Pure Fishing is releasing a tacklebox full of new baits at ICAST, the annual sport fishing trade show held each July, and among those are new soft plastics that stand out for their strike appeal.
A job perk that I really enjoy, and who shouldn’t, is the opportunity to review some of those new products before they are launched at retail. Such is the case with the PowerBait PowerStinger, recommended as a bladed jig trailer, while also fitting the bill as a stand-alone swimbait.
Why use a trailer on a bladed jig? That’s a good question. Trailers add strike appeal and bulk that big bass favor for their bigger appetities. Choosing a trailer for a bladed jig comes down to matching the forage being fed upon by the bass. Next, and most important, is you don’t want to use a trailer that hinders the intended design and action of the bait.
For those reasons, swimbaits rank at the top of the list as preferred trailers for bladed jigs. They are narrow and streamlined to not alter the intended action of the jig, while adding even more lifelike strike appeal to the complete package with a lifelike swimming tail.
The PowerStinger swimbait is 4.25 inches in length and will be available in HD Tru Color technology. With over 25 years of continuous research and testing going into perfecting the science behind PowerBait, the addition of HD Tru Color technology adds a dimension of realism to baits to help lure in fish. The vibrant and realistic colors do their job, and then PowerBait formula takes over, offering it’s irresistible and proven scent and flavor combination that makes fish hold on longer for an even greater hook-up ratio.
My package of five baits came enclosed inside individual premolded, divided slots that gave a nod to the quality. The slender body profile features lifelike eyeballs and even pectoral fins. The solid body (for rigging) transitions to a more pliable rear section with tiny indented holes that add action and displace water. The body is finished off with a lifelike tail. Compared side by side, the Gizzard Shad pattern I tried closely resembles the real thing.
Rigged on the new Berkley Slobberknocker, the lifelike, swimming tail was unobstructed by the skirt, making it perfect as a bladed jig trailer as recommended by Berkley. The tail had just the right action when pulled steadily through the water. Spoiler alert: The Slobberknocker is another new ICAST release, and I got to review it, too.
A swimbait, the PowerStinger is also ideal for fishing on a swimbait head. I rigged it on a 1/4-ounce Berkley Fusion19 Swimbait Head. The PowerStinger is ideally suited for rigging up with this setup with slots in the underbelly and top of the back to keep the hook point slightly exposed for solid hooksets, while protected from getting hung up. The tail action was perfect, thanks to the pliable rear with the tiny indented holes as mentioned before for displacing water and producing lifelike swimming action.
You get three standout benefits in one bait with the PowerStinger. First, Berkley scientists and pros keep refining and adding new shapes and baits to the soft plastics lineup, giving the fish something different. The lifelike HD Tru Color technology adds to the lifelike shapes. And you get 25 years of proven, and continually improving, strike appeal with the PowerBait scent.
