When it comes to crankbaits, there is a lot to talk about. I think it is easy to say that there is more variety of crankbaits than any other lure. They make them to run at different depth ranges, have different amounts of wobble, and even make some to run in a straight line and others to “hunt” through the water. I am going to try my best to simplify your process of choosing the correct crankbait to use while out on the water. Let’s begin with one of my favorites, the squarebill.
Squarebill Crankbaits
When I think about a squarebill, the first thing I think of is shallow cover! This type of crankbait gets it’s name from, you guessed it, it’s square shaped plastic bill. The bill is purposely designed this way to run shallow and deflect off of cover. This bait is hard to beat in the spring when the bass are starting to move up shallow to spawn or early summer when they like to feed mostly on small shad and brim. Sometimes the bass like to sit real tight to cover, waiting to ambush their prey. You can run a squarebill right into cover like stumps, logs, and rocks to put the bait right in front of their face without having to worry about constantly getting hung up. Most squarebill crankbaits will run 0-5ft deep and have a smaller size body. However, some companies out there make bigger style ones such as the Strike King 2.5. I personally like to use 12-15lb fluorocarbon line, a shorter rod to help make more accurate short casts, and a fast reel while fishing this lure. An ideal setup for me would be something similar to the items listed below:
- Line – 15lb Suffix Sniper
- Reel – Abu Garcia Revo
- Rod – Abu Garcia Winch 6’10” Medium, Moderate Fast
Some of my favorite squarebill crankbaits are:
- Strike King 1.5
- 6th Sense Crush 50X
- Lucky Craft 1.5
- Spro Little John
