Berkley is one of the best-known fishing brands in the world. They are iconic and make lures, lines, tools, hooks, and more that have been trusted for decades to help anglers catch more fish. Each year at ICAST, they add to their already huge offerings with products that have been scientifically tested to perform on the water.
This year at ICAST, they unveiled many new items, including one lure that won a best in category award and became the first-ever lure to win Best of Show.
The Gilly
Stealing the show at ICAST was a new swimbait called the Gilly, an ultra-realistic bluegill imitator that claimed the top award at the annual tradeshow. With the help of professional angler Mike Iaconelli, Berkley worked to develop the bait that was inspired by Japanese lures with the added science from Berkley.
The bait can be rigged multiple ways and will swim upright, no matter how it is rigged. It is the perfect shape and profile to imitate one of the most common forage species for bass: bluegill and other sunfish species. Since it is from Berkley, it is also infused with their proven PowerBait flavor.
The Gilly will be available in three sizes (90mm, 110mm and 130mm), six standard and six high-definition colors, and retail for $6.49 for standard colors and $7.49 for HD colors.
New MaxScent Styles
Nothing has been hotter over the last year than Berkley's MaxScent. The baits in the lineup have accounted for many big tournament wins and are out of stock everywhere because of the high demand. The formula used in the bait includes a unique way to disperse scent and they attract fish while also ensuring that they hold onto them longer.
Berkley added some new baits in the lineup, including the Lil' Trooper, Lil' General, and PowerBait MaxScent Tubes.
The tube bait is a proven lure for all bass species and the new version features the added attraction of MaxScent. It will be offered in both a 2 1/2 and 3 ½" size and ten colors. The retail price for a bag is $6.99.
The Lil' Trooper is a compact 2.5" crawfish imitator designed for Ned Rigs, but you can also fish it on the back of a finesse jig. The Lil' General is a 2.75" version of the popular stick bait and will be perfect for Ned Rigs.
Each of these will fill gaps in the Berkley lineup and give anglers more chances to take advantage of MaxScent.
Agent E
Professional angler Edwin Evers designed the Agent E, a unique bait intended to imitate goby and other bottom-dwelling species. It has a realistic look and internal weight design that aids with casting and makes it a great bait to fish right along the bottom.
It comes in sizes ranging from 3/8-ounce to a full ounce and will be offered in HD Tru Colors and standard injected colors. Agent E has a hook protector to help reduce snags and has a built-in rattle for more fish attraction. It also includes the flavorful Berkley PowerBait material for added taste while giving anglers more time to set the hook.
Berkley Jigs
Berkely is well-known for its soft plastics and hard baits, but jigs are something new this year. The unique thing about their jigs is that they are infused with PowerBait right in the silicone skirt material for even more fish attraction and will ensure that bass hold onto them longer.
Included in the lineup is every type of jig that bass anglers need, from the Flipping Jig, Swim Jig, Finesse Swim Jig, Finesse Jig, Heavy Cover Jig, Football Jig, and Skipping Jig,
Berkley built all of the jigs with specifications that pro anglers Gary Klein and Bobby Lane insisted on. Each of them includes colors hand-selected by the pros and feature Berkley's Fusion19 hooks. The retail cost per jig is $4.99.
Berkley Stunna Jerkbait
The Berkley Stunna jerkbait was well-documented thanks to Hank Cherry's Bassmaster Classic win on the bait he helped design. But, this was the official release of the jerkbait to the ICAST crowd.
It is a 112-size bait with a slow-sink design and weighs ½-ounce. It is available in a standard version that runs 3 to 6 feet deep, while the 112+1 runs 6-10 feet deep.
The Stunna is available in 14 proven colors handpicked by Cherry to cover every different water clarity and the bait will retail for $14.99.
New Berkley Saltwater Hardbaits
Berkley brought some of their most popular lures to the salt with beefed-up components that include heavier split rings, 3X antirust Fusion19 hooks, and saltwater-specific colors for the saltwater anglers.
Included in the new offerings are the saltwater version of the Cane Walker, Choppo, and Highjacker.
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