Whether it be the fishing section of a sporting goods store or when browsing the internet, you quickly realize there's no shortage of crankbaits.
Stare at the plethora of crankbaits long enough and you'll soon notice a few things.
The first thing you may notice is how many different paint jobs you can give a fishing lure.
After you look past the various colors and patterns, hopefully you see that some of the crankbaits have a more square looking lip than others.
The lip (or bill) of a crankbait is what gives the lure its action.
Rounded bills provide a little bit of wobble but square ones provide a lot of wobble.
This makes squarebill crankbaits dynamite for active fish - especially active fish that have moved into the shallower regions of a fishery.
Times That Call for Squarebill Crankbaits
Early Spring
This is when fish begin to come out of the winter cold spell and prepare for the spawn.
Water temperatures start to warm up and as a result the fish activity ramps up as well.
Both male and female bass will be loading up on calories before tackling the energy-consuming spawn that soon awaits them.
Leverage these moments by throwing a squarebill crankbait if you suspect fish to be making their way into shallower water.
Popular spots are going to be the areas around spawning grounds that transition from shallow to deep water.
Fall
Bass tend to be the most active in the fall.
Baitfish migrations take place and the bass tend to follow and feed on the smaller prey fish of the fishery.
Once the fish get into shallow enough water consider throwing a squarebill.
As you should with any crankbait, look to make contact with something.
In most cases this is submerged timber or rock but the key is to get your lure bouncing off of something.
Squarebills generally have a fatter body and short, yet wide lip which really helps the lure deflect off of cover so use this to your advantage.
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Helpful Notes
By design, squarebill crankbaits are fished in shallow water (1-6 ft.).
The square bill isn't so great at diving to deeper depths but makes up for it by its keen ability to easily deflect off of cover.
To ensure your lure is running at the right depth be mindful of what pound-test line you are using.
The use of lighter line (8-12 lb.) makes getting your lure to deeper depths a little bit easier.
Using fluorocarbon line will also help get your lure to a deeper running depth.
Secondly, when buying squarebill crankbaits pay attention to what the lure is made out of.
Some squarebills are made using balsa wood, one of the lightest woods on the planet.
Balsa wood is extremely buoyant which means if you're not continuously reeling and keeping the lure nose-down it will quickly rise to the surface.
Lures manufactured with balsa wood bodies can be used to an anglers advantage for quick stop-and-go movements but can also get you out of your desired running depth if it's something you're not aware of.
The more you know!
Time to go catch 'em!
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