The predecessor of the Krej was the Berkley Blade Dancer. An incredibly underrated bait that was just ahead of its time. People tried to fish it like a crank bait instead of letting it flutter down and snapping it back up. I caught a lot of bass and pike on it back in the day. I’ve tried making a homemade version since it was discontinued but alas, I’m no bait maker. Looking forward to using that method again.
I've been toying with with the krej concept for the past eight years or so. My trouble was getting the right bill to work. My thought was for walleye as well as bass. Glad someone got the idea to work.
Just got my Krej today in the mail. Looking forward to trying it in our club's first tournament on 02/10 at Fayette Lake. However, I had to chuckle when you showed the Krej being jerked upward and then falling in the tank and the fish just ignored it. Guess, that one has seen too many lure presentations. Looking forward to getting the Finisher now after seeing its performance. Now I would call that a true jerk bait as it jerks all over the place. Thanks Matt for your videos. Love it and already have a rod ready to go with your Reverse drop shot and one with the Reverse Wacky Rig for our tournament.
I'm excited to give all these baits a try. I already have some of the Poer Switch slashers- but I'm going to pick the other two up soon as I can. They both look like they would fit perfectly in with the way and places I fish. I need baits that move without covering much ground because I have to make short casts and I'm generally working small target areas- not just casting randomly. A bait that will glide back into the strike zone or zig zag drastically from side to side- is perfect. I also fish a lot of overhanging cover and docks- perfect spot for something that back glides. Especially considering I suck at skipping. Thanks for the heads up Matt- great video.
Used your link to get me several of each. Can’t wait to see how they are. I keep several rods rigged with your Core products and love them! You’ve not steered me wrong so far 😎
I can’t wait to try the Finisher in the shallow bay waters of Texas. That dog will hunt for speckled trout. I can’t wait to chunk and twitch one this coming spring. Also, the Power Switch should work on the Texas Coast too, especially with a good color selection.
I’ve seen both your videos and I love how you demo’d the Finisher in the pool as well as catching them on camera and I had to pre-order from your channel to be sure it benefits you Matt 👍🤷🏻♂️🎣 I got two of each to start, but, I got the 7 and 9 size and 2 of the KREJ… I was completely in on the size 5, so I’ll wait till I put the others to work😜 I just left the Raleigh Fishing Expo 😮 and got a bag full of goodies there too😂😂😂😂😂 I think I’m gonna need to go to a meeting of the BBA (bass baits anonymous )😂😂😮 Thank you 💯
The first thing came to my mind when I see Krej, It was dock fishing, to cast it at the edge close to under to let it slide on slack under it. IDK, I’ll need to give it a try when I get it.
Have you tried any Halco Slidog lures? They make the bait that's similar to the Berkely Finisher but it's heavy it's 7/8 oz for their smaller versions in 105mm. The Smallest is 1/2 & 85mm. It does a walk the dog under water, while it does a shiver while falling in the water collum. It also has rather deep bass sounding rattles for their size.
After watching this video I went back to yesterday's video you did on the Finisher. I was curious whether you tied them direct or with a loop. From what I could see, it appeared you had them tied direct and with the action these baits impart themselves, a loop really isn't needed. Although I'm not a big hard bait fan, the Finisher does look promising and I put three in my Wish List on TW (your affiliate page of course). The lakes I typically fish have heavy grass out to about 20' that I like to fish parallel to the edges. Hopefully this one won't dart off into the grass if I get too rambunctious! Great video as usual and congrats to the Packers!
How similar could a Jackall (small) Riser be customized to do the same? And: Do you think a hinged lip/bill, like the 13 Fishing "Jabber Jaw" has, could improve on the Krej design, including the possibility of being able to easily Wake?
I can see myself buying a boat load of the Finishers. It has a lot of the same qualities of the tiny little Rebel Raider I use for Crappie from time to time. The Raider is just far to small for decent size Bass so I am glad to see someone come out with something on a larger scale. With the line tie on the top of the head the Finisher has a much more exaggerated action than the Raider but I see that as a positive not a negative.
