Berkley Gulp! Earthworm Soft Bait

About Us

The Berkley story is a quintessential tale of the American Dream, encompassing hard work, struggle, and the triumph of building partnerships to achieve goals. Yet, it is more than just the story of Berkley Bedell; it is also the story of dedicated co-workers and loyal customers who were equally willing to take risks.

In June 1937, in Spirit Lake, Iowa, 16-year-old Berkley Bedell took $50 from his paper route earnings to start a business selling his hand-tied flies to fishing tackle shops and vacationing anglers. Using hair clipped from the family dog, Stubby, and feathers from backyard chickens, young Berkley crafted flies to entice local bluegill and bass from their underwater cover, thus founding the Berkley Fly Co. By the time he graduated from high school in 1939, Berk employed several area girls who made flies, silkworm gut, and cable wire leaders in their homes. The business soon outgrew Berk’s parent's basement and living room, expanding to the second floor of the local grocery store, where a tub filled with ice and a fan served as air conditioning.

After attending state university and serving in the Army Air Corps, Berk returned to Spirit Lake in 1945 to start Berkley and Company, focusing on cable wire leaders. One evening, while reading Popular Science, Berk learned about a Connecticut company producing nylon-covered cable for sailboat rigging. After visiting their plant, he began working on nylon-coated wire for fishing leaders, and production began in Spirit Lake. Shortly after, the distinctive Berkley heart logo, featuring the slogan "nylon leader with a heart of stainless steel," was designed.

Berk next turned his attention to extruding nylon monofilament fishing line. At that time, all nylon came from DuPont. After obtaining a license from DuPont, Berk developed equipment to produce nylon, using reclaimed washing machine wringers, bicycle wheels, and other homespun materials. Soon, Berkley was marketing private brand mono and Dew Flex monofilament. Continued experimentation led to the company’s breakthrough innovation – Trilene.

In 1959, Berkley introduced Trilene around the same time DuPont launched Stren. To promote the new line, Berk sent out thousands of sample spools and asked store owners to have their best fishermen try it on spinning reels. Fishermen loved the line, leading to the successful launch of Berkley Trilene.

The subsequent four decades marked significant growth for the company. In the 1960s, Berkley entered the rod business, leading to international expansion in the 1970s. The 1980s saw the introduction of soft plastic baits, and the 1990s through today have seen significant technological improvements across Berkley’s product range. From the beginning, Berkley has invested heavily in research and development, resulting in countless product innovations, including Berkley Trilene, the Lightning Rod, PowerBait, FireLine, and more recently, Gulp! and Gulp! Alive.

Ideal Substitute for Live Earthworms

• Great for many species
• Durable, easy to maintain, and ready to fish when you are
• Features Gulp! extreme scent dispersion
• Biodegradable
• Available in brown color and 4-inch size
• Weighs 1.1 ounces

Berkley's dedication to quality and innovation continues to define the company, ensuring it remains at the forefront of the fishing industry.

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