October 21, 2017
By Ned Kehde
Since Oct. 12, 2006, Midwest finesse anglers have been customizing and shortening various kinds of five-inch and longer stick baits to affix to a small mushroom-style jig. And recently Berkley has begun manufacturing a new one, which Midwest finesse anglers can easily customize and affix to their mushroom-style jigs.
It is called the Berkley PowerBait MaxScent The General Worm.
It is five inches long. Its head or nose is flat. Except for its clitellum, its round torso is encircled with a series of minute ribs or rings. Its tail is pointed like a sharpened pencil.
A green-pumpkin Berkley PowerBait MaxScent The General Worm.
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The folks at Berkley say it is constructed from an "all-new material" that is durable and soft, which exhibits an "ultra-realistic texture." Moreover, it is infused with a distinctive and potent scent that creates a trail, as well as a provocative taste enhancement.
In regard to its durability, one angler who used it as a Midwest finesse rig for pursuing smallmouth bass on the Mississippi River in Minnesota said it had the wherewithal to endure about a dozen significant donnybrooks with smallmouth bass before it becomes tattered and torn and had to be replaced with another 2 1/2-inch segment of The General. Another angler who is not a Midwest finesse angler said "the bait is tough," and when he rigged the five-inch The General whacky style, he could catch three to four largemouth bass on it before it was too tattered and torn to use.
It is available in 10 natural matte colors: Baby Bass, Black, Black Blue Fleck, Blue Pearl Black Hologram, Green Pumpkin, Green Pumpkin Candy Red, Green Pumpkin Party, Green Pumpkin Watermelon, Junebug, and Watermelon Copper/Orange/ Red.
A package of eight cost $6.99.
Endnotes
(1)Â Here is a link to Berkley's website:Â Â http://www.berkley-fishing.com/berkley-bait-soft-bait-berkley-powerbait/powerbait-maxscent-the-general/1447436.html#sz=211&start=69 .
(2) Most Midwest finesse anglers will cut the Berkley PowerBait MaxScent The General Worm in half, creating a 2 1/2-inch stick bait to affix to their jigs. This tactic not only creates a very effective finesse rig, but it also allows the frugal-minded Midwest finesse anglers to acquire two soft-plastic baits for the price of one.  It is important to note that the front half of this stick bait can be as effective as the tail end. And when one end becomes too tattered and torn to stay affixed to the jig, an angler can reverse it and affix the other end to the jig. There will also be plenty of times when the pointed end is more effective when it is attached to the collar of the jig rather than the flat end.
(3) Berkley's 1/16-ounce Half Head Jig is a mushroom-style jig that should work well with a 2 1/2-inch The General. Here is a link to the Midwest Finesse gear guide about the Half Head Jig: http://www.in-fisherman.com/midwest-finesse/berkleys-half-head-jig.
(4) Here is a link to Jeff Simpson's article and Doug Stange's video about The General: http://www.in-fisherman.com/sponsored/berkley-powerbait-maxscent .
