Berkley Power Baits are the real thing. They are proven fish-catchers. But they don’t last long. If you unseal a bag, they turn into concrete by the next season, so you must replenish your stock on a regular basis.
I had arranged a crappie fishing expedition a few weeks back and needed some Power Bait jigs, but Wal-Mart was out of stock. The only Power Barits they had were 5-packs of Pre-Rigged Pogy Swim Shads. They were about $6. Why not? I bought a pack.
On my first cast with the 2-inch jigs, a 12-inch crappie engulfed my lure, followed by another and another.
These are hot baits, for sure. I also caught a bass and a couple of bull bream on the jigs. I immediately went back to Wal-Mart and stocked up. Power Baits will keep if unopened and they store well in the refrigerator if you don’t use them for a while.
As long as we are talking hot baits, I have another tip. The saltwater guys have been scoring big with Fishbites in the Crab Scent. I have had amazing luck with the bloodworm scent for croakers and spot, but the crab scent is hot for drum, trout and other species, or so I hear. I’m heading for the coast in a few weeks, and I’ll give a full report.
Lake Orange Report
Contributed by Darrell Kennedy of Angler’s Landing (540-672-3997) Water temperatures are in the low 70s and clear with bass and crappie heading to their summer patterns. Bass can be caught on top waters and soft plastics. Crappie can be caught on small minnows and jigs. Sunfish are in full swing of their spawn. A few nice walleye have been caught using harness rigs tipped with nightcrawlers.