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- Learn all about fishing with PowerBait
- What are the standout choices to use in the PowerBait brand options
- Understand their main features and when to use them
Anglers of all skill levels know the significance of bait. Deciding which bait to buy and use, will significantly make a difference to your catches. There are many traditional natural baits but PowerBait is a great option to be included in every fisherman’s bait box!
The Berkley PowerBait has two main design ranges. One is a dough mixture and the other a soft/hard bait.
PowerBait has proved to be one of the most effective choices for many types of fishing. However, it can be a real struggle to decide which PowerBait to choose. There are multiple options available and in this review, I will narrow down the best ones to buy based on my personal experiences.
In this article I will be reviewing:
Dough Baits
- Berkley PowerBait Natural Glitter Trout Dough Fishing Bait – (My Best Overall Pick!)
- Berkley PowerBait Crappie Nibbles Dough Bait Glow
- Berkley PowerBait Power Nuggets
Soft Baits
- Gulp! Saltwater Shrimp
- Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Fishing – (My Best Worm Pick!)
- Berkley PowerBait Swim Shad
- Berkley Gulp! Maggot – (My Most Versatile Pick!)
1. Berkley Dough Baits
Berkley PowerBait Natural Glitter Trout Dough Fishing Bait – My Best Overall Pick!
Dough Fishing Bait – My Best Overall Pick!
This Powerbait trout dough bait is a fusion of advanced scent formula combined with flavor enhancer properties. The range comes in a 50g jar of dough to mold yourself and also pre-molded shapes, such as the nibbles and nuggets.
Features
- Maximum scent dispersion through floating properties
- Irresistible scent and flavor
- Moldable and easy to use
- Glitter infused to enhance visibility and reflect light
- Works well for all ranges of anglers
- Available in a wide variety of colors
A combination of strong scent and great flavor, natural glitter is my dough choice for trout fishing. It closely resembles the pellets that the trout farms use. The ability to mix and change colors makes it a very versatile bait choice.
A 4mm to 8mm ball is a perfect size for most trout. Pick a small piece from the tub and roll it up to the size you need. It’s simple to mold around the hook.
There are over 40 different variants to choose from. My preferred choice is the Salmon Egg Red, due to its more natural color than most other options. The trout dough is the most widely used bait in the PowerBait range.
To change your baits up a little why not try to add some of your favorite attractants to the dough? One of my most productive baits is to add garlic to the dough. You can read more on how to use garlic in your fishing baits here!
Berkley PowerBait Crappie Nibbles Dough Bait Glow
If you are a crappie or panfish fishing addict, then I highly recommend these Crappie Nibbles dough bait. These slowly sinking nibbles dissolve slowly in water giving off a powerful scent.
Features
- Disperses cloud scents in water
- Has a glowing effect for visual attraction
- Available in multiple colors
- Soft and long-lasting
- Slow dissolution in water
- Disperses scent in water to attract smaller fish
- Ideal for tipping jigs
The 4mm nibbles match great with smaller crappie hooks and rigs. The bait has a glow factor and comes in 4 different colors – Yellow, Pink, White, and Chartreuse. I generally use the yellow ones as they seem to stand out better. When the fish are getting harder to catch during the winter months, these work well when other baits are struggling to catch fish. Comes in a 1.1oz small jar size or a larger 2.2oz size.
Berkley PowerBait Power Nuggets
These rainbow-colored Berkley Power Nuggets look good enough to eat. The bright yellow, green, and orange colors always seem to attract and catch plenty of fish than a darker option. They come in pre-molded rectangular shapes and are about 6mm in size.
The power nuggets are designed to float, but the crappie nibbles dough bait is a sinking bait.
Features
- Finesse presentation with high-quality materials
- Engineered specifically for anglers to attract and catch fish
- Eco-friendly
- Easy to rig
- Advanced scent and taste properties
- Works well to catch salmon, trout, and steelhead
- Long-lasting product
- More suitable for freshwater fishing
Steelhead and trout are the target fish for these freshwater nuggets. I have not caught any other fish with them! In my experience, bass doesn’t seem to be keen on them. Again, they come in a 1.1oz jar with approx 30 pieces inside.
How To Store PowerBait Dough
As with all the dough base ranges, any unopened bait will last for up to 3 years. Once the jar is opened, it will dry out eventually but can be used for up to 6 months.
If it has become hard in the jar, it can be revitalized by adding a little oil attractant to it, my best recommendation is to add anise oil to the dough, and massage it to freshen it up. You can learn more about how to use anise oil as part of your fishing bait here!
2. Berkley Soft Baits
Gulp! Saltwater Shrimp
Berkley Gulp Shrimp has a few different options in the range. I always use the live shrimp’s natural colors. The shape is close to a real shrimp with multiple different color options. It comes in three different lengths – 2, 3, and 4 inches. To be honest it doesn’t smell much like shrimp! The Gulp range is primarily targeted for saltwater fishing.
