If you were to ask any fishermen that likes to cast a soft bait what some of his favourite plastics are he would most likely mention a curl tailed grub of some description and the Berkley Gulp Jerk Shad…and most likely the Nuclear Chicken colour. There is no doubt the Gulp is extremely effective at catching fish due to its amazing scent and the range of models is vast and versatile. Many of the Gulp models were conceptualised in America and their designs succesfully translated to Australian species.
The new Gulp Nemesis is an Australian design and merges those two very popular designs of a Jerk Shad and a curl tail. The head of the Nemesis differs from the standard Gulp Jerk Shad by offering more detail in the way of an eye, dorsal, tail and anal fins. I didn’t find that the fins aided the lures action in any way, however, the addition of the long dorsal fin aids as a centre point for where the hook of your jig head should exit and this is a handy feature; especially for those new to soft plastics. The most important and effective aspect of this bait is the curl tail. It measures half the length of the whole lure and is moulded in such a way that it provides an extreme amount of action. You will never need to snip or adjust this lure in any way to get the maximum amount of action out of it; the tail enticingly moves with minimal effort. The tail flutters on the drop and this is where fish will hit it 95% of the time. It also means that the Nemesis can be worked at very slow speeds with a straight retrieve and minimal rod action and still have a lot of action; this gives you the ability to fish lighter weights and shallower waters.
The Nemesis can be worked with the usual erratic jerks and twitches when fished in the depths and is extremely versatile as a 6.5” lure as it can be fished weedless through to a one ounce jig head while still having an enticing action. I tested the Nemesis in 16m of water in Port Phillip bay targeting snapper. After only a few casts and a few subtle taps a 3.5kg snapper inhaled it. I believe the Nemesis will be excellent in estuaries chasing large flathead and will work well offshore with heavier weights targeting kingfish. I also think it would be a great bait for barra, mangrove jack and northern reef fish such as coral trout, finger mark and spangled emperor. It’s a very intelligent design that will prove to be a favourite amongst Australian fishermen over the coming years. It’s an excellent bait for those using soft plastics for the first time as it does not require much skill on the anglers behalf to get it swimming right. 
www.berkley-fishing.com.au
