I ordered 3 of my own before we even docked

Hey, it's Keith.

Late October is hands down the best time of the year to catch bass, but most anglers (including even me sometimes) miss this narrow window by fishing with the wrong lures while the bass are hammering shad on the surface.

Two weeks ago, a professional bass angler (who shall go nameless because he isn’t sponsored by Berkley) showed me a lure that completely changed how I approach late fall topwater fishing.

This crankbait was the funnest lure I have used in quite some time, and I literally ordered three more while still on the water.

Today, I'm sharing the Berkley Krej (jerk spelled backward) and why it's become my go-to lure for late October bass blitzes.

BEST LINKS

What I watched this week

• How to fish the Berkley Krej (Wired2Fish)

• ICAST 2024 Berkely Krej wins best freshwater hard bait (In-Fisherman)

• Catch bass on the fall shad migration (Georgia Outdoor News)

• Upside-down crankbait | one day build to catch (Marling Baits)

• Berkeley KREJ and FINISHER tested underwater | you WON’T believe the results (mikeybalzz fishing)

Deals of the week

• Berkley has the Krej reduced from $14.99 to $10.49.

• Pure Fishing has an Abu Garcia Max Toro DLC Baitcast Reel marked down from $179.99 to $79.95.

• Walmart has a Nebu colored Krej marked down from $16.99 to $7.71.

DEEP DIVE 

The topwater lure that made me fish like a kid again

About two years ago, I walked the floor at ICAST and saw something that caught my eye at the Berkley booth. It was a hard bait with an unusual, upturned bill, and the rep was demonstrating how it worked upward in the water column before falling backward with this incredible shimmy.

I remember thinking, "I need to try that." Then I promptly forgot all about it.

Fast forward to two weeks ago. I was fishing with another bass angler (he who shall not be seen using Berkley products). He tied on this lure and made a cast near some surface activity. 

The lure danced across the surface, leaping out of the water with each twitch of his rod tip. It looked exactly like a terrified shad being chased by a predator. On his third cast, a bass exploded on it.

"What the heck is that?" I asked.

He grinned. "Berkley Krej . . . Shhhhh . . . Keep it quiet."

That day, I watched him catch bass after bass. The lure's unique action would rise on the twitch, then fall backward with a side-to-side shimmy that drove the fish crazy.

The Berkley Krej is a sinking jerkbait that defies conventional design. Unlike traditional jerkbaits like the Hit Stick and X-Rap that dive down, the Krej has an upturned bill that makes it rise in the water column when you twitch it. On the pause, it falls backward with a shimmy that looks exactly like a dying shad.

I caught eight bass myself once he let me borrow one of his.

Before we even got back to the dock, I pulled out my phone and ordered three of them.

I'm not sponsored by Berkley, so there's zero incentive for me to tell you about this. I'm sharing it because it flat-out works.

A week later, my Krej crankbaits arrived. The following Saturday morning, I loaded up my gear and headed to my neighborhood lake. I felt like a kid again, that same excitement I would get before a Saturday morning fishing trip when I was 12.

The air was finally cool, somewhere in the low 60s. As I walked the shoreline, I tied on the Krej and started making casts, jerking the rod tip and watching the lure dance and leap across the surface.

Nothing.

Thirty minutes passed and doubt set in. I even thought about switching over to my trusty Zumverno jerkbait.

Then I heard it: a massive explosion on the surface about 40 yards out toward the middle of the lake. Then another. And another. That distinctive slurping sound of bass mouths sucking down shad on the surface.

Sometimes bass do this in late fall, though it's more common in winter. But I'll take it.

I fired a long cast toward the commotion and started my retrieve: twitch, twitch, pause. The lure jumped and shimmied. On the pause, it fell backward with that dying baitfish action.

A bass came straight up from underneath and crushed it. A chunky 1.5-pound largemouth that fought like it was twice that size.

That same school of bass stayed near me for the next hour, chasing shad all around. I worked through them systematically, catching bass after bass. By the time they dispersed, I had a solid 10-fish bag—the maximum here in Louisiana.

Since none were over two pounds, I kept them and took them home for a fish fry that evening. They were delicious.

Reading the late fall feeding patterns

In late October, several things happen simultaneously:

Water temperatures drop into the 60s and low 70s, triggering aggressive feeding. Bass know winter is coming, and they're packing on weight.

Shad school up and move toward shallow water and creek mouths. These schools become easy targets for bass.

Bass feed heavily on the surface, creating visible explosions and slurping sounds. When you see or hear surface activity, that's your green light to tie on the Krej.

The retrieve cadence that triggers strikes

Here's the cadence that works for me:

1. Cast past the area where you see or suspect bass.

2. Let the lure sink for 2–3 seconds (it sinks about 1 foot per second).

3. Make two sharp twitches of your rod tip. The lure will jump and leap like a fleeing baitfish.

4. Pause for 1–2 seconds. The lure falls backward with that critical shimmy.

5. Repeat until you get a strike or the lure reaches you.

The key is not overworking it. Subtle twitches create the most natural action. The fish usually hit on the pause when the lure is falling backward.

What to expect when the bass hit

The strikes on this lure are violent. Bass often miss on the first attempt. Don't panic. Keep the same retrieve going, and they'll come back for it. When they do connect, set the hook!

I've found that bass between 1–3 pounds are the most aggressive feeders during this time. Bigger fish are around but tend to be more selective. The Krej can’t really get down to where they are.