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Squarebill Crankbaits: The Ultimate Guide for Success on the Water

Sqaurebill Tackle Box

Introduction:

Welcome to the exciting world of squarebill crankbaits, where angling finesse meets predatory instinct. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll dive deep into squarebill crankbaits, offering beginner anglers a roadmap to success in unlocking the potential of this versatile and effective bass fishing lure. To make this Guide easy, we will break it down into sub categories.

Understanding Squarebill Crankbaits

Squarebill crankbaits are a subset of crankbaits designed with a squared lip, distinguishing them from their round-lipped counterparts. This squared design enables them to navigate through heavy cover, such as submerged rocks, logs, and vegetation, with remarkable efficiency.

Anatomy of a Squarebill Crankbait

  1. Lip Design: The squared lip, typically at a 90-degree angle, allows squarebills to deflect off obstacles, triggering aggressive strikes from bass.
  2. Body Shape: Squarebills often have a short, stout body, contributing to their buoyancy and ability to navigate through cover without getting snagged easily.
  3. Buoyancy: Squarebills are often designed to float, allowing them to rise when paused, mimicking injured prey and enticing strikes.
  4. Color Patterns: Choose colors based on water clarity and the prevalent forage. Natural hues like shad patterns or bold, contrasting colors are popular choices.

Where to Fish Squarebill Crankbaits

  1. Shallow Flats and Shorelines: Squarebills shine in shallow waters with structure. Target shoreline cover, shallow flats, and points where bass often ambush prey.
  2. Submerged Structure: Work the lure around submerged rocks, fallen trees, and vegetation. The squarebill’s ability to deflect off obstacles makes it effective in these environments.
  3. Seasonal Considerations: Use squarebills in spring and fall when bass are often found in shallower waters. Adjust depth based on seasonal movements.

Gear Essentials for Squarebill Fishing

  1. Rod Selection: Choose a medium to medium-heavy power rod with a moderate or moderate-fast action. Your gonna want a slower action rod because this ensures you keep the hook pinned in the fishes mouth during the hard fights and head shakes. There are both Graphite and Glass models of Cranking rods out on the market today to meet every anglers needs.
  2. Reel Gear Ratio: Optimal reel gear ratios range from 6.4:1 to 7.1:1. This balance provides the speed to cover water efficiently and allowing the baits movement to be as natural as possible. If you were to use a higher gear ratio reel like a 8:1:1 it would be too fast and the lure wouldn’t be to do what its designed for. Also, the retrieve speed would affect the depth the lure swims at.
  3. Line Selection: Monofilament or fluorocarbon lines in the 10-17lb test range are your best bet. Monofilament’s stretch helps gives fish time to inhale the bait before you set the hook and its shock absorbent. Monofilament also floats. While Fluorocarbon is virtually invisible to low visibility in the water and it is abrasion resistance. Plus, Fluorocarbon has some stretch as well, not as much as Mono but its a perfect middle between Braid and Mono.

Top 5 Sqaurebill Crankbaits

KVD 2.5 and 1.5
1. Strike King KVD 2.5 (top), 1.5 (bottom)

Lucky Craft 1.5
2. Lucky Craft 1.5

River2Sea Biggie Poppa
3. River2Sea Biggie Poppa

Spro Little John 50
4. Spro Little John 50

Megabass S-Crank 1.5
5. Megabass S-Crank 1.5

Techniques for Fishing Squarebill Crankbaits

  1. Constant Retrieval: Maintain a steady retrieve, allowing the squarebill to deflect off obstacles. Pay attention to any changes in resistance, as strikes often occur during these moments.
  2. Pause and Twitch: Periodically pause the retrieve, allowing the squarebill to rise. Add occasional twitches to mimic injured prey, enticing bass to strike.
  3. Vary Retrieval Speed: Experiment with retrieval speeds. Speeding up can trigger reaction strikes, while slowing down can entice hesitant bass.

Fine-Tuning Your Approach

  1. Adjusting Depth: Choose squarebills with different diving depths to explore various layers of the water column.
  2. Changing Lure Sizes: Match lure size to prevalent forage. Larger lures may mimic bigger prey, while smaller ones imitate juvenile baitfish.

My Success

I’ve caught many bass using squarebill crankbaits and it must be one of my top-producing baits. With producing both quantity and quality of fish the squarebill crankbait continuously is a factor in my success. My Personal favourite is the Strike King KVD 2.5 and 1.5 sqaurebills. It’s my go-to for three simple reasons. 1. Colour selection 2. Action 3. Price. There are countless selections available of colours avialble for the KVD sqaurebill that are both realistic and bold. Whether I’m on a reservoir or lake the bass can’t resist the tight wobble of the KVD. And Lastly, the price. For an average of under $10, you get a quality lure that catches fish. Can’t go wrong!

My Setup

St Croix Mojo Bass Paired with Shimano Curado MGL 150

Rod: St. Croix Mojo Bass 7’1″ Medium-Heavy, Moderate Action, (Mid Carbon Cranker)

Reel: Shimano Curado MGL 150 HG 7:4:1

Line: 14LB Seaguar Invizx

Conclusion:

As you wrap up this journey into the world of squarebill crankbait bass fishing, armed with the knowledge from our Ultimate Guide, it’s time to hit the water with confidence. Embrace the versatility, master the retrieve, and adapt to the ever-changing conditions. Whether you’re a seasoned angler refining your techniques or a beginner taking your first steps, squarebill crankbaits are a powerful ally in your pursuit of bass. So, gear up, head out, and let the ripples tell the tale of your success. Tight lines and happy fishing!

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