I've got a few of those Raiders- odd little thing. Someone gave me tackle box with a few in it- I had no idea what they were for a long time. I've caught several bass on them- never tried crappie fishing tbh. I want to though- I see guys doing it up on Pickwick sometimes, they look like they're having a blast. I've caught a few crappies bass fishing but the rod you're using is so overpowered for crappie- it's not much of a fight.
At 55 years old with 50 years of fishing under my belt.... This is the first time I've pre-ordered any baits. The KREJ and Finisher are something truly different for the first time in many years. The best part is.... whats next??? For sure innovative times are here.... very cool.
@@shipwrek4388Similar design, completely different use. The riser is designed to be a top water. This bait is not. It just happens to have the ability to do so.
@@shipwrek4388Every single lure on the market is more or less a copycat. And I seriously doubt that you or anyone else has a tackle box strictly of "originals".
I'm really liking that Krej. I don't have FFS, but like you said, you don't need it. There are so many different applications for that bait. I'm looking at working docks and overhangs with it as well as some deeper flats.
I suspect you could get the krej to back glide under floating swim decks and docks that are not accessible by skipping a bait under. Have you tried that yet Matt?
I can think of so many ways and places to fish the Finisher on lakes in NE Ohio. Question, line size and rod action would you suggest. Thanks Matt keep doin what your doin .
@@MattStefanFishing yes. I live right there. The space center (JSC) and the giant pool with the underwater space station (sonny Carter center) are my front and backyard. I was just.giving you a hard time about your accent. You pronounced NASA like you were saying Nassau. Nassau is the neighborhood/ bay where NASA is. Both pronounced differently.
Good info Matt- This comment may only pertain to me but I just figured out what you meant by your sponsors list and TW affiliate link and I have been subscribed for over a year I think. It is below the views and comes up when you click more... I have always tried to go clear to the end of the comments and of course they were not there. You might mention this to some of the other old guys you subscribe to your videos. Thanks
im gonna slay the bass on some clear deep lakes thank you Matt, also i carefully clicked on your links then to make sure you get paid i would come back to youtube after closing tw screen and click on next link and items still in cart, i made a over 100$ order lol, the action of the lure in that water was amazing, river smallies in clear water once water warms are gonna nail it
If baits mimic life, I am challenged by the concept of a fish backsliding distances “tail first”. Once it is has reached the target zone I see the benefit. I Would like to know the results people are getting on backsliding if any. Backsliding tail first as a trigger doesn’t make much sense. Also, Is there a certain water clarity needed to make this lure effective?
Sinking jerkbaits have been on the market a long time ago in the international market with the shimmy fall. I don't know why this lure is kept a secret.
One of my fishing buddies recently called me a Krej! Now it all makes sense. No worries, I always smoke his ass anyway. I mean that figuratively of course... : ))
JFC...."FFS optimized". I'm sitting here trying to imagine the conversations that took place at some trophy-ridden round-table of "professional fisherman" to come up with this product. Are there really a bunch of "pro's" sitting somewhere saying to Berkley reps... "Well, now that we can see every fish in the lake, exactly where it's at, and what species it is, in real time, can you guys also make a bait that actually catches them???". How long before Berkley makes military-grade "Maxscent C4", that not only casts easy, but allows the fish to hold onto it longer, so the fish can literally be blown onto the deck of your boat. That way, the "pro" doesn't have to bend over to pick the fish up out of the water? -Imagine a bunch of professional bowlers sitting around a round table "think-tank" making comments like: "Yeah, these gutter-bumpers help, but they don't actually "guarantee" that I roll a strike. It just means the ball is guaranteed to hit the pins. So, can you make a ball that's "optimized" for bumper-bowling?- Perhaps I'm looking at this entirely the wrong way, Matt, and I'm apparently accomplishing something entirely unheard of by today's "standards" when I catch my limit using nothing a rod, reel, and a plastic worm, and a day's worth of casting. But, I digress....
@@MattStefanFishing Yup. 100% correct!...at least as long as FFS is being used. Speaking of which...where's that record-breaking, Scott "The End ALWAYS justifies the means" Martin when you really need him.
Jackal riser007 knockoff. Berkley literally isn't even trying anymore they know they can just knock off Japanese baits that alot of American anglers don't know about and say there's nothing like this out there.
