ORLANDO — Two years ago, Berkley introduced a new line of hard baits that took the fishing world by storm with a flashy appearance and fish-catching action that seemed impossible for the $6.99 price tag they carried.
They’ve been expanding the line ever since — and they unveiled another new addition this week at ICAST.
The Juke is a highly versatile jerkbait that was designed by a team of world-class bait engineers and pro-anglers, including Bassmaster Elite Series pro David Fritts. The bait can be cranked, twitched, burned, paused for underwater suspension and an even trolled in certain situations.
“I made these baits with a piece of clay four years ago, and we’ve just been kind of refining them since then,” said Fritts, winner of five B.A.S.S. events, including the 1993 GEICO Bassmaster Classic. “I originally wanted to call it the “Herring” because it swims a lot like a herring, with that back-and-forth motion. But I think “Juke” really fits it, too, because it will do so many things.”
Because of its herring-like motion, Fritts believes it will be an excellent bait on lakes where blueback herring are common — like South Carolina’s Lake Hartwell and Alabama’s Smith Lake.
The Juke, which will sell for $7.99, comes in three sizes and has a flat baitfish profile that creates maximum flash and roll. The coffin-shaped bill allows for heavy darting action and side flash with minimal rod movement, and the dynamic paint jobs that have become a hallmark of the Berkley hardbait line create a great selection of colors.
Oh, and the baits are plenty noisy.
“It’s a got a knocker and a rattle,” Fritts said. “It definitely gets their attention, and you can cast it a mile.”
Another highlight from the new line of Berkley baits is the Snap Jig — a versatile jighead that can be paired with any of your favorite soft plastics.
The bait can be fished vertically over structure and for suspended fish in open water. Savvy anglers will also likely cast and retrieve the bait to take advantage of its side-to-side and backward and forward darting action.
“The jig naturally glides on the fall and kind of loops around,” Fritts said. “If you just watch the way it falls inside an aquarium, you’ll know it’s going to catch fish.”
Berkley also unveiled a new line of PowerBait lures, including the MaxScent Flatnose Minnow — a bait that features a lifelike vertical tail that mimics a variety of prey fish. The bait has a compressed flat nose ideal for better hookups on a drop shot rig.
“It’s made out of a new material that will be perfect for finesse presentations,” Fritts said. “The texture of this material is amazing, and the natural forage colors are out of this world.”
