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Lure Review

 

 

Mike Iaconelli's Powerbait Flute Worm by Berkley is no Fluke

 

Date: 3/14/23
Tackle Type: Lures
Manufacturer: Berkley
Reviewer: Cal






Total Score: 7.67 - GOOD

Introduction:
Berkley continues to fill out their soft plastic bait arsenal releasing a series of signature baits tweaked and designed by their top of the line pros. We are in the process of looking at some of their newest PowerBait lures including the Maxscent Flat Worm but before that review goes live let's take a look at one of Berkley's classics. With the help of Mike Iaconelli this the Flute Tail Worm was created for those dedicated Neko/wacky/shaky head fishermen.

 

Berkley Powerbait Flute Worm Specifications

Type Worm (Neko Rig Bait)
Material Soft Plastic
Colors/Patterns 12
Sizes 4.7", 5.7", 6.7"
Scent/Plastic Treatment PowerBait
# per package 15, 12, 10
Resealable Bag? Yes
MSRP $4.99 - $6.99

 

Impressions: When I look at Berkley's Flute Tail worm, what comes to mind instead of a worm is a lamprey. The Flute's body is long and tapered like an eel and its head has this concave hole reminiscent of the parasitic creature's mouth. However, where a lamprey has a smooth body, the Flute has molded ridges along its length with three distinct depressions signifying optimal o-ring placement. This bait is custom tailored for those who like their baits a little wacky.

 


Time to take a look at Berkley's PowerBait Flute Worm

Real World Tests: I fished Berkley's Flute worm on a variety of spinning and casting setups primarily on fluorocarbon line ranging between six to ten pound test. It has plenty of heft to be fished on casting gear.


When I look at Berkley's Flute Tail worm, what comes to mind instead of a worm is a lamprey

 

Ease of Rigging : If ever there was a worm custom tailored to be fished on a Neko rig (nail wait in head, small finesse hook in the middle of the body somewhere), Berkley's Flute worm is it. The concave head makes it super easy to conceal your favorite size and brand nail weight and the ridges along the bait's body make it super easy to place your o-ring of choice. In my case, I made use of Frenzy's Wacky Saddle.

 


The ridges along the bait's body make it super easy to place your o-ring of choice

 

Ease of Actuation : Once rigged and in the water, the Flute worm is pretty lively. Along with the concave head and o-ring ridges, the Flute worm is tapered from head to tail ending in a point. All it takes to get this bait to dance is a twitch of your rod tip or any movement that tightens your line. The bait responds quite readily.

 


I made use of Frenzy's Wacky Saddle.

 

Quality of Movement : In particular, that tapered point of the tail dances around like a rider trying to impress the crowd with his abilities on a mechanical bull. Fortunately, with the right hook and o-ring attachment, you don't have to worry about the Flute worm being thrown.

 


The concave head makes it super easy to place your favorite size and brand nail weight

 

Position at Rest : When you're not trying to make it dance, the Flute worm does a decent job standing upright at rest. I had an easier time getting the larger sizes to stand in the water than I did the small ones, but it's still a kind of 50/50 game. It helps if you're using a nail weight with a flat head and push it in straight - something I'm inconsistent with myself.

 


A look at that concave head

Durability : If you fish this worm on a wacky rig, durability is pretty darn good. The bait's consistency is pretty soft though, so fished with a hook through the body like in a Texas rig or similar results in average durability.


The Flute Worm's tail ends in a nice point

Design & Ergonomics: Berkley's Power Bait Flute worm is available in three sizes (4.7, 5.7, 6.7 inches) and is of course, fused with the company's famous Powerbait formula. They come packaged in very convenient (and necessary when talking about Powerbait) resealable bags. There are twelve colors from which to choose and those that I fished (Green Pumpkin, IKE's Green Pumpkin Blue Flash, Green Weenie, IKE's Morning Dawn) had a very nice translucency.


The Flute Worm also makes a nice replacement tail on your favorite rat bait

Price & Applications: The Flute worm varies in price from $4.99 through $6.99 depending on the size. This is one soft plastic bait product that demands to be fished the way in which it was designed because it so very easy to rig in that manner. However, being the out of the tackle box rebel that I am, I did find an alternate use for it as a replacement tail on a topwater rat - specifically, 22nd Century's Nezuma Rat. Just a little crazy glue to reinforce the connection and voila, a colorful rat tail.

Ratings:

Berkley Powerbait Flute Worm Ratings (?/10)

Construction/Quality Consistent bait to bait with very good color patterns 8
Performance Didn't stand up on the bottom consistently for me 7
Price Price per bait per size is good 8
Features Resealable bag and infused with Powerbait 7
Design (Ergonomics) Good staple of colors and simplified rigging thanks to bait's design 8
Application A very technique specific soft plastic worm 8

Total Score

7.67
Ratings Key: 1 = terrible : 2 = poor : 3 = lacking : 4 = sub par : 5 = mediocre : 6 = fair : 7 = good : 8 = great : 9 = excellent : 10 = unbelievable!
For More Details of the updated rating system visit our explanation here

 

Pluses and Minuses:

Plus

Minus
+ This bait makes wacky rigging a breeze - Tail could be a little more buoyant
+ Ridges to help secure o-ring placement  
+ Powerbait infused  
+ Very fishable colors  

  

Berkley's Powerbait Flute worm is so easy and intuitive to rig it's almost like a wacky worming for dummies self help guide and product all in one

 

Conclusion: Berkley's Powerbait Flute worm is so easy and intuitive to rig it's almost like a Wacky Worming for Dummies self help guide and product all in one. To top it all off, thanks to that infusion of Powerbait, it actually works! The o-ring ridges along the bait are not only a useful guide in helping you decide where to place the o-rings, but if used properly, they hold the rings in place. The concave head helps to conceal all but the largest nail weight products for a more stealthy presentation and make it easy to pull the weights back out when you're breaking your tackle down for the day. This is one very unique, and fun, technique specific soft plastic worm to fish.

 

Looking for Berkley Powerbait Flute Worms?

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