So just to be clear the Jackall riser is a Topwater bait. The krej can be fished in 40 ft of water if you wanted to… I’m not sure how you are making this comparison other than a slightly upward bill. So i disagree completely
@@MattStefanFishingdamn, this dude used to be one of my favorites. literally just lied to us all and for what? a few extra dollars. we all know Berkeley is a complete joke. they knock off JDM lures more than any other company and they’re proud of it. all morals go out the window when it comes to a check these days.
Love the show. Interesting baits, but "FFS optimized"? Such BS. Like saying a drop shot is "deep water optimized". I greatly appreciate your honest assessment of what it actually means. Consumer will likely eat it up. I hate when they treat us like idiots.
I'm not seeing them on the screen because I don't have ffs. It's almost like traditional baits aren't getting talked about anymore so it's gonna hurt those sales an I just can't put much emphasis on these baits. I love your videos Matt but it's trending all anyone wants to talk about anymore is ffs related, suspending baits that are built to watch on ffs in the water column. Ben milliken is the only guy left still using traditional baits on ffs an it's what he promotes mostly so us guys who don't care for ffs can relate
The predecessor of the Krej was the Berkley Blade Dancer. An incredibly underrated bait that was just ahead of its time. People tried to fish it like a crank bait instead of letting it flutter down and snapping it back up. I caught a lot of bass and pike on it back in the day. I’ve tried making a homemade version since it was discontinued but alas, I’m no bait maker. Looking forward to using that method again.
Good call
Blade Dancer was a great bait.
I've been toying with with the krej concept for the past eight years or so. My trouble was getting the right bill to work. My thought was for walleye as well as bass. Glad someone got the idea to work.
I’ve been using the Jackall Riser the past 4 years. Same lure.
Very cool!
Just got my Krej today in the mail. Looking forward to trying it in our club's first tournament on 02/10 at Fayette Lake. However, I had to chuckle when you showed the Krej being jerked upward and then falling in the tank and the fish just ignored it. Guess, that one has seen too many lure presentations. Looking forward to getting the Finisher now after seeing its performance. Now I would call that a true jerk bait as it jerks all over the place. Thanks Matt for your videos. Love it and already have a rod ready to go with your Reverse drop shot and one with the Reverse Wacky Rig for our tournament.
Best of luck!
I'm excited to give all these baits a try. I already have some of the Poer Switch slashers- but I'm going to pick the other two up soon as I can. They both look like they would fit perfectly in with the way and places I fish. I need baits that move without covering much ground because I have to make short casts and I'm generally working small target areas- not just casting randomly. A bait that will glide back into the strike zone or zig zag drastically from side to side- is perfect. I also fish a lot of overhanging cover and docks- perfect spot for something that back glides. Especially considering I suck at skipping. Thanks for the heads up Matt- great video.
You bet!
Another great video,enjoy watching when the weather is to bad to get outside and do anything or just sitting in the house
It’s so cold
Did yesterday. Getting some Wisconsin weather here 18 degrees about 4"" of snow and still snowing.👍👍👍👍👍
Yeah it’s cold
Used your link to get me several of each. Can’t wait to see how they are. I keep several rods rigged with your Core products and love them! You’ve not steered me wrong so far 😎
Awesome! Thank you!
I can’t wait to try the Finisher in the shallow bay waters of Texas. That dog will hunt for speckled trout. I can’t wait to chunk and twitch one this coming spring.
Also, the Power Switch should work on the Texas Coast too, especially with a good color selection.
Good luck!
I’ve seen both your videos and I love how you demo’d the Finisher in the pool as well as catching them on camera and I had to pre-order from your channel to be sure it benefits you Matt 👍🤷🏻♂️🎣 I got two of each to start, but, I got the 7 and 9 size and 2 of the KREJ… I was completely in on the size 5, so I’ll wait till I put the others to work😜 I just left the Raleigh Fishing Expo 😮 and got a bag full of goodies there too😂😂😂😂😂 I think I’m gonna need to go to a meeting of the BBA (bass baits anonymous )😂😂😮 Thank you 💯
Awesome! Thank you for the channel support
Great video again as always Matt. Still liking the finisher overall but will buy into the Krej. Really looking forward to the summer
You and me both!
