Berkley

Berkley at Charlie's Fishing: the Fusion19 screw-in jig head for big softbaits

Berkley is an American tackle brand that started in June 1937 in Spirit Lake, Iowa, when the 16-year-old Berkley Bedell used $50 from his paper round to sell hand-tied flies. From there it grew into the company behind Trilene line, PowerBait and Gulp!, and today Berkley is a brand of Pure Fishing. At Charlie's Fishing we stock one Berkley product, picked for European predator fishing with softbaits: the Berkley Screw-In Jighead, sold by Berkley as the Fusion19 Screw-In Head. Below you find what it is for and which weight to choose.

Berkley Screw-In Jighead: screw-in head with a stinger eye

The Berkley Screw-In Jighead has no fixed hook running through the lure. Instead, a screw twists into the nose of the softbait, so the shad stays firmly in place through casting, jigging and repeated retrieves, and you can swap softbaits quickly without tearing them. Besides the line eye it has a separate eye for a stinger, and depending on your setup you can fit one or two stingers. That makes it a good head for larger shads and paddle tails for pike and zander, cast along weed edges and drop-offs, fished vertically, or worked through open water for pelagic fishing. It comes in 5, 7, 10, 14, 18, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60 and 80 g, with 3 heads per pack from 5 to 14 g and 2 heads per pack from 18 to 80 g. Pick a stinger in Rigs & Stingers and compare it with the other heads in Jigheads.

Which Berkley Screw-In Jighead weight for which situation

• Smaller softbaits in shallow water for zander and perch: 5 to 10 g.
• Shads for pike and zander in canals, rivers and lakes: 14 to 25 g.
• Bigger softbaits, deeper water or pelagic fishing from the boat: 30 to 50 g.
• Large softbaits in deep water or current, or vertical fishing at depth: 60 to 80 g.
• Shads to put on it: Pike Softbaits and Paddle Tails. See also Pelagic, Pike and Zander.

Why buy Berkley at Charlie's Fishing

We picked the Berkley Screw-In Jighead because it is a simple, strong way to rig big softbaits with a stinger, and we stock it next to the shads and stingers it is made for. Every order ships from our own stock in the Netherlands with fast delivery across Europe, and we are happy to help you choose the right weight and stinger for your softbait and your water.

Where does Berkley come from?

Berkley is an American brand, founded in 1937 by Berkley Bedell in Spirit Lake, Iowa. Today it is part of Pure Fishing.

Why use a screw-in jig head instead of a normal jig head?

The screw holds the softbait by the nose without a hook running through the body, so the shad keeps its natural action, stays in place, and can be changed in seconds. You add the hooks yourself with one or two stingers.

Which Berkley Screw-In Jighead weight should I choose?

Choose the lightest weight that still keeps contact with the bottom or holds the depth you want. As a rule of thumb, 14 to 25 g suits most shad fishing for pike and zander, lighter heads suit shallow water and smaller softbaits, and 30 g and up suit deep water, current and big softbaits.