REVEALED: Berkley Lab Series Baits Unveiled After Bassmaster Classic Leak

Dylan Nutt’s big Classic win and partial reveal of his winning lure started a chain of events that has caused Berkley to lift the curtain early and accelerate the launch of its highly anticipated Lab Series baits.

Initially scheduled for a June 1st public reveal, media who attended a closed-door preview in Bardstown, Kentucky prior to the Bassmaster Classic, have been given the green light to share details of what will likely be the most talked-about bait of 2026.

The Classic Moment That Forced the Reveal

Dylan Nutt shows the world the unreleased bait he used. — Dylan Nutt showed the world the unreleased bait he used. | B.A.S.S.

On Championship Sunday, Classic winner Dylan Nutt clearly showed the world the soft plastic minnow he had been guarding. He did say it was an unreleased Berkley product from something they were calling the Lab Series, but left it at that. Of course, the internet speculation spread like wildfire.

Now, the full picture is finally clear.

One of the most impactful moments from the media event was seeing a Lab Series bait create a visible scent cloud in the water. By dyeing the outer slime layer purple for this demo, Berkley showed just how much scent disperses into the water—something anglers never actually get to see on the lake.

The Lab Series isn’t just the minnow Nutt used, it’s multiple shapes and a whole system built around four core pillars: color, action, scent, and taste. The lineup reflects a very deliberate, science-driven approach to bait design in response to a specific challenge in the world of fishing.

A System Built for Modern Bass Fishing

A Berkley employee demonstrating the new Lab Series baits in a casting tank for the fishing media. — The media was given a thorough demonstration of these new baits including a good look at their action in the water while fishing. | Kurt Mazurek

The increasing adoption of forward-facing sonar has come with a shift in what it takes to trigger fish to strike. By combining as many of a bass’ sensory triggers as possible into a single bait, Berkley hopes to give anglers every opportunity for success.

We were told additional profiles are likely to follow, but the initial release includes:

5.25" Minnow (10 colors) — the bait Nutt used to win
6.5" Minnow (10 colors)
6" Finesse Worm (10 colors)
3.6" Flat Worm (9 colors)

Each of these profiles caters to modern techniques, specifically forward-facing sonar applications where fish have a longer than average amount of time to analyze a bait’s potential as a meal.

All of the Berkley Lab series profiles and colors. — With three shapes (minnows in 2 sizes) and a wide range of colors, the Lab Series gives anglers every opportunity to dial into what will make fish bite. | Berkley

Inside Berkley’s Lab Series Bait Design

For decades Berkley has been known for scent and flavor technology, starting with PowerBait and advancing through Gulp! and MaxScent. The Lab Series takes the best of everything they have learned over the years and brings those elements together with precise color development and bait-specific action profiles.

An illustration of a bait cross-section showing the layers of bait construction. — Lab Series was created by Berkley scientists to trigger bites via the four primary proven feeding stimuli: color, action, scent, taste. | Berkley

Each bait is small-batch poured with two layers of PowerBait for taste, a layer of MaxScent for its long-term scent dispersion, and a new MaxScent Rapid Release Slime coating designed to release a cloud of scent around the bait from the second it hits the water.

Berkley Lab Series bait packaging — Even the packaging is special for these baits. | Berkley

Even the packaging was rethought and redesigned specifically for optimal performance. Every bait will be perfectly straight and every effort was made to keep them from getting wet before you're ready to use them.

With the cat partly out of the bag, and an undeniable demonstration of the bait’s effectiveness as Nutt won by nearly 10 pounds over second place, the launch timeline shifted quickly as speculation, attention and interest intensified. Rather than risk incomplete or inaccurate information shaping the Lab Series story, Berkley opted to let attending media tell the full story now.

Berkley’s official press release is set to go live tomorrow, March 24, and the baits are now expected to reach retailers on May 5, 2026.

Proven on the Biggest Stage—Now Demand Becomes the Story

With Nutt’s nearly 10-pound margin of victory, the Lab Series isn’t just another bait launch. This bait has already proven it can win at the sport’s highest level. Now the only question is how Berkley will keep up with the inevitable demand.