The first thing came to my mind when I see Krej, It was dock fishing, to cast it at the edge close to under to let it slide on slack under it. IDK, I’ll need to give it a try when I get it.
Yep!
I could only wish that we had a freshwater shop by us (NYC) that remotely looked like your tackle room. Lol
Haha
Have you tried any Halco Slidog lures?
They make the bait that's similar to the Berkely Finisher but it's heavy it's 7/8 oz for their smaller versions in 105mm. The Smallest is 1/2 & 85mm.
It does a walk the dog under water, while it does a shiver while falling in the water collum. It also has rather deep bass sounding rattles for their size.
Nope I’ll check them out
I know the Berkeley squarebull works really well. I was surprised how well it swims and can even hunt when retrieving it a certain way.
It’s a good crank
I’m really looking forward to getting these baits I do agree I like the finisher better. Definitely more places you can use it in. Thanks
Glad you like them!
That Krej could be good around docks and pilings and in channels in the saltwater. Cool.
Agreed!
What are your thoughts on using a snap or split ring with the krej?
Not needed
Great explanation 👍🏻
Glad you liked it!
🍺Thanks Matt. 🤠
You bet
What size finisher were you throwing in yesterday's video?
Size 7
After watching this video I went back to yesterday's video you did on the Finisher. I was curious whether you tied them direct or with a loop. From what I could see, it appeared you had them tied direct and with the action these baits impart themselves, a loop really isn't needed. Although I'm not a big hard bait fan, the Finisher does look promising and I put three in my Wish List on TW (your affiliate page of course). The lakes I typically fish have heavy grass out to about 20' that I like to fish parallel to the edges. Hopefully this one won't dart off into the grass if I get too rambunctious! Great video as usual and congrats to the Packers!
I tied direct but a loop knot could work well
Great information what size was the one you had on your hand. Thanks
the finisher was a size 7
There's a ton of lures i use in saltwater effectively that anglers across the pond use in FFS applications for LMB.
Awesome
Could you crank the Krej on to with a wiggling action
Yep
How similar could a Jackall (small) Riser be customized to do the same? And: Do you think a hinged lip/bill, like the 13 Fishing "Jabber Jaw" has, could improve on the Krej design, including the possibility of being able to easily Wake?
All good questions that i don’t have the answers to
Loving the new selections from Berkley. I sure hope they fish as good as they look.
They are!
Are you considering adding crappie breaks to your boat? Just ordered some for my fxr
Not at the moment
Good video, nifty bait, what rod set up you throw, same as jerk bait?
Yep
Exciting lures thank you ! 💫💫💫
You bet!
What color is that Finisher in your hand? It's such a great looking color but I don't see 1 that is for sure it while trying to preorder
It’s called Blue Smelt
I can see myself buying a boat load of the Finishers. It has a lot of the same qualities of the tiny little Rebel Raider I use for Crappie from time to time. The Raider is just far to small for decent size Bass so I am glad to see someone come out with something on a larger scale. With the line tie on the top of the head the Finisher has a much more exaggerated action than the Raider but I see that as a positive not a negative.
I've got a few of those Raiders- odd little thing. Someone gave me tackle box with a few in it- I had no idea what they were for a long time. I've caught several bass on them- never tried crappie fishing tbh. I want to though- I see guys doing it up on Pickwick sometimes, they look like they're having a blast. I've caught a few crappies bass fishing but the rod you're using is so overpowered for crappie- it's not much of a fight.
Give them a try!
Great video my man! I am excited to get my hands on these! That backward / going away action it gives reminds me of …. Flutter spoon.
Yes sir!
Right on!
At 55 years old with 50 years of fishing under my belt.... This is the first time I've pre-ordered any baits. The KREJ and Finisher are something truly different for the first time in many years. The best part is.... whats next??? For sure innovative times are here.... very cool.
They just knocked off the jackal riser007. All Berkleys new baits are Japanese baits knocked off nowadays. It's sad.
@@shipwrek4388Similar design, completely different use. The riser is designed to be a top water. This bait is not. It just happens to have the ability to do so.
These really have me excited!
