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Berkley Champ Minnow

Discussion in 'Fishing Tips, Tricks, and Hacks' started by Mike B., Aug 20, 2019.

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  1. Mike B.

    Mike B. Well-Known Member

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    I've been waiting for this one! Gonna be a surefire hit this Fall, now that it's available.

    Check out the Dace and Emerald Shiner HD colors. Woods Smallies, Walleye and Greenbacks likely won't resist those two.

    http://www.berkley-fishing.com/berkley-bait-soft-bait-berkley-powerbait/powerbait-the-champ-minnow/1509874.html

    Berkley also has (finally) a wicked underspin jig that's comparable to the ones you find for up to $12, but way more reasonably priced, as well as some deadly looking hardbaits in the 2020 line up.
     
    Mike B., Aug 20, 2019
    #1
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  2. Jason7mm

    Jason7mm Well-Known Member

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    i like the looks of those
     
    Jason7mm, Aug 20, 2019
    #2
  3. Mike B.

    Mike B. Well-Known Member

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    Dropshot candy.

    Had the Emerald Shiner and Dace in my hand last night.....the Shiner is as close to the real thing as I've seen, and has the classic Power Bait smell......my pants moved.
     
    Mike B., Aug 20, 2019
    #3
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  4. Jason7mm

    Jason7mm Well-Known Member

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    but will it bring back the days of 100 fish an hour? lol
     
    Jason7mm, Aug 20, 2019
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  5. Mike B.

    Mike B. Well-Known Member

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    Nope, I heard those days are done.... :tearsofjoy:
     
    Mike B., Aug 20, 2019
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  6. craigm

    craigm Well-Known Member

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    Those look REALLY good...wow.
     
    craigm, Aug 20, 2019
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  7. LizLakeZed

    LizLakeZed Well-Known Member

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    It will be good to hear some first hand experience on how they perform, and their durability. I have had good luck with some Berkley soft plastics in the past but their durability (or lack of) has left me wanting more.
     
    LizLakeZed, Aug 20, 2019
    #7
  8. Mike B.

    Mike B. Well-Known Member

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    These are stretchier than most Power Bait. Not as stretchy as Zman, but nice and squishy

    I actually get a sense of satisfaction from using a whole pack in a day from fish (not snags)
     
    Mike B., Aug 20, 2019
    #8
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  9. Gord

    Gord Well-Known Member

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    Ok my man eyes don't see Dace anywhere...
     
    Gord, Aug 21, 2019
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  10. Mike B.

    Mike B. Well-Known Member

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    Sorry, my mistake, Blacknose Shiner is the one I'm referring to. The Emerald Shiner was the one that really got me excited.
     
    Mike B., Aug 22, 2019
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  11. Gord

    Gord Well-Known Member

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    When will they be available? As much as I try plastics, dead minnow bait seems to out do plastics all the time. I dedicated two days to plastic this week and only had one bite. Ned rig with a Zman plastic on. I guess it’s a matter of matching the plastic with what’s biting. My buddies were using Nate’s minnows and I was using black and silver plastic and they out did me by a wide margin. They also looked at me with a WTF look when I didn’t have minnow bait on. I told them I didn’t care about how many fish I caught I was trying plastic only. Lol
    I also tried drop shotting with plastics and zippo.
     
    Gord, Aug 22, 2019
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  12. Mike B.

    Mike B. Well-Known Member

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    They're available now Gord. Click the link above and 'add to cart'.

    With soft plastics, you have to impart the chosen action you want, rather than using it as if it's a piece of meat. With plastics, you often have to set the hook quicker as well.

    There's some excellent vids on how to fish a Ned rig.

    Time a and a place for every bait...that's the trump card. Some are good all season, some have shorter windows. Trial and error.

    For eater eyes on Woods, tough to beat a 3" Power Minnow. Smelt is my fave. Pops and bottom taps and hold/hover it for a couple seconds....pop...pop..pop...hold..pop..pop..pop..tap bottom...lift, hold repeat. Cross eyes hard :)
     
    Mike B., Aug 22, 2019
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  13. Gord

    Gord Well-Known Member

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    How do you determine the height of the hook, is it the height you see them at or just a general 2 feet up and leave it there?
     
    Gord, Aug 22, 2019
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  14. Jneuf

    Jneuf Well-Known Member

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    2-3’ is a good starting point for walleye. But take a look on your electronics and see if fish are off bottom or not and adjust from there.
     
    Jneuf, Aug 22, 2019
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  15. Gord

    Gord Well-Known Member

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    How about weight? Sry for all the questions but some videos don’t relate to how we fish here.
     
    Gord, Aug 22, 2019
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  16. Mike B.

    Mike B. Well-Known Member

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    Voodoo magic Gord :p

    Keep it simple-- if you want to go deep, use heavy, like 5/8.

    Tie a long snell. Dropshot weights just clip onto the line so you can adjust...start high, if they don't wanna come up, go shallower, and so on

    Always have one guy try a jig while the other dropshots. It's a day by day preference to either. Sometimes it's all about the magician, rather than the wand tho. Some guys can get bit steady with a dropshot and arent as proficient with a jig, and vice versa....
     
    Mike B., Aug 22, 2019
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  17. Gord

    Gord Well-Known Member

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    Thanks @Mike B. and everyone else here for your patience with an old sod..
     
    Gord, Aug 22, 2019
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  18. Cheebers

    Cheebers Well-Known Member

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    I'll be honest; the spot where the tail meets the body is a weak point. I managed to pop off the tail pretty easily.
     
    Cheebers, Aug 23, 2019
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  19. Mike B.

    Mike B. Well-Known Member

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    Do you have them at LOTW Sports @Cheebers ? (please say yes, I was limited as to what I could order)

    Durability, to me, is maybe the bottom 50% of what I look for in a soft bait. The top 50% would be- "does it get bit/catch fish?" Followed by- does it rig nicely?
    Honestly, I kinda like to have a rubber graveyard at the bow of the boat at the end of the day :smile: I get a certain satisfaction of burning thru a pack of PowerBait (or 2) in a day. Means I was getting bit!

    For the Champ Minnow, at least in the HD colors, I'd say the closest comparison would be the Jackall Clone Fry. Also very realistic dropshot minnow, but more rigid I find. I prefer the movement of a supple soft bait for dropshotting, and that thin tail on the Champ Minnow makes the V of the tail move nicely.

    As you're aware I'm sure, the Keitech tails also come off real easy, but that's part of what makes them so appetizing. Greenbacks and snotrockets rip that tail off so often.

    I'll gladly re-buy pack after pack of a fragile bait if it gets bit regularly because of it's performance.

    My thoughts anyhow...
     
    Mike B., Aug 23, 2019
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  20. Cheebers

    Cheebers Well-Known Member

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    I saw some samples and a catalogue. Pretty sure we will be seeing some in the near future.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
    Cheebers, Aug 23, 2019
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