Berkely gulp

[Largemouth21]

What kind and size of hook should I use for Berkeley gulp 1" minnow I'm using them for smallmouth. The rig would be just a couple split shot a few feet up from the lure.

[S Hovanec]

I'd nose hook it with a #8 Owner Mosquito

[Bluebasser86]

Wow that's a tiny bait for smallies. I use the 2" power minnows for crappie. 

[Outdoor Zack]

3 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Wow that's a tiny bait for smallies. I use the 2" power minnows for crappie. 

I agree.  I would go up to a 3" if it was me.....

[Bluebasser86]

50 minutes ago, Outdoor Zack said:

I agree.  I would go up to a 3" if it was me.....

The 3" Gulp minnow on a 1/8oz ballhead was my Ned rig before I knew what a Ned rig was. It's a smallmouth (and multispecies), catching machine rigged like that. Works well on a dropshot too. 

[Largemouth21]

The biggest smallie in the area is really small.i has many strikes and many chases on my Berkeley powerbait pogy swim tail shad in fire tiger and that's a really small bait. I only got one hookup .

1 hour ago, Bluebasser86 said:

The 3" Gulp minnow on a 1/8oz ballhead was my Ned rig before I knew what a Ned rig was. It's a smallmouth (and multispecies), catching machine rigged like that. Works well on a dropshot too. 

 

[blckshirt98]

Exactly what S Hovanec said - nosehook on a dropshot, size 8 Owner Mosquito.

[J Francho]

@S Hovanec might agree with me here... I use the Gulp! Alive leeches and minnows, and there days when smallies are size specific.  Other days, you drop the bait down, and it never hits the bottom, lol.  It's weird, but I like to have at least two sizes, so it's possible there a ton of available forage in the OPs spot that is 1", and the fish bite them better.

[primetime]

I would look at the Panfish Jigs that are made by Zoom and Mister Twister which have hooks in size #10 and smaller if needed, weights from 1/32 and up. I would think 1" you would want to go #8-#10, longer shank so you don't gut hook fish since Fish seem to choke gulp baits when they are working.

The Gulp leeches and Minnows are really good, I use the Maggots and earthworms on my Ultralight to have fun and sometimes I use a small Treble hook with a split shot and float. Usually I am targeting anything from Shiners to Small Bluegills just to see what the forage looks like color wise to match my lures for the day.Usually I just free line a small bait with maybe a tiny shot or not, slower fall sometimes works best but I guess it all depends on current etc.

[Ktho]

I'd use a size 10 light wire mosquito hook if you wana do a split shot rig with it

[Turkey sandwich]

If you're going to that level of extreme finesse, another approach for ultra light tackle that will no doubt get bit is a size 6-10 Clouser minnow rigged 18" or so behind your split shot and drifted on current seams or bounced slowly across shallow rocky flats.  You're going to get bit by pretty much everything, including sunfish, but that's true for every presentation mentioned here.  Jerry-rigged fly fishing is the painfully finesse of the painfully finesse.  

[Outdoor Zack]

you could also put a small Gulp minnow or grub behind a jig head and rig it on a beetle spin .  Work it slow and you're golden