Features
- Suitable for catching a variety of species
- The wavy physical shape makes it ideal for efficient action in the water
- Realistic look, feel, and action
- Partially smells like a real shrimp but is less messy
- Available in a variety of shapes, colors, and sizes for different species and water conditions
- Best suited for saltwater conditions
The shrimp stay on the hook very well and lasts a long time. It’s a great substitute in situations where you would use fresh shrimp. They work well when fishing on a sandy bottom for flounders. I use the New Penny Fleck color option as it resembles the same color as a normal shrimp. Each pack is resealable and has six shrimp inside.
If you plan to go fishing at night, I strongly suggest checking out the glow option with chartreuse tail shrimp for that extra attraction during low light levels.
Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Fishing – My Best Worm Pick!
Do you want to get the maximum scent dispersion resulting in the most amount of bites? Berkeley MaxScent baits, as the name suggests, disperse scent well through the water column which attracts fish from long distances and improves the chance of bites.
These PowerBait Max plastics are more targeted toward freshwater fishing but the body shape will attract both fresh and saltwater fish. The PowerBait Max Scent comes in various worm shapes, such as craw, and small bait fish with a large number of color variations. Depending on which style of worm you use, there is a wide range the lengths to choose from. The smallest is 1.5″ long and the longest is a massive 8″!
Features
- The Maxscent technology releases a scent through the water
- Multiple options and shapes are available
- Effective when used for a jig, Texas, or a Carolina rig
- Good options on color and lengths
- Gives off a scent that attracts fish from further away
My personal favorite is the Berkley PowerBait Maxscent Hit Worm. Its ability to work well when using finesse tactics brings on the bites for the mid-range size bass. The smell is strong and it’s more lifelike when compared to others in the range. The ribbed 4.5-inch long body makes it a standout winner for bass fishing. It’s simple to attach to your rig, as it has a good thickness to hold with the hook.
Berkley PowerBait Swim Shad
The Berkley PowerBait Swim Shad has a real lifelike baitfish look with the PowerBait’s scent. This is my personal favorite as it really can be used for all kinds of fishing and catches all kinds of fish. So having it in my tackle box makes it a great option for any general use. It has a look that makes it great in the water, its almost translucent internal feature is very lifelike. It even has awesome eyes! I use the smaller version for panfish mainly and the larger option for pike fishing.
Features
- Ideal for both salt and freshwater conditions
- Has a realistic life-like bait look with 3d eyes, and several bright colors for extra flash
- Easy to use for all types of anglers
- Suitable for panfish, pike, and big bass species
- Has a high-action paddle tail and a good sharp hook
They are reasonably priced and will last a long time. Even with my constant use, it’s an economical option for much of my fishing. There are also many different colors and shapes available and they all come in packs of five.
My personal favorite is the pearl red eye color. It’s a 3-inch length swimbait that has a holographic foil insert on its flanks, which creates a flashy look just like a real baitfish.
Berkley Gulp! Maggot – My Most Versatile Pick!
I love using maggots as bait, generally, I would also choose the fresh live type but sometimes they are not available. So having a jar of these in my box at all times gives me a ready alternative. Berkley Gulp! Maggot has the same scent distribution as the other baits but it’s durable and lasts a long time.
Features
- Excellent presentation and high-quality
- In testing, they showed better catches than live maggots!
- Realistic look-alike physical shape along with authentic taste and texture
- Hooks on the same way as live maggots
- Stays on the hook well even during casting
Gulp Maggot comes in pink, white, and chartreuse colors, I always use the pink maggot option. It looks like a real maggot but not as tapered at one end. These work for every fish freshwater situation and all kinds of fish species. Just throw a jar in your box to give you another option while you’re out fishing.
Berkley Powerbait FAQ
Why Is Berkley PowerBait Product Popular?
Well, put simply it’s a relatively cheap and easy bait to use. It can last for ages in your bait box and is reusable. Berkley has developed a winner which attracts many types of fish with its unique shapes, colors, and strong smell.
First, identify your target fish, then the water conditions. Only then you can narrow down the best option to use. Some do not work for certain fish, so try a couple of power baits first and see which one works for your type of fishing!
Lastly, these baits are popular because Berkley is a well-trusted brand and a reliable name in fishing.
What Is Berkley PowerBait Made From?
PowerBait is made from a combination of PVC and oil-based resins. It is non-toxic.
The PVC is mixed with an oil-based resin, which is heat-treated until the mixture becomes dough-like. The viscosity of the dough can be changed by adding additional oil or PVC. The oil helps to contain the strong scent inside the dough.
Final Thoughts
Berkley PowerBait is a bestseller in the fishing bait arena, its major advantages are its options in smell and a full-color range. With a realistic presentation, extensive scent, and durable designs, they have a place in every fisherman’s bait box.
My must-have bait and a personal favorite are the Berkley PowerBait Maxscent Hit Worm, it always seems to catch fish. I also highly recommend the Berkley Gulp! Maggot is a great allrounder to catch various fish. Its versatility is enough to just keep a tub in your tackle box every time you go out fishing.
An alternative to Berkley powerBait is the Fjuka 2In1 fishing bait, check out my in-depth review of this new bait here!
Steve holds a special place in his heart for the mighty Carp and the elusive Tench
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