@@shipwrek4388Every single lure on the market is more or less a copycat. And I seriously doubt that you or anyone else has a tackle box strictly of "originals".
The finisher is the one I like and I'm going to get. Very impress with what I've seen.
I love it!
I'm really liking that Krej. I don't have FFS, but like you said, you don't need it. There are so many different applications for that bait. I'm looking at working docks and overhangs with it as well as some deeper flats.
You don’t need FFS for these baits to work
I bank fish and I'm planning on getting them.
I suspect you could get the krej to back glide under floating swim decks and docks that are not accessible by skipping a bait under. Have you tried that yet Matt?
Yes yes i have and it WORKS!
I can think of so many ways and places to fish the Finisher on lakes in NE Ohio. Question, line size and rod action would you suggest. Thanks Matt keep doin what your doin .
I like 8-12 lb fluorocarbon on a ML fast action spinning gear with the finisher 5 and 7 and MH baitcaster with the 9
Just put in an order thanks for the heads up Matt.
Hope you enjoy it!
i use a hellraizer the way you describe using the krej, with great success.
Awesome
I'm going to try and design a weedless soft bait version of the finisher.
Go for it
I need to try some of those fishing on I think it would be pretty cool to check it out and see what it does for
You should!
matt is that a 7 that you were using on the finisher
yep it was the 7
@@MattStefanFishing thank you.
Cant wait to try the finisher on Erie for big ol smallies
Hold on!
Thanks for the info
You bet
looking forward to seeing you use these in tournaments! lets see if they produce like you hope sir
Me too!
that shimmy looks just like the Lucky Craft Wander
I’ll have to check it out
Good stuff Thanks Matt
You bet!
I'm just a bank fisherman I'm going to try the krej seems like a good bank bait. Good video Matt 🤛
Good luck!
Nice just ordered a few
Awesome!
Matt, I'm wondering how deep you can get the Krej? Will it just keep diving when you crank it down? Thanks for everything!
You don't crank it down. It sinks. You crank it up.
It sinks so you can fish it as deep as you want
Love the video, but one point. NASA is the space center here in Houston. Nassau is the area NASA JSC in.
we were at the houston one
@@MattStefanFishing yes. I live right there. The space center (JSC) and the giant pool with the underwater space station (sonny Carter center) are my front and backyard.
I was just.giving you a hard time about your accent. You pronounced NASA like you were saying Nassau. Nassau is the neighborhood/ bay where NASA is. Both pronounced differently.
Good info Matt- This comment may only pertain to me but I just figured out what you meant by your sponsors list and TW affiliate link and I have been subscribed for over a year I think. It is below the views and comes up when you click more... I have always tried to go clear to the end of the comments and of course they were not there. You might mention this to some of the other old guys you subscribe to your videos. Thanks
Thanks for the feedback
What colors were best for you?
I like French pearl, OG blue, blue smelt, wakasagi
im gonna slay the bass on some clear deep lakes thank you Matt, also i carefully clicked on your links then to make sure you get paid i would come back to youtube after closing tw screen and click on next link and items still in cart, i made a over 100$ order lol, the action of the lure in that water was amazing, river smallies in clear water once water warms are gonna nail it
Thanks for the channel support!
@@MattStefanFishing yw and ty for the good videos, its made me a better fisherman
🍺The first episode of the ”The Cast” is now available on UA-cam. I thoroughly enjoyed it and think you would as well.🤠.
I'll check it out!
@@MattStefanFishing 🍺Please do you will enjoy it.
Definitely excited for these baits. I’m already planning where I’m going to use them. Lol
Same here!
If baits mimic life, I am challenged by the concept of a fish backsliding distances “tail first”. Once it is has reached the target zone I see the benefit. I Would like to know the results people are getting on backsliding if any. Backsliding tail first as a trigger doesn’t make much sense. Also, Is there a certain water clarity needed to make this lure effective?
Dying fish do that. The flying lure did similarly and fish would eat it up!
I haven’t seen water clarity affect performance and I’ve had good luck in the backsliding back into the fishes face
Looks like a winner!
Yep!
Sinking jerkbaits have been on the market a long time ago in the international market with the shimmy fall. I don't know why this lure is kept a secret.
