the bottom

[@mryang3644]

@legitbetterthanvinny9725 perch tears them up... too soft imho

[@SURFCorp]

that isnt a halibut its a fluke not to sound like a d

[@legitbetterthanvinny9725]

Buddy this is west coast, that’s a halibut

[@edcastillo4456]

Halibut, all day long.