Putting the new PowerBait soft plastic profiles to the test.
Liam Williams catches a vast variety of fish species in little time with new PowerBait soft plastic profiles.
When I was given the opportunity to use the new Berkley PowerBait range before they were set to hit the shelves in tackle stores, I was extremely excited and couldn’t wait to fish them in my local estuary systems. PowerBait soft plastics have been a long time favourite on mine, with many of my best ever catches coming in on this range of lures.
I ended up getting my hands on four diffent shapes – 2, 3 & 4” PowerBait Shrimp, 3.5” Forktail Minnow, 4” & 5” Grub, plus a lure I’ve been eager to see come to the market for a while, the 5” Jerkshad. After throwing each one of these profiles around for a short time, every single one of them delivered exactly what I’d hoped for, fish!
First off, we have the Shrimp. Three sizes – 2, 3 & 4” and six colours – Camo, Bloodworm, Blue Shiner Gold, Disco Violet, Houdini & Pink Glitter. This profile has an awesome gliding action when rigged with little to no weight. You can fish them lightly weighted around snags, oyster leases and rock walls for a number of species, including bream and bass. You can also hop them on a slightly heavier jig head along weed beds and drop offs for flathead. Be prepared for a bite on the drop, as the stabilising antennaes on the front of the bait help with an extended glide back to the bottom.
Next is the 3.5” Forktail Minnow, this lure has an erratic action which really fires the fish up. When rigged with a light jig head, they’re a great little lure to throw around schools of small bait fish such as silver bitteys and small whitebait. I fish them mostly on a 1/24th oz Berkley Nitro Bream Pro jig head around rock walls and structures that create an eddy where the bait tends to hold. By fishing the lure in this way, I’ve often tangled with those kicker sized bream that would take out a bream comp.
Another one of my long time favourites, the PowerBait Grub, not comes in two new sizes, 4” & 5” to compliment the existing popular 2.5” profile. They are one of the most simple lures to use and are effective on a wide range of species from fresh to salt. I love to fish the 4“ Grub for bass, casting the Grub as deep as possible into the cover or snag and slow roll it back out. Using the same technique, the 5” Grub works a treat when fishing for Murray cod and yellowbelly. When the fish are shut down, the PowerBait Grub is a must have. Slowly hop the soft plastic across the bottom and the tail willingly swims with little movement needed from the body of the lure.
Last but certainly not least, the PowerBait 5” Jerkshad. This bait is a great imitation of larger white bait, smaller mullet and whiting. I personally love pitching these baits along rock walls and in deeper holes of an estuary. I recommend pairing this lure with a 1/4th oz Berkley Nitro Stealth jig head, this combination is deadly when targeting mulloway. I also find teaming it up with a 1/8th oz jig head and fishing it along sandbanks and drop offs, is a very effective way to catch a trophy size Flathead.
The edition of the new baits, sizes and colours are a real compliment to the already impressive Berkley Powerbait Range. Get some in your tackle bag for your next trip if you too, want to catch more fish!
By Liam Williams
Liam is one of those die-hard anglers who quietly succeeds on the water no matter what he’s chasing. Based on the NSW Mid North Coast, Liam is a wealth of knowledge from bass backwaters to the bluewater.