Thanks for watching
The flying lure would probably work good for FFS.
It could
Dude. You have an outside aquarium?
Haha
Reminds me of a hard Flying Lure
Kinda
God bless and thank you
You bet!
Man Randy B won’t like that! 😳😂
Oh well haha
I know everyones hyped up on the krej but i think im going with the finisher instead.
Both are great but if i could only choose one it’s the finisher
If you reel it fast enough will it wiggle on top like a wakebait?
Not really wiggle…you could skitter it along the surface
One of my fishing buddies recently called me a Krej! Now it all makes sense. No worries, I always smoke his ass anyway. I mean that figuratively of course... : ))
Haha
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks for watching
JFC...."FFS optimized". I'm sitting here trying to imagine the conversations that took place at some trophy-ridden round-table of "professional fisherman" to come up with this product. Are there really a bunch of "pro's" sitting somewhere saying to Berkley reps... "Well, now that we can see every fish in the lake, exactly where it's at, and what species it is, in real time, can you guys also make a bait that actually catches them???".
How long before Berkley makes military-grade "Maxscent C4", that not only casts easy, but allows the fish to hold onto it longer, so the fish can literally be blown onto the deck of your boat. That way, the "pro" doesn't have to bend over to pick the fish up out of the water?
-Imagine a bunch of professional bowlers sitting around a round table "think-tank" making comments like: "Yeah, these gutter-bumpers help, but they don't actually "guarantee" that I roll a strike. It just means the ball is guaranteed to hit the pins. So, can you make a ball that's "optimized" for bumper-bowling?-
Perhaps I'm looking at this entirely the wrong way, Matt, and I'm apparently accomplishing something entirely unheard of by today's "standards" when I catch my limit using nothing a rod, reel, and a plastic worm, and a day's worth of casting. But, I digress....
Every bait is technically FFS
@@MattStefanFishing Yup. 100% correct!...at least as long as FFS is being used. Speaking of which...where's that record-breaking, Scott "The End ALWAYS justifies the means" Martin when you really need him.
Jackal riser007 knockoff. Berkley literally isn't even trying anymore they know they can just knock off Japanese baits that alot of American anglers don't know about and say there's nothing like this out there.
So just to be clear the Jackall riser is a Topwater bait. The krej can be fished in 40 ft of water if you wanted to… I’m not sure how you are making this comparison other than a slightly upward bill. So i disagree completely
Wrong. The riser sinks, and rises to the surface as you retrieve it. The same exact concept. 😅
@@MattStefanFishing The riser is a sinking lure.
*edit* Apparently there are sinking and floating Jackalls.
Berkley copied another JDM lure. Good job. Good effort
@@MattStefanFishingdamn, this dude used to be one of my favorites.
literally just lied to us all and for what? a few extra dollars. we all know Berkeley is a complete joke. they knock off JDM lures more than any other company and they’re proud of it. all morals go out the window when it comes to a check these days.
Love the show. Interesting baits, but "FFS optimized"? Such BS. Like saying a drop shot is "deep water optimized". I greatly appreciate your honest assessment of what it actually means. Consumer will likely eat it up. I hate when they treat us like idiots.
Thanks for watching!
FFS = Marketing!
Thanks for watching
Man Berkley is just stealing from our fellow Japanese fishing brothers and sisters. Just knocking off JDM baits.
but JDM got it's inspirations from baits form the 80's or older American baits.
@@kevinerbs2778 there’s a difference from getting inspiration and just knocking off someone’s hard work and innovation.
You need more tackle lol
I’m putting an order in for more right now
I'm not seeing them on the screen because I don't have ffs. It's almost like traditional baits aren't getting talked about anymore so it's gonna hurt those sales an I just can't put much emphasis on these baits. I love your videos Matt but it's trending all anyone wants to talk about anymore is ffs related, suspending baits that are built to watch on ffs in the water column. Ben milliken is the only guy left still using traditional baits on ffs an it's what he promotes mostly so us guys who don't care for ffs can relate
Nobody said you can’t use older baits
Your videos are too long!!!
Sorry
More ffs baits...geez
More coming I’m sure as well