On March 15, Dylan Nutt took the 2026 Bassmaster Classic victory with an impressive 66.13-pound bag. Nutt kind of let the cat out of the bag at weigh-in, when he informed everybody about the top-secret bait he used to take the W: Berkley Lab Series.
Berkley’s new Lab Series is a line of small-batch, layered baits that feature Berkley’s new water-activated rapid release MaxScent Slime. I was fortunate enough to attend a media event hosted by Berkley prior to the Classic, where they explained all that went into the new line up.
A Bait for Modern Angling
It’s hard to ignore the role of forward-facing sonar in fishing these days, and Berkley wanted a way to capitalize on the tech, though that wasn’t the only driving force behind the baits’ development. Berkeley wanted to create a bait that would make those fish that anglers could see following their bait bite, not just swim up and stare. They figured the key to doing so was creating a scent that fish couldn’t resist; if Nutt’s victory is any indication, it sure seems like they got that dialed in.
At the event, Berkley had a few tanks set up, with a dowel and fishing line set up to dunk the Lab Series stuff. For the demonstration, they added some purple pigment to the MaxScent Slime coating to illustrate how it was dispersed throughout the water. Well, it was a pretty effective illustration. For about 20 minutes or so, there was a continual slick of purple dye and scent oozing off the baits.
Berkley’s scientists stated that 40 years of scent development went into the new line, and it sure seems that way. As a guy who fishes the salt a lot, I really came to appreciate how well Gulp! seemed to get scent in the water: It all but replaced bait for a variety of species for me. The MaxScent Slime on the new Lab Series baits seems to take that premise to next level, distributing even more scent — while keeping a hefty dose of fish-attracting slime firmly attached to the bait. Picking up a wet bait, it almost feels alive, and can make the soft plastic hard to grip. And that slime sticks to your fingers
The company says the baits are “small batch,” due to the nature of the pour required to get the layering needed for the colors, as well as the scent layer. It seems like they got the plastisol mix pretty dialed in, as the demonstration in the casting tank showed excellent motion on all the baits. Of particular note was the jighead/minnow combo they threw; that seemed to have just the right amount of roll. Even without the scent, that one seemed like a real winner. The tail had an excellent, tight twitch to it as well.
Even More Options to Come
The line is pretty varied, with a bait for just about every technique; however, Berkley says that this is a “platform, not just a line” and that anglers can expect to see even more shapes in the years to come. For the introduction, anglers can pick up a finesse worm, minnow, and flat worm. This should cover most of the bases. The color palette is wide, with the flat worm coming in nine colors, and the other profiles 10.
Those who like drop shot and other finesse techniques should check out the six-inch finesse worm. It has the ideal profile for light-line techniques and a gentle touch, and the scent is sure to close the deal. Color offerings include bold bluegill, ember jelly fusion, morning dawn red flake, oxblood red flake, payload, platinum shad, prism shad, spectrum, sunset, and violet morning dawn. These ship in packs of 10.
Berkeley also crafted a flat worm with the new MaxScent Slime, as the smallie guys can’t seem to get enough of this profile. The tank demo showed the same movement anglers already love from the MaxScent version currently available. Measuring 3.6 inches, the flat worm will come in ember jelly fusion, Highland shad, obsidian black, oxblood red flake, platinum shad, prism shad, tactical, violet morning dawn, and Wakasagi. Expect them to come in packs of 10.
And finally, we have the minnow. This is probably the most popular bait profile in bass fishing right now, so Berkley wanted to get it just right. As I mentioned earlier, this one seemed to swim really well in the tank, with plenty (but not too much!) roll and just the tail is just stiff enough to move how it should, at least in my opinion. The 5.25-inch version ships in packs of six; the 6.5-inch model is available in packs of five. Colorways include acid shad, electric shad, gizzard shad, Highland shad, limestone, phantom herring, platinum shad, silver shad, threadfin, and Wakasagi.
Coming Soon
As of this writing, the new Lab Series is expected to be available for purchase May 5, 2026. Each ships in a rigid blister pack, which will ensure each bait arrives the way it was designed, with no curled tails or baits doubled over in themselves.
I was lucky enough to have a few packs sent to me, and I plan on hitting the water with them as soon as possible. Cold water shouldn’t be any match for that new flatworm!
