Berkley’s New ’Moeba Has One Big Advantage Over Other Urchin Bass Baits

I chose a favorite stretch of river for a first-time test of the Berkley 'Moeba. Although I had done a bit of research on tactics and retrieves previous to launching the boat that day, for the most part I was going in blind—which to be honest, is often the best way to truly see the merits (or downfalls) of a new bait or lure.

It didn't take long for the 'Moeba to make a solid first impression.

The first fish I landed on the 'Moeba, a chunky 4-pound bass, came charging out from the weed edge—after jigging the urchin a number of times—and simply engulfed the bait in the blink of an eye. It was pretty cool to watch my 'Moeba dancing in place one second and simply vanish the next.

In my thirty years as an outdoor writer, I can unequivocally say that I've never witnessed a lure generate as much hype or fanfare as the soft-plastic urchin-style bass baits of today.

But that buzz seems well-earned, with anglers scoring major tournament wins on the Hideup Coike, CrushCity's The CEO, the Yamamoto Uni, 6th Sense's The Abstract, or the Berkley 'Moeba—to name just a few of the many urchin baits flooding the fishing tackle market.

Hailing from Japan, the Hideup Coike is the original urchin-style bait. Problem is, its virtually impossible to find. Spotting the trend, and knowing how savvy fishing brands are today, a multitude of urchin copies quickly cropped up. The Berkley PowerBait MaxScent 'Moeba is one of them, but this Berkley offering is a little different than the rest.

Here's a snapshot review of my first time fishing a 'Moeba—and why that initial 4-pounder is likely only the beginning.

The Low-Down on the Berkley PowerBait MaxScent 'Moeba

Similar in looks to other urchin-style baits on the market, one key difference that separates the 'Moeba from the rest is body composition. Whereas other urchins are constructed using TPE (thermoplastic elastomer), the 'Moeba's makeup is soft plastisols.

The packaging that houses the suspended Berkley PowerBait MaxScent 'Moeba. | Justin Hoffman

This gives these baits denser properties but also renders them less durable. It does allow for the saturation of scent - and if you know anything about PowerBait and MaxScent - its that this one-two punch is an absolute game changer when it comes to tricking bass into biting.
No other urchins currently on the market are capable of replicating this obvious advantage.

The Berkley 'Moeba is available in six lifelike and proven colors and can be purchased in either a 3.5" or 4.5" version. The latter gives off a big profile - but as I found out when fishing one, it was an easy meal for even a pound-and-change largemouth bass.

The author holds a 3.5" Berkley PowerBait MaxScent 'Moeba in Green Pumpkin. | Justin Hoffman

Putting the Berkley 'Moeba to Work on a Slop Edge

I found a long stretch of floating slop off the main channel, a perfectly defined edge over five feet of water, and with a light wind blowing directly into it. I had a gut feeling bass would be staging on this outside edge, waiting patiently to ambush any prey that swam by. It seemed like a perfect spot to pitch a 'Moeba.

The author worked a slop edge with a Berkley 'Moeba to test out its fish-catching merits. | Justin Hoffman

For the hardware, I went with a two-pronged frog hook borrowed from a beat-up, hollow-bodied bait I had sitting around. I began pitching an unweighted 4.5" 'Moeba in the Bloodshot hue, while using a flipping stick, to the slop edge. This largest Berkley version definitely has some bulk to it, so choosing stout gear will be your best bet.

When fished unweighted, the 'Moeba has a slow fall rate. Which to be honest, I really liked. While my go-to flipping jig would quickly make its way to bottom, this urchin bait sank slowly without a worry in the world, meaning its time in the strike zone greatly increased.

I worked the 'Moeba much in the same manner I would work a flipping jig or Texas-rigged plastic, letting it fall down along the slop edge, before lifting and shaking it in place. I found that because of the slow sink rate, I was spending two to three times longer working it on each pitch—which I'm sure accounted for more fish.

The action on this bait is pretty cool. With the myriad of tentacles fluttering on the fall, they would shift back and flare when lifting or jigging the bait. With the water relatively clear in this section of river, I was able to maintain a visual through each cast and subsequent retrieve.

The author and his first 'Moeba fish. | Justin Hoffman

I continued to work my way along the slop edge, picking off bass here and there with the 'Moeba. Almost every fish charged the bait and sucked it in, but not all immediately, as one or two fish did slowly swim out to inspect the bait before committing. I honestly feel that's where the merits of scent make a big difference.

And don't let the large profile of this bait scare you. It certainly didn't the fish, as I caught a number of pound-and-a-half bass that had no issue cramming the 'Moeba in their mouth with ease.

Experimenting With Different 'Moeba Rigs

Watch this video to see how I rigged the Berkley 'Moeba:

One thing I quickly learned about urchin baits is that there's a seemingly endless way to rig them. Although the unweighted frog hook proved itself along the weed edge, I was curious how the 'Moeba would respond to added weight.

With no nails in the boat, I experimented with a small Tungsten worm weight simply inserted into the body. That worked well for a few fish, but the body of my 'Moeba began to tear and open up where the weight penetrated the plastic.

Fortunately, any rips my 'Moeba suffered were easily remedied by simply heating up a paper clip with a lighter and seal-heating the plastic back into shape. Worked like a charm.

The author shows off the two best fish of the day that were tricked into biting the Berkley PowerBait MaxScent 'Moeba. | Justin Hoffman

I'll be experimenting with different weight options the next time I head out. I was having so much fun fishing the edges of slop with the 'Moeba that I didn't even get a chance to work this lure in open water like one would a jerkbait—a tried and proven successful technique where urchins are known to shine.

Keep an eye out for a Part Two to this story in which I expand on how I fish it and what I've learned with the Berkley 'Moeba.

What Did I Think of the Berkley PowerBait MaxScent 'Moeba?

To sum things up: I really loved throwing this bait. The 'Moeba is a unique soft plastic that's fun to fish. Its different from pretty much anything I've thrown before, and I think that's one reason why I had a blast tossing it. It's likely also why bass were readily eating it up.

Although the shape is similar to other urchins on the market, its the body composition and scent infusion that puts the 'Moeba in a class of its own. If you've ever thrown a Berkley 'The General', or tried out the new Lab Series, then you know how much of a game changer smell and taste truly can be.

I'm eager to put more time on the water with these baits come fall, especially experimenting with rigging options and giving new tactics a try. Don't get me wrong. I had one of my better days this season simply pitching this bait to weed edges. But I'm pretty sure I've just scratched the surface of what this new-to-market bait is truly capable of.

Check out the full lineup of Berkley PowerBait MaxScent 'Moeba's HERE.

Learn 3 Must-Know Retrieves For the Berkley Chop Block Glide Bait HERE.

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