Do you know how to fish a square bill crankbait or does the process seem to be a tough one for you? In most cases, it is found that people find it difficult to fish a square bill crankbait and look for tips that would help them to master the art.
What differentiates a square bill crankbait from the rest is that it has a downward angle which makes the bait wobble. You need to be prepared for quite a few hang-ups if you have planned to fish a crankbait. Also, check out the what is the best baitcasting reel for the money.
Table of Contents
How to Fish a Square Bill Crankbait
Before we get into the details, let us first learn about the things that you would require for the purpose:
The Right Place: Firstly, you need to choose the right place before you know how to fish a square bill crankbait. Shallow areas having a lot of covers prove to be ideal for the purpose. You need places to bounce them off and stumps, rocks, and vegetations prove to be ideal for the same.
Pro Tips: Large hardwoods that have been considerably heated form a great place for fishing using crankbaits since the fishes find it easier to digest the food and can gain energy from the heat.
You can also look for the muddy edges of rivers covered with silt as this is where the crayfishes gather and there are more chances of finding the bass. Another reason is, these areas are likely to become warmer fast. Learn more about how to fish a square bill crankbait.
The Right Time: Identify the right time of the year to fish them. Spring and summer are usually considered to be the right time for it. In summer, you can choose the bluff ends that have been blown off by winds and are featured by gravel and rock chunks. Your target fishes are often found to rest up from the spawn at the edges adjoining shallow water flats.
During the spawn, it is a bit difficult to find the bass. However, if you can get up to the nests, nothing can be better! At this time, the fishes prefer to stay around the nests.
The Process of How to Fish a Square Bill Crankbait
Video Credit: Scott Martin
Let us now begin with the process of how to fish a square bill crankbait. To understand it in detail, you may even refer to the video whose link is shared below:
Choose the Right Fishing Rod:
The first step is to buy a proper fishing rod. Before deciding on the rod, bite detection is necessary. You should also pick the rod of ideal length by keeping in mind that a shorter rod can cast shorter distances and longer ones cast longer distances. Learn more about spincast reel vs spinning reel.
The material used in making the rod is also an important factor to consider. Rods made of fiberglass are usually preferred since they are flexible and kind of unbreakable.
Choose a moderate power rod since these rods work better with reaction baits; and crankbaits, as you know, are usually involved with reactions.
Now, so far as the action of the rod is concerned, keep in mind that for baits with single hooks, faster action rods are chosen while for moving baits, slower action rods are usually chosen. And as for the length of the handle of the rod, the distance along which it is used has to be considered.
Choosing the Colors
The choice of colors depends on where exactly you are looking for the bass and what they are likely to feed on. Reaction colors like TableRock, Bone, and Shad are quite popular. The bass may even like warm colors and you need to choose accordingly.
Specter Green Craw, being translucent color and transparent can be another good choice. Also, while choosing the colors, you need to consider the type of water too. If the water is muddy, crystal clear, or transparent colors will be better while for clear water, opaque colored fishes will be better.
Now let us focus on the technicalities of how to fish a square bill crankbait:
Know where the bites will Come: You need to insert the crankbait down the edge of the cover. Bites usually come when the ball is deflected off the cover and a reaction strike is caused by the bass. You need to bump it off the cover i.e. ram the lure as deep into the cover as possible.
Changing the Speed: Another strategy that is commonly adopted is to change your speed at the right point in time. You may even copy the action of a baitfish that is dying or escaping.
Maintain Bottom Contact: Another thing that you should do is to maintain bottom contact, keeping it as low as possible. This will help the bait to be deflected and move as needed. You can be sure of the fact that you have reached the bottom when your bait appears to ‘grind’ away. Also, when you ‘feel’ the bottom portion (sandy, muddy, or rocky-whatever it is supposed to be) you know you have hit it!
Action with the Rod: As discussed earlier, choosing the right rod is essential over here. But using it in the right way is important too. You should be sure that the lure is gripped in the right manner and also moved in the appropriate way. If you are fishing at a comparatively shallow place, hold the tip of the rod higher, and in case of water with more depth, hold it at a lower height. You need to use your rod in such a way that the deflections occur to your benefit.
Take Care of the Sound: A mixture of rattling sound and quietness can prove to be helpful.
Pro Tips: The square bills need to be thrown at the center of the dense materials. Hang-ups are less common in the case of squarebill baits. Also, remember that wind and cloud are your friends for how to fish a square bill crankbait.
So this is all about how to fish a square bill crankbait. Square bill crankbaits are difficult to use but with these tips, we hope it will be easier for you to use them!