Berkley PowerBait CullShad Swimbait: OHUB Review

On the subject of concentrating on huge bass, the pattern of throwing outsized baits has dominated the fishing neighborhood in recent times. Though I’ve by no means thrown too many outsized baits, I’m at all times looking out for brand spanking new choices. After listening to the identify “Cullshad” uttered by quite a few of my bass event fishing buddies, I made a decision to attempt one out and see what the fuss was about.

Specs

• Sizes: 6″ (1 1/5 oz), 8″
• Hook: Pre-rigged harness with Fusion19™ treble hook
• Know-how: Patent-pending PowerBait Honey Comb Know-how
• Good Weighting: Adjustable depth management with nail weights
• Materials: Smooth plastic with honeycomb reinforcement
• Doable Functions: Shallow cowl, docks, factors, seawalls, bluffs

First Impressions

Upon unboxing the CullShad, the substantial measurement instantly catches your consideration. I used to be utilizing the 6-inch measurement. That is undoubtedly a “huge bait for large fish” design. The construct high quality is spectacular, with Berkley’s Honey Comb Know-how seen within the tail part. The pre-rigged harness setup with the hook clip retention system reveals considerate engineering; no want for particular rigging abilities to get began. The sensible weighting system with pre-determined spots for including nail weights is a intelligent contact that extends the lure’s versatility. The colours are vibrant and life like, exhibiting cautious consideration to mimicking pure forage. Total, it looks like a premium providing within the harness-style swimbait class.

Rating: 9.3/10

On-the-Water Efficiency

I examined the CullShad at a lavatory adjoining to a close-by swamp, which isn’t precisely the best atmosphere for this lure, which I rapidly found. The dense construction and hanging moss created challenges for working with this huge bait successfully. The CullShad requires an honest retrieval pace to keep up its motion, making it much less appropriate for tight, structure-heavy environments.

Nevertheless, what grew to become obvious was the lure’s capacity to run true at numerous speeds with out the dreaded “blowout” that plagues many swimbaits. The motion is easy and lifelike, creating a considerable wake that draws consideration. After I managed to seek out open water for longer casts, the bait’s swimming movement was hypnotic; even pushing a slight wake when retrieved alongside the floor.

Regardless of the difficult location, the second of reality got here after I made an extended solid to the opposite aspect of the lavatory. As quickly because the lure hit the water, I noticed an enormous wake heading straight for it. A 3-pound bass completely crushed the bait, setting off an thrilling battle that ultimately led me to wade into the water to free the fish from a submerged log. That have alone validated the lure’s effectiveness as a big-bass attractor.

Rating: 9.5/10

Sturdiness The CullShad’s Honey Comb Know-how isn’t simply advertising jargon—it genuinely enhances the bait’s longevity. After a number of collisions with logs, branches, and different construction, the bait confirmed minimal harm. The strengthened tail part, which is usually the primary half to tear on swimbaits, maintained its integrity impressively properly.

The pre-rigged harness system additionally proved surprisingly powerful. The hook clip retention system saved the treble hook secured throughout casts however launched completely when the bass struck. This design considerably reduces the frustration of hooks catching on particles throughout retrieval.

Even after touchdown that aggressive 3-pounder and the following battle with the log, the CullShad remained intact and fishable. This sturdiness issue is essential contemplating the premium value level of harness-style swimbaits.

Rating: 9.4/10

Effectiveness

Whereas my testing circumstances weren’t ideally suited, the CullShad proved its value with that single, decisive strike. This lure is clearly designed for extra open water eventualities—round docks, shallow factors, seawalls, and bluffs—the place its substantial profile and wake-generating motion can shine.

The sensible weighting system provides versatility by permitting anglers to regulate the sink charge for various eventualities. This characteristic extends the CullShad’s effectiveness past the standard harness swimbait purposes, doubtlessly making it helpful in barely deeper water conditions.

What impressed me most was how rapidly the bait generated a response strike, even in less-than-perfect circumstances. The mixture of its measurement, motion, and PowerBait scent expertise appears to set off the predatory intuition in bass successfully.

For anglers particularly concentrating on trophy bass in the precise environments (which admittedly wasn’t my testing state of affairs), the CullShad seems to be a extremely efficient possibility that mixes the most effective facets of conventional harness swimbaits with Berkley’s modern applied sciences.

Rating: 8.8/10

Last Ideas

The Berkley PowerBait CullShad is greatest suited to event anglers seeking to land trophy-class bass when 5 bites must rely. Its substantial profile and lifelike motion excel at triggering aggressive strikes from greater fish—precisely what you want when competing for a giant bag.

This isn’t a finesse bait by any means, and my expertise confirmed it’s undoubtedly not beneficial for fishing in shut quarters with heavy construction or vegetation. I’d mush quite use it in additional open water eventualities—lake factors, flats, seawalls, and round docks with enough house to work the bait.

For anglers keen to decide to the “huge bait, huge fish” philosophy and who fish predominantly open water, the CullShad gives a compelling possibility that mixes sturdiness with fish-catching motion. Nevertheless, in case your typical fishing spots contain tight areas and heavy cowl, you may need to save this one for these particular journeys to extra appropriate waters the place you may really unleash its potential.

Keith Lusher

Keith Lusher is an award-winning out of doors journalist who resides in Covington, Louisiana. He owns and operates NorthshoreFishingReport.com and writes a weekly out of doors column for the Slidell Unbiased Newspaper. He additionally writes for the St.Tammany Parish Tourism Fee’s VisitTheNorthshore.com. He’s the previous host of The Northshore Fishing Report Radio Present and is on the board of the Louisiana Out of doors Writers Affiliation. Keith contributes to quite a few publications each on-line and in print and prides himself on selling South Louisiana’s distinctive fishery. To contact Keith e mail: keithlusherjr@gmail.com