Berkley's Lab Series Blends PowerBait and MaxScent With an Added Twist

A couple weeks ago, the folks at Berkley let us in on a secret project they’ve been working on. They intended to keep it under wraps for a couple more months.

Then a few days later at the Bassmaster Classic, Dylan Nutt put the kibosh on those plans when he captured the victory in the coveted tournament by using a bait from Berkley’s new line of soft plastics called Lab Series. It created quite the stir, especially when Nutt refused to divulge any details about the bait until the final day and even then not much was revealed.

Specifically, Nutt was utilizing the 5.25- and 6.5-inch Lab Series Minnow on a jighead to pick off largemouth and smallmouth while using his live sonar unit at the Tennessee River. It was nothing new in terms of the presentation, but what was new was the formulation of the bait he was using. The caliber of fish he caught with it also opened plenty of eyes as his three-day weight total ranked fourth all-time in Classic history.

It’s not as though Nutt was handed a few packs on his way to dock on day 1. He and the other Berkley pros in the Classic field had the baits for a couple months to test and offer feedback. Safe to say they passed.

Initially, Berkley planned a June 1 target date for the launch of the Lab Series, which consists of three shapes – a 6-inch finesse worm, a minnow and the popular 3.6-inch Flat Worm, which many anglers will recognize from the MaxScent lineup. Due to the increased level of attention brought on in the wake of Nutt’s triumph, Berkley has fast-tracked the project with product expected to be available on May 1.

Just as Nutt represents a new generation of pro bass fishermen, the Lab Series represents the next frontier for Berkley in its development of cutting-edge soft plastic baits using lab-tested and lake-proven methods that key on the fish’s senses.

At an exclusive product unveiling in Kentucky in early March, Berkley revealed to members of the media the details of the Lab Series and what sets these baits apart from others in the Berkley lineup as well as competing brands.

Kyle Peterson, a project engineer and soft bait designer for Berkley, said the Lab Series is the culmination of 30 years of research and effort invested in soft plastic bait technology, dating back to the invention of PowerBait in the late 1980s. The Lab Series has been in the works for two years, he added.

While others worked on the material blends and scent formulas, Peterson’s role was perfecting the action of the baits.

“Anything to do with shape, profile, and action — that’s me,” he said.

Slime Time

At the core of the Lab Series soft bait platform is a multi-stage scent delivery approach that works both immediately and throughout the life of the bait. It also marks the first time PowerBait and MaxScent have been combined in a single bait.

A rapid-release powder, which is derived from the same fish-attracting formula as the proven MaxScent material, is applied to the bait at the end of the manufacturing process. The powder activates instantly when the bait hits the water, creating a scent-producing slime that begins dispersing scent immediately. As the slime dissipates throughout use, the poured MaxScent layer takes over, providing sustained scent dispersion over time. The two PowerBait layers deliver the taste that convinces fish to hold on longer.

“It has the same type of attractant as regular MaxScent, but with two layers of PowerBait for that translucent color, plus the darker accent top layer,” Peterson said. “Then we have an activated fish slime that instantly releases scent as soon as it hits water.”

The slime has an approximate lifespan of 20 minutes in the water.

Minnow Mania

Asked what stands out the most about the Lab Series, Peterson was quick to mention the minnow. The rise of live sonar has paved the way for new bait and technique trends and the jighead minnow presentation is at the top of that list. The Lab Series Minnow design is the product of Peterson studying those trends and incorporating his own insight as well as judging how fish react to said design in the lab.

“One of the great things about not being first to market is we got to study the minnow trend — ned rigs, forward-facing sonar, etc. — and figure out what really matters,” he said. “A lot of people thought rolling was the most important thing, but after studying baits in our tank, I realized the secondary attribute is actually the most important: The body wiggle combined with that tail flip. When you watch it on camera, the tail looks like a little minnow kicking.

“We wanted the rolling action to transfer energy all the way through the body to the tail, giving the whole minnow great action. We combined the best traits — great rolling, great body action, and the right buoyancy/cadence — into one profile.”

After seeing the bait’s action for the first time in a tank in Kentucky, some observers mentioned the tail of the bait almost acts independent of the front.

“That’s the whole point,” Peterson said. “The rolling motion transfers energy through the bait so it looks like a little injured baitfish quivering and rocking in the water. That’s what triggers the bites.”

Another feature of the minnow is a buoyancy chamber that helps keep the bait horizontal.

"You’ll hear guys talk about the cadence getting off when the head pops out and the roll stops — that turns fish off,” Peterson added. “We added a buoyancy chamber so the tail is always trying to float up. The bait stays perfectly level and neutral in the water. No head bob or weave — just a straight-running minnow with perfect rolling action.”

Details Matter

Anglers will notice distinct differences between the Lab Series and Berkley’s other soft baits, namely in the packaging. Each pack of Lab Series baits will come in a pre-molded tray meant to prevent the baits from getting deformed. They’ll also notice the variety of new colors and combination of colors as well as the tender feel of the Lab Series material.

“No injection pressure means you get a very limp bait,” Peterson said. “Second, we can do three-layer colors, which gives us better color options than any competitor with an injection-molded bait. We’re putting things like a bloodline (lateral line highlight) through some colors.”

While Peterson predicts the minnow will be the headline grabber out of the gate simply due to Nutt’s success with it in the Classic, but he’s partial to the 6-inch Finesse Worm that he created.

“That one took a long time to get right,” he said. “It’s all about flicker and wiggle in the tail that transfers through the whole body. When you shake your rod, the worm actually flickers like a dying baitfish instead of just being a limp noodle. I’ve caught some really big fish on that worm — it’s amazing.”

To learn more about the Lab Series, click here.

---