Each fall, anglers gear up for some frenetic fishing as bass feed up and prepare for the spawn. Shad and other baitfish are on the move and many anglers reach for standard walking topwaters. They work well, but there are several different options, including buzzbaits and wake baits.
Bassmaster Elite Series pro Masayuki Matsushita hails from Japan and has designed several of his favorite surface baits for noted lure manufacturer Deps Japan.
The MT Wake
The Deps MT Wake is a bulky wake bait that casts exceptionally well because of the weight of the lure. It's a jointed, 3.7-inch bait that weighs 1.7-ounces. What makes it unique is the bill that allows it to wake perfectly and the large blade at the rear that thumps and adds some flash.
Matsushita designed the bait specifically for imitating bluegill. "I use it mainly in May, June, and July when bluegill are spawning," he said. "It's also good for September and October."
The thumping action makes it unique, and Matsushita fishes it in two different ways. "It's a fat body and heavy weight, so it has very strong movement," he said. "It makes a 'scratching' sound as you retrieve it."
The bait is simple enough to cast and retrieve and catch fish, and Matsushita will fish it this way, but he also mixes it up with some other retrieves.
"It works with a steady retrieve," he began. "I also use a shaking retrieve where you very slowly shake your rod. The soft shaking gives it more action."
Matsushita fishes the bait on a 7' glass composite cranking rod and prefers a 20-pound fluorocarbon line. Primarily, he fishes it around shallow targets and the big lure draws fish from their hiding spots.
"My favorite around trees, both laydowns and standing timber," he said. "I also like it around rocky points and sometimes around the grass. It's also very good when the bluegill are spawning and my favorite colors are black and bluegill colors."
Buzzjet and Buzzjet Jr.
Another of Matsushita's top fall baits is the Deps Buzzjet and Buzzjet Jr. As an alternative to a walking bait, Matsushita says it's best with a straight retrieve.
"It's important to make a long cast," he said. "It works all seasons when topwater baits work and is good for making long casts over grass flats. You just reel and the prop spins."
Matsushita will use the Buzzjet baits over walking baits, primarily depending on what the bass are eating. "Walking pencil baits are good when the bass are eating threadfin shad and blueback herring," he said. "For bluegill eaters, the Buzzjet is better."
He'll use a long rod and either 16 or 20-pound fluorocarbon line. "The longer rod helps you make longer casts and the longer rod is better for getting a good hookset at a long distance," he said. "Fluorocarbon is ok with the bait even though the line sinks; you are just reeling it, so no problem."
There are two sizes of the bait, a 4-inch standard version and a Jr. size that is 3-inches long. "I like the big one the best," he said. "It's a good bluegill size and catches big fish. My favorite colors are black and bluegill."
The Matsubuzz
Buzzbaits are fall staples and Matsushita designed a bait called the "Matsubuzz" that is quite unique. Most buzzbaits do the same thing, but he added a few tweaks to improve it, including the stick-on weight that comes with every bait.
"It's easy to cast and has strong movement," he said. "You can add weights to the prop to move more water. It gives the bait more vibration."
Matsushita fishes it in many traditional buzzbait areas and utilizes a unique feature of the bait, the ability to pick a version of the bait that runs right or left. The unique design allows that bait to run right into the cover or left into the cover, depending on the prop the bait is outfitted with.
"I like to throw it in grassy areas and around flats," he said. "It's also very good around boat docks. The blade will hit the wire and make a loud noise, which is good for drawing fish from deep water or when they are hiding in heavy cover."
The bait is available in several color options and comes standard in a ½-ounce model. "The size is perfect for good casting distance," he said. "My favorite skirt color is black and I also like white."
The fall topwater bite is some of the most exciting fishing of the whole year. Aside from standard walking baits that everyone is throwing, there are more options. Big wake baits and buzzbaits are two ways to get in on the surface action and there is a chance at a truly monster autumn bass.
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