FTR On The Road — Berkley Lab Series

In my soon-to-be-released Editor’s Desk, appearing in the April edition, I talk about how the best way to truly understand a product—especially one that’s entirely new—is to get it in your hands. That’s often the only way to fully grasp how it works and how both you and your customers can benefit from it. I was at the Bassmaster Classic in Tennessee when I wrote it, and while there I attended several media events. One of the most memorable was hosted by the team at Pure Fishing—specifically Berkley.

The event took place just ahead of the Classic at the Bardstown Bourbon Company in nearby Bardstown, Kentucky. At its conclusion, we were informed of a strict embargo: no details about the new products we had seen could be shared until June. However, when Dylan Nutt claimed the 2026 Bassmaster Classic title—and revealed he had done much of his catching on a new Berkley bait—it’s safe to say that timeline moved up a bit!

Enter the Berkley Lab Series, a new line of small-batch, layered soft baits.

Think of it like a meticulously crafted layer cake. Berkley combines two distinct layers of PowerBait to create a science-based taste profile, adds a layer of MaxScent for long-term scent dispersion, and finishes it all with a proprietary MaxScent Rapid Release Slime that begins dispersing scent the moment the bait hits the water. The result is arguably the most advanced soft bait Berkley has ever produced, representing the culmination of 40 years of scent and product development.

“Lab Series is the result of a number of projects converging into one singular mission to deliver a bait to anglers that eliminates compromise,” said Nathan Ragsdale, Senior Product Manager – Freshwater Bait at Berkley. “For the first time, we’re able to combine the scent dispersion of MaxScent, the proven taste of PowerBait, and new scent activation technology in the same bait while maintaining the exact profile, action, and colors anglers demand. It allows us to approach bait designs and techniques that simply weren’t possible before.”

Leading off the lineup is the 5.25-inch Minnow, a fluke-style bait designed with forward-facing sonar applications in mind. Thanks to the small-batch layering process, Berkley was able to incorporate a subtle air pocket in the belly, improving balance for strolling techniques while also delivering a cleaner sonar return. From a saltwater perspective, the bait’s versatility stood out—it should translate well to inshore applications, whether rigged on a jighead or an EWG hook.

Next is the 3.6-inch Flat Worm, built on Berkley’s already popular flat worm profile. This bait is poised to be a favorite among smallmouth anglers. Its flat design lends itself to a wide range of rigging options, including Texas rigs, Carolina rigs, and weightless presentations. With the added Lab Series enhancements, it’s positioned to be a standout in an already crowded category.

Rounding out the initial offerings is the 6-inch Finesse Worm. Whether fished on a shaky head, drop shot, finesse swimbait jig, or weightless, this bait checks every box for finesse applications. What really stood out was its lifelike feel once the MaxScent Rapid Release Slime was activated—reminiscent of trying to pick up a live nightcrawler off your driveway after a spring rain.

While the future potential of the Lab Series is wide open, the initial launch will include just these three shapes: the 5.25-inch Minnow, 3.6-inch Flat Worm, and 6-inch Finesse Worm.

Berkley’s commercial and production teams have been working to accelerate the rollout, and as of now, the Lab Series is scheduled to hit retailers on May 1, 2026.