Squarebill crankbaits have a knack for catching big fish and are perfect for banging into shallow cover.
California’s Brent Ehrler loves to throw use them and spends much of the spring and fall with one tied on. He shares his favorite square bills, the gear he uses and three tricks to get more bites.
When to Squarebill
This style of crankbait has become a go-to for many bass anglers and they really shine when the bass are shallow. For Ehrler, that means both the spring and the fall. Water clarity also plays a role in deciding when he reaches for one.
“I want the water to be slightly stained at the least. It makes it harder when the water is crystal clear,” he shares.
Size of the Bait
The easiest way to choose the right squarebill comes down to the size of baitfish the bass are feeding on- the classic “match the hatch” approach.
“Overall, the Lucky Craft LC 1.5 is the perfect size for most applications and it is what I use the most across the country. My second favorite is the BDS 3," he says. “On Tennessee River lakes and places where they feed on big gizzard shad, I like the 2.5 and even the 3.5 size.”
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Gear Selection
For the versatile 1.5 size squarebill, Ehrler prefers a fiberglass 7’ medium Daiwa Tatula XT.
“It retails for only $100 and is a very good rod,” he shares. “I pair it with a Tatula SV which is designed for casting light baits. The square bill isn’t a light bait, but the SV really shines casting this bait,” he says.
He spools the reel with 16-pound Sunline FC Sniper.
For the bigger LC 2.5, 3.5, and BDS 3 crankbaits, Ehrler likes a beefed-up rod and reel combo and will also use heavier line.
“My favorite reel for these baits is the Daiwa Steez A. It is a very solid reel and can take the abuse of chunking and winding a big bait all day long,” he says. “The heavy crankbaits can really tear up some reels and this one is beefed up with stronger gearing.”
He will pair the reel with a rod he designed, a 7’4” medium heavy Daiwa Tatula Elite fiberglass cranking rod. He uses 16 to 20-pound Sunline FC Sniper for the BDS and 2.5 and will strictly fish the 3.5 on 20-pound.
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Gear Ratios and Colors
Much is made of choosing the right gear ratio for cranking and Ehrler keeps it simple. “I like a 6.3:1 for all of my shallow cranking. I like to fish fast and a faster reel will move the bait too much,” he shares. “For me, it is also much easier to slow down a 6.3:1 if I need to.”
Like gear ratios, there are plenty of debates over which color is best for crankbaits. Again, Ehrler keeps it simple for most occasions.
“Generally, I like crawfish colors in the spring and shad colors in the fall. The T.O. Craw is a very good one and I think the Pearl Threadfin is the best shad imitator there is,” he adds.
3 of Ehrler’s Tricks
The great thing about crankbaits is you can cast and reel them back and catch fish. Pro anglers have learned that there are ways to trigger additional bites and Ehrler was willing to share three of them.
#1 Retrieve Speed
One way to get inactive fish to strike is by adjusting your retrieve speed. Ehrler likes a fast retrieve.
“I have found that fishing it really fast gets the bait to bump into cover and deflect and do things you can’t do with a slower retrieve. This is a great way to get a few extra bites,” he shares.
#2 Multiple Casts to Targets
“Sometimes it takes multiple casts to the exact piece of cover to get them to bite. Don’t just cast to a laydown or rock once,” begins Ehrler. “If I find a good piece of cover I am going to cast and cast to it and then maybe find a different angle and cast again.”
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#3 The Hesitation
The final trick Ehrler uses is something that he says often results in fish choking the bait because they wanted it so badly.
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