Product Review – PowerBait
Ever since its origin in 1988, PowerBait has developed a history of success in the freshwater fishing market, allowing anglers to use the combination of scent and taste as a tool in allowing them to catch more fish. Now, Berkley is upping their game for saltwater anglers, offering them seven new swimbait shapes with life-like action and infused with a proven saltwater version of the PowerBait formula, guaranteed to increase strikes.
Based on decades of scientific research, the team at Berkley Labs has developed a saltwater formula that both smells good and has an appealing taste, prompting fish to bite and hold on. The combination of scientifically proven scent and taste technology, realistic action, and versatile rigging options make these swimbaits ideal for most inshore fishing applications. The new line is designed to be 4x more durable than their freshwater counterparts, accommodating aggressive saltwater species and the harsh saltwater conditions anglers will face.
PowerBait Saltwater The Champ Swimmer: The Saltwater Champ Swimmer showcases a realistic profile closely resembling baitfish. Its classic large paddle tail generates a deliberate, slow thumping motion that moves a greater volume of water, making it easier for fish to follow the bait’s movement. This swimbait is available in smaller dimensions, which are particularly effective for imitating the size of forage fish during the early fishing season. The flat back design of the bait serves as an advantage, concealing hook points and enabling seamless weedless rigging.
PowerBait Saltwater CullShad: The Saltwater CullShad represents a next-level paddle tail soft bait for inshore fishing. Its paddle tail and intricate honeycomb body design combine to create a natural and subtle swimming action, effectively enticing reactionary strikes from fish. The pronounced wagging motion of the broad tail perfectly imitates a swimming fish, while the larger profile significantly increases its drawing power. This versatile swimbait can be easily set up with either a jig head or a weighted EWG hook, allowing precise placement at the desired depth in the water column.
PowerBait Saltwater Power Swimmer: The Saltwater Power Swimmer boasts a general baitfish profile with a large paddle tail that produces an amplified water displacement, significantly enabling fish to track the bait’s movement. The bait’s action delivers substantial roll with its high-frequency tail kick. This swimbait can be rigged either on a jig head or a weighted EWG hook.
PowerBait Saltwater Gillydine: Berkley reimagined the award-winning Gilly in a new streamlined baitfish profile with a natural presentation in shape, color, and action. The hollow head allows for easy crushing on strikes with better hook sets and helps to orient the bait in an upright posture when swimming. This swimbait can be fished much faster than the previous Gilly, looking much like a swimming herring. The bait can be rigged vertically with weightless rigging, sideways with an EWG hook, or on a jig head with a weighted swimbait hook.
PowerBait Saltwater Bonga Shad: The Saltwater Bonga Shad features the natural appearance of a baitfish and is designed in a highly effective jerkbait style. The lure delivers an impressive side-to-side darting motion, further accentuated by its triangular cross-section and side fins, which create unpredictable movements to replicate the actions of an injured baitfish. This lure is easily set up on either an EWG hook or a jig head, ensuring precise placement at the desired depth within the water column.
PowerBait Saltwater Bonga Shrimp: The Saltwater Bonga Shrimp is designed with a shrimp profile and a generously sized fantail, which aids in slowing down the bait’s descent. With its substantial presence, the Bonga Shrimp descends steadily through the water column, accurately imitating the movement of a shrimp. This realism is particularly evident when the bait is retrieved slowly. The swimbait is adaptable and can be rigged either on a jig head or a weighted EWG hook.
PowerBait Saltwater Bonga Stick: Suitable for various situations, the Saltwater Bonga Stick boasts a slender stick bait profile that’s highly adaptable for numerous rigging applications. The triangular cross-section design creates erratic movements that effectively trigger strikes, making it a favored choice for speckled trout and other inshore species. This lure rigs perfectly on an EWG hook or a jig head, ensuring precise placement within the water column.
The new Berkley Saltwater PowerBait shapes will be available this September. For more information about Berkley fishing and the PowerBait Saltwater lures, please click here.
