The Berkley Frenzy Minnow

When Berkley set out to create the Frenzy Minnow they asked all their bass fishing pros to send in their favorite crankbaits. Their intention was simple yet brilliant, find the common denomiators in preffered lures that produce fish and hone in on the strengths. Use that information to create a powerful lure that will have mass appeal to fish and anglers alike. They got it right in the Frenzy Minnow...kinda.

The first generation Frenzy Minnow was a chrome based lure with painted accents. Available in more than half a dozen color combinations Berkley knew they had a winner - the test tanks in Spirit Lake, Iowa were proving that. The field tests were very good - this lure caught lots of bass. Sales were not impressive and the lure wasn't the huge hit it was expected to be. The minnow could catch fish, but not fishermen. But in San Diego a small group of kayak anglers were having jackpot events with strange and unusual rules. They started limiting themselves to a particular bait or lure and working zones across Mission Bay. What they found out was that the Frenzy medium diver was a killer lure for spotted bay bass. Devin Harmon rode this discovery to a couple of wins at the SDSC kayak tournaments and word got out fast. The medium diver is a perfect match for a majority of areas in the Mission Bay area - it dives between 9 and 12 feet which is the depth of most areas. Add this with the body shape being so similar to the local #1 forage fish, the northern anchovie, and it's a natural choice for saltwater bass fishing.

compare the northern anchovie with the frenzy minnow (photo: Devin Harmon)

The medium diver weighs in at 1/2 oz and is easily cast on inshore bass tackle, trolled or cranked through the flats or over eel grass it has proved very, very successful at catching bass of all sizes. Barracuda, bonito, smelt and halibut also seem to love this lure.

Frenzys then became a defacto lure in tackle boxes for anyone targeting bay bass. The first Plastic Navy tournament saw people scrambling to find Frenzys beforehand and trading them on the morning of the launch. Frenzys had arrived in San Diego.

About a year later, knowing they had a winner despite marginal sales, Berkley revamped the Frenzy line with a new body slip of holographic prisms. The colors and paint jobs were mostly the same but now what were plain chrome or reflective areas were now enhanced with the holographic finish. While there wasn't a noticeable difference in their test results the sales picked up - it was catching more anglers. This affected local anglers little, they Frenzy was still popular but the "old school chrome" became a hotter item and hoarding began.

The holographic model didn't seem to last long and then the rumors of the discontinuation of the Frenzys began. Ebay, outlets, tackle shops, they were all being raided for their remaning stocks. People found a source for the original chrome lures and wiped them out in three days.

Sure enough, a time came when Cabela's ran out of even the least preferred colors and the well seemed to dry up. Local anglers began ordering new lures and trying different styles to find the Frenzy replacement. But no sooner had those boxes of walleye deep runners and shad baits arrived then word came of a newly designed Frenzy replacement. this time it had a molded scale body type with more vibrant colors.

Skepticism reigned for a while - such a large departure from the body styles that had been such successes was troubling to local vets of the Frenzy era. The sales, however, are better Berkley and the skepticism was unwarranted. It seems that the body style is the most important factor in this lure and color 2nd. Colors do matter, of course, as is proven time and time again. The history of this hot crankbait proves that some lures catch fish and some lures catch fisherman and it's a challenge to find the lure that does both. Tthe Frenzy seems to be here to stay...again...for now.

Some tips for using the Frenzy:

Devin Harmon wrote in and added some valuable points on how to use this bait most effectively.

1. Black sharpie pens can change a blue into a black chrome very well.
2. A red sharpie pen can be used to restripe the bottom of a used lure.
3. Switch out the hooks to size 6 gamus round bend or 2x for better hook sets - don't use the factory hooks.
4. Learn how to "tune" them as they have a tendency to have swim problems, even right out of the package. Do this by bending the split ring holder in the opposite direction of the errant swimming.
5. The lip has a thick coat of clear coat on it. i clean it all off by scraping with a knife blade for a more true swim. make sure to clean out the split ring area also to allow for more free movement of the ring.
6. The holo model was only out for a very short while and obtaining it online or mail order was sporidac at best, we found them to be mixed in with the others. I still prefer the old color, maybe because it is better, and maybe because it worked so well.
7. The black red combo is the best by far.