New Havoc, Powerbait Bass Designs from Berkley

Berkley rolled out a whole host of new bass fishing lures this season, in both the Powerbait and Havoc soft bait lineups. Here's a look at some of them of special interest to Florida anglers, starting with a creature bait designed with the help of Florida's own Bobby Lane. Text and images below are straight off the newswire; we haven't had time yet to fish these baits, but soon!  --Jeff Weakley, Editor 

The new Havoc® Hawk Hawg from Berkley®, one of the newest baits in the Havoc bait family, takes the creature concept to a new level. The five-inch bass bait has unique fins and appendages for more action. Designed by Elite Series pro Bobby Lane, the Hawk Hawg fishes in and out of heavy cover with ease.

“I like to fish the thick stuff,” said Bobby Lane of the Berkley Havoc Pro Team. “With the Havoc Hawk Hawg, I now have a creature bait that delivers action where it is needed most – the tentacles. The durable, yet limp construction of the Hawk Hawg triggers more strikes. Fish simply can't stand to let this bait pass them by.”

Thorax wings on the ribbed tubular body give the bait a gliding motion on the fall for a swimming appearance while oversized side paddle-shaped appendages on the base of the tail move more water to attract the bass. A pair of long curl tails can't be still catching the eye of any nearby bass.

Available in 15 colors: Bama Bug, Black Blue Fleck, Black Emerald, Black Red Fleck, Bold Bluegill, Green Pumpkin, Green Pumpkin Blue, June Bug, Okochobee Craw, Redbug, Sapphire Blue, Smoky Green Pumpkin, Watermelon Candy and Watermelon Red.

MSRP for the Berkley Havoc Hawk Hawg is $3.49 for a package of eight.

The new Berkley® PowerBait® 4-inch Thief is the latest in innovative soft bait designs created by the Berkley design team. The versatile bait can be rigged and presented to fit a wide range of applications and conditions.

The PowerBait Thief utilizes its high-action tentacles and pinchers to give the bait extreme movement and plenty of water disturbance. The broad body allows the Thief to maneuver through heavy cover and dense forage.

Simply rig Texas style or on a Carolina rig for the slow presentations in structure or along the bottom. For a subtle approach to catch finicky fish use as a jig head trailer. The Thief can even be rigged weightless for fishing grass or along or near the surface.

“To Texas rig the Thief use a 3/8-ounce bullet weight with a 3/0 wide-gap hook and target heavy cover,” said Lane. “Take the weight off and run the Thief as a top water bait through grass and stump fields. The Thief makes a great all-around bait that is easy to rig and easier to fish. Cast the Thief out, bounce it along the bottom or swim it through thick areas, the PowerBait Thief is ideal for any condition presented.”

Available in 10 fish-catching colors; Bama Bug, Big Texan, Black Blue Fleck, Black Red Fleck, Breen Orange Fleck, Green Pumpkin, Green Pumpkin Red Fleck, Summer Craw, Watermelon and Watermelon Big Red. MSRP for this new finesse bait is $4.29 per package, which contains six PowerBait Thiefs.

The creature bait, a craze that just won't die, continues as an angler's favorite. Berkley stirs the creature bait pot with the new PowerBait® Power® Claw. This 4-inch soft plastic, with claws that simply cannot be still, is designed to catch fish, and can be used in a variety of techniques throughout the seasons.

The overall body design of the Power Claw makes this creature bait worth a second look. With a segmented body and appendages, the Power Claw maximizes the erratic motion of the two, high-action pinchers, enticing more strikes. For the best results, use the lifelike bait where bass are holding tight to cover. Fishing the bait with a weighted belly-hook or as a jig trailer. The Power Claw is perfect for any waters.

The Power Claw is packed with the Berkley PowerBait advantage. Fish hold on 18 times longer giving any angler a distinct advantage for greater success and more time for hook sets.

Berkley PowerBait Power Claw are available in 10 attractive colors; Bama Bug, Black, Black Blue Fleck, Green Pumpkin, Green Pumpkin Red Blue, Green Pumpkin Red Pearl, Pumpkin Chartreuse and Watermelon Big Red. A package of six Berkley PowerBait 4-inch Power Claw has an MSRP of $4.29.

Designed by Boyd Duckett, the new Berkley Havoc® Juice Worm and Juice Worm Jr. give anglers more action that produces more strikes than any other worms on the market.

The slim ribbed body of the 6-inch Juice Worm Jr. and 8-inch Juice Worm is combined with a very flexible and longer ribbon tail, producing a unique swimming action through the water.

“Worms are one of the most overlooked baits on the market,” said Boyd Duckett of the Berkley Havoc Pro Team. “I'll throw them in heavy cover and in the open water. I can swim the bait, drag the bait, bounce the bait and do just about anything I want to attract more bass. There really isn't anywhere the Juice Worm won't go.”

Comparing the two worms, the bodies are the same length with the Juice Worm Jr. having a bit less mass. This allows for use of larger hooks. The tail on the Jr. is shorter.

The Juice Worm and Juice Worm Jr. are available in 20 colors Black Blue Fleck, Brown Gold Fleck, Electric Blue, Grape Brown Belly, Green Pumpkin, Green Pumpkin Blue Fleck, June Bug, Morning Dawn, Natural Blue, Pearl White Silver Fleck, Perfection, Plum, Pumpkinseed, Red Shad, Red Shad Green Glitter, Redbug, Smoking Shad, Watermelon, Watermelon Candy and Watermelon Red.

MSRP for a package of 15 Berkley Havoc Juice Worm Jr. is $3.49. and a package of 12 Juice Worms are $3.49.