From the Lab to the Fast Lane: The NEW Berkley Lab Series Proving Itself
So it did not take long for the cat to get out of the bag, and there is NUTTIN they could do about it- or would it be more appropriate to say ‘baits out of the box?’
Finally available, the New Berkley Lab Series is on the market after demonstrating success on some of fishings biggest stages. Photo Courtesy of Berkley Fishing
Several weeks ago in the 2026 Bassmaster Classic, Dylan Nutt, brought down the hammer winning the coveted title with 66lbs and 13 ounces. The 22 year old is the first angler to qualify for the Classic through the Bass Nation and win since Bryan Kerchal in 1994.
Photos Courtesy of Bassmaster
Dylan Nutt was using a then classified minnow bait with forward-facing sonar, keying in on bass staging around pre-spawn staging areas. With growing eyes fixed on Nutt as the tournament progressed, fans and the development team at Berkley knew the secret was as good as gone.
To stay up to date with Dylan Nutt, be sure to check him out on Instagram. He has a bright future ahead of himself!
“Lab series is a new platform that offers a combination of 30+ years of Berkley’s scent story and technologies. Combine that with the best in class open poured actions and colors and you have a tournament winning bait! A true competitive advantage”
Soft baits have been around for decades, as well as scented models and after-market attractants. Garlic salt, anise, coffee, and gel. Companies have come along with their own signature cents. Anglers were more hesitant on believing in scent as a legitimate factor back then. Berkley has always been ahead of the game when it came to scent with their history of Powerbait, Gulp! Sometime in the mid-2010s, super scents, baits with enhanced smell and flavor came onto the scene, notably with the introduction of their Maxscent line. Like all things, the theme here is over time, through innovation, research, and development, progress will move forward.
Photo Courtesy of Berkley Fishing
The Lab Series looks like it is going to be something truly special. A key to these baits are the layers, starting with a Powerbait foundation with a Maxscent top creating a profile that harbors taste and long-term scent dispersion. The outside of the bait is coated in a fine Maxscent dust that turns into slime and releases scent immediately upon hitting the water. This is the Rapid Release Slime that makes this bait series an option that is truly unique. Think of these baits as crafted or artisan-made. They are poured in small batches to ensure perfect density and detail.
Rapid release slime is created when the Maxscent dusting comes in contact with water. Welcome to the future! Photo Courtesy of Berkley Fishing
With the combination of having lifelike action, an array of tempting colors, flavorful taste, and smell, hesitant fish become biters. The Lab Series was created with pressured fish in mind. After the Maxscent smallmouth explosion, more people are believers in the scent factor. Berkley is no stranger to creating designs and shapes that help entice interested fish into following through. Those who have used it share their testimonies of success and many are anticipating the day when they can try it out themselves.
Photos Courtesy of Berkley Fishing
While the Minnow has dominated the spotlight lately—fueled by Dylan Nutt’s Bassmaster Classic victory and Austin Tomasek’s National Walleye Tour win on Lake Erie—Berkley has more to offer in this initial lineup. New releases will include a 6” Shaky Head Worm and a 3.6” Flat Worm. Furthermore, comments on the Berkley Fishing Instagram page hint at future designs, including a rendition of "The General" stickbait for wacky rigging and potentially a "fuzzy dice" or urchin-style bait.
Above: Austin Tomasek won the NWT Lake Erie Event by using FFS and fishing the Lab Series minnow. He firmly believes that the action and scent played a huge factor in getting fish to bite in very dirty water with low visibility. Photos credit to Austin Tomasek. Be sure to follow him on Facebook!
All of this appears to be happening at a time where softbaits are being designed to be premium in action, profile, and performance. These are not the baits of our ancestors to say the least! Recently, Berkley announced their Power Wag Worm from Japan will be available in the USA. By the way things are looking, it appears that we will continue to see things advance on this front and in the development of softbaits across the market. We have found ourselves on the frontier of advancing finesse fishing tackle.
Photo Courtesy of Berkley Fishing
We have witnessed an explosion and benefit of having scents in fishing baits. On pressured bodies of water that receive tremendous angler traffic, scent is a factor that can make the difference between a ride on the struggle bus and a day to remember. Fish have been on earth for millions of years, using their senses to survive. Whether you target bass, walleye, trout, or anything that swims, you want everything going for you to be successful on the water.
The Lab Series is now available for purchase. While the demand is high, visit BerkleyFishing.Com or your favorite fishing tackle retailer to order yours or sign up for notifications when they will be in stock.
Congratulations to those who have been successful with this new product series AND to the development team that worked hard at creating something special. The future is looking optimistic when it comes to the innovation of fishing technology taking us places and doing things we once never could have imagined.
Summer 2020, Lake St Clair. Heavily pressured smallmouth bass could not resist the Maxscent.
“There have been days where I only get bites on Maxscent, and times where I believe my success was because of it. Needless to say I am VERY excited to try the new Lab Series”
