One of the more interesting sights at the recent Erie/Niagara Bassmaster Elite Series was Pure Fishing field services rep Scott Dubiel. He was like the neighborhood candyman with his finger on the short supply of new Gulp! leeches and gobies, which were red-hot at Erie. So hot, Dubiel said a bunch of non-Berkley pros had their hands out, and he had to get an overnight shipment of more than 200 bags sent from company headquarters in Iowa.
"Back at Amistad, these guys knew we were going to come out with a leech and goby," Dubiel said. "Since then, and in the weeks leading up to (Erie/Niagara), all the guys were checking on it and asking, 'Are you going to have this stuff?' We just came out with the goby and the Gulp! Alive leech, and had it all here this week. But I can't get it stocked up enough for these guys."
Two of the Top 5 at Erie/Niagara (John Murray and Greg Hackney) said they threw Gulp!, as did Kevin Wirth, who was 2nd after day 3, Boyd Duckett (6th), and a ton of others in the Top 50.
"I think as we move out of this part of the world, Gulp! is going to be a major home run," Dubiel added. "I think Gulp! will be as big for smallmouths as it is in saltwater for redfish. It's going to be to smallmouth fishing what the Titleist Pro V1 (golf ball) was to golf. It's that good."
History will be the judge there, but there's no doubt a huge buzz surrounded the Gulp! leech and goby at the event.
