The boys at Penn and Berkley have been hard at work. Both brands are currently rolling out new product lines that are impressive and include new, perhaps surprising, categories from these long-established and trusted fishing brands.
Under the Pure Fishing umbrella, the sibling brands held a joint media event this summer at the historic Tarpon Lodge on Pine Island, Florida. They invited a handful of outdoors journalists to herald the launch of a slew of new Berkley lures, the new Penn Fierce V spinning reel, and a new line of Penn-branded soft bags (which we’ll cover in a separate post).
Paired us with brand representatives and captains, we set out in shallow-draft center consoles for two days of slinging artificials to snook, trout, redfish, tarpon and more. Instead of just telling us, Penn and Berkley let the expansive grass flats of southwest Florida show us what their new gear can do.
Penn Fierce V Spinning Reel
“It’s going to be a huge seller for us,” said Penn senior product manager Ben Joyce pointing to the bright red Penn Fierce V spinning reel I held in my hand. This was on the second morning of the event. I had already spent a full day chucking and working lures and fighting fish with 2500- and 3000-size Fierce V reels with no complaints.
Granted, they were fresh out of the box, but these reels operate smoothly. With a solid feel and a 6.2:1 gear ratio in the mid-sizes, they’re versatile yet live in the sweet spot for picking up line and working lures—from topwaters to soft plastics. The Fierce V performed well while skipping docks and bombing long casts to cover water over the flats.
Here’s a head scratcher. Over two full days with 10 anglers slinging lures on braided line, I did not see one wind knot. Maybe it was witchcraft, maybe someone spooled those reels very carefully, or maybe Penn is onto something with the new beveled lip on the reel’s spool?
The Fierce V is a solid reel at a surprisingly good price point. Penn managed to stuff expensive technology into a reel that sells for about $100. Precision CNC Gear Technology is smooth and had the cranking power to subdue the 50-pound tarpon I hung into on the second afternoon of the trip. I believe that was with a 4000- or 5000-size reel, and the HT-100 carbon fiber drag performed flawlessly through several exhilarating jumps as the fish pulled off a hundred yards of line.
The Penn Fierce V spinner is available in sizes 1000 to 6000, with a price range from $99.95 to $144.95.
Berkley’s New Lure Lineup
Will Pate was visibly excited when he stood up after a fantastic dinner at the Tarpon Lodge Restaurant to present Berkley’s new line of saltwater lures. As Berkley’s brand manager for saltwater lures, he had every right to be. New designs cover several styles of hard and soft baits and include some innovative tweaks.
These new Berkley Powerbait lures tempt fish with a lot more than just the PowerBait flavor the brand has become synonymous with. I fished all these hard and soft baits over the course of the trip and caught fish on most of them.
Soft Baits
Berkley PowerBait Shrimperor
With the Shrimperor (say that three times fast), Berkley has created an ultra-realistic soft shrimp imitation with a lifelike action and legs that pulse like a live swimming shrimp. This pre-rigged shrimp is balanced for a gliding descent. It has a line-through design that allows the lure to slide up the line during the fight, reducing the leverage fish use to throw hooks. It’s molded with patented Honey Comb Technology that maximizes action and durability.
This lure proved effective for flipping, pitching and skipping docks for mangrove snapper and snook. The one drawback with this lure was the need to re-rig completely when a pinfish or puffer nibbled the tail off, which is true of any pre-rigged shrimp. The Shrimperor is available in 3.5-, 4-, and 5-inch sizes in 10 colors. Price ranges from $7.99 to $13.99, depending on size, for a two-lure pack.
Berkley PowerBait Saltwater Glide
When you’re ready to swing for the fences for trophy snook, tarpon, bull reds, gator trout, stripers or any fish looking for a big mouthful, check out these new soft glide baits. A crossover from freshwater, glide baits are trending in saltwater right now because they’re fun to fish and target large, aggressive fish.
The 8-inch Hypnoglide has a long-slender profile to mimic baitfish like mullet or ladyfish with a slow side-to-side glide. The 6-inch Salt Block is chunkier, more like a pinfish or menhaden, and has a tight, choppy swimming action. Both styles are pre-tuned for balance and action, with a line-though design and the durability to stand up to powerful saltwater fish.
I fished the 8-inch Hypnoglide around a big ball of bait and rolling tarpon at some old industrial dock pilings. It swam near the surface, almost waking with a seductive shimmy that I’m sure would tempt a big fish in a foul mood. Available in November 2026, 6- and 8-inch glides come in eight colors. A 6-inch Salt Block is $15.99. The 8-inch Hypnoglide is $19.99.
Berkley PowerBait PowerVibe Max
Vibe baits are proven fish producers inshore and offshore, and Berkley’s new soft PowerVibe Max is a hard-thumping vibe with a weedless top hook that allows it to slide through grass and structure. With a fast fall rate, this is an extremely versatile lure that can be ripped, bounced, retrieved steadily or even trolled.
During the media event, I watched one of the other anglers catch a nice inshore gag grouper on a PowerVibe Max. I have no doubt it will be effective for any predatory fish that locks onto it. The PowerVibe Max is available in 3-, 4-, and 5-inch sizes in 10 colors. The 3-inch comes in a pack of three for $13.99. The 4- and 5-inch sizes come in a pack of two for $14.99 and $15.99, respectively.
New Hard Baits
Berkley BlowUp
Extremely castable, this new topwater excelled at covering water on the grass flats. I was impressed with the versatility of the Berkley BlowUp‘s action. It pops with a satisfying bloop, but it wasn’t until I started walking the dog with it that the trout started attacking it. Yep. It’ll do both. The mouth design and weighting system also allow it to wake and leave a bubble trail.
Another boat on the trip got into a school of redfish, and the BlowUp was key to their success. The BlowUp comes in 2.5- and 3.5-inch sizes in eight colors for $11.99.
Berkley CrackBack
Perhaps the most innovative lure in Berkley’s new lineup, the CrackBack is shrimp-imitating hard bait that mimics the backward-fleeing action of a shrimp. Twitch the rod tip and it swims tail first before gliding back down in the opposite direction. You can also switch out the treble hook from the shrimp’s head to its tail, tie into its head and twitch it for a gliding action. You get two different actions from one lure.
The CrackBack is fun to fish and it caught a few trout. I wish I had taken the chance to throw it at the big snook we saw hanging around the docks. The CrackBack comes in 2.75- and 3.5-inch sizes in six colors for $14.99.
Berkley LipStick Shadd
This is a hard bait designed to cover water on shallow flats. With a floating body and a lip, the LipStick Shadd dives to just 18 inches, which makes it a great choice for chucking and winding over distant potholes in the grass. That’s where we had the most success with it on the trip, catching trout until the ladyfish showed up, and then that’s all we could catch on anything.
The LipStick Shadd comes in 3.5- and 4.5-sizes in eight colors for $11.99.
