Square Billed Crankbaits

[Crestliner2008]

Having a hard time finding some of these cranks at Dick's and local bait shops. Any suggestions? What brand do you find most snag-resistant in brush and sparse timber? Thanks folks! 

[roadwarrior]

Bomber Square A, Norman Fat Boy.

I caught my PB largemouth on a Fat Boy,

redear pattern.

[-nick-]

The Bomber Square A is a great square billed crank. Pretty cheap too but I haven't seen them anywhere other than bass pro.

[Luke at Gouldsboro]

the reason for the square bill, is to make the lure more snag proof (according to lure companies) . I have a couple brands that I like to crash through structure, and i noticed the brand doesn't matter. If it's gunna get stuck, it's gunna get stuck. No way around it.

[Bassin_Fin@tic]

Rapala dt fat-03 is a killer bait.Comes through cover like a dream(especially if you take that goofy sure set off the front of it.) Dick's should carry them but everything is so hit and miss in that place though.

[Revo_Carrot Stix]

I agree with luke, brand doesn't matter. I've tried BPS Lazer Eye Eggs ($3.99) to Rick Clunn's Lucky Craft 1.5 & 2.5 ($15.99). Square-bills have a wide wobble - some have rattles too. I've had sporatic luck with these types of baits until I saw a Rick Clunn segment on his technique - drop your rod tip in the water and crank it as fast as you can, stop, and repeat. I tried this last fall when nothing was working and thought 'what the heck' as I was losing daylight. Needless to say, it was a feeding frenzy - landed 6 larries in about 15 minutes and had to stop because it was getting too dark. good luck!!

[ww2farmer]

Some of my favorites are:

Rapala DT3

Strike King 4s

Manns C4

Those are bigger baits, for a smaller presentation I like:

Bandit 100's

Strike King series 1

I have not tried the Bomber, but I like Bombers so I might mizx some of them in.

I have had so much success with the above baits, and most of them are not all that expensive, I think the DT is close to $10,the rest are all around $5

[jeosbo01]

Haven't got to try them yet but I picked up a pack of 6 Rick Clunn special Lucky Craft's from BPS last weekend for 36 bucks ...can't wait for spring!

[Sherlock 60]

I'm a big fan of the Bomber Square A, but they are increasingly hard to find in the stores. As mentioned above, BPS carries them online.

Oxbow Bream is my favorite color.

[zach t]

I like the DT-squares

Also, Spro Lil JOhn

[Catt]

Original Balsa B's

[Primus]

Haven't got to try them yet but I picked up a pack of 6 Rick Clunn special Lucky Craft's from BPS last weekend for 36 bucks ...can't wait for spring!

6 for 36$, you got a steal. Excellent purchase, count me as jealous.

[bassman31783]

Norman Fat Boy

Mann's C4

Rapala DT Fat Sureset

[Paul Roberts]

Rapala dt fat-03 is a killer bait.Comes through cover like a dream(especially if you take that goofy sure set off the front of it.) Dick's should carry them but everything is so hit and miss in that place though.

Ditto. It runs about 3-4ft. They have a new one, Thug, that runs to 6 I think -not square but snag resistant, and a tad pricey for a something you'll be throwing into a tree.

I also really like a Bill Dance Excalibur/Bomber that I found at Dick's a few years ago -got two left. But they appear to be gone.

BPS XPS(I think) has a square lip that is nice, but is a tad small in my book -at 2".

Lesseee... Oh yes! The 1/4oz SpeedTrap -GREAT plug. 2-1/2", runs to 6ft with a big wide square lip. Good plug, although a tad light.

Lesseee...OK I looked in my box:

Manns Elite C4 -good plug, runs to 4ft.

And ...the most snagless of them all....

the Wiggle Wart. They run a bit deeper than the others, to 10ft, but are amazing. By far the most snagproof plug I've used. Almost weird, bury one deep in a milfoil clump and with a firm pull it somehow comes out clean most of the time.

[jeosbo01]

Haven't got to try them yet but I picked up a pack of 6 Rick Clunn special Lucky Craft's from BPS last weekend for 36 bucks ...can't wait for spring!

6 for 36$, you got a steal. Excellent purchase, count me as jealous.

I wish I could have gotten all 4 sets they had...but I like being married more than I like Lucky's on sale (most of the time anyways)

[fishfordollars]

Original Balsa B's

Hell yes.

[skeeteroneal]

H2O brand from Academy are great.  I also use a couple of colors of the Strike King 4S and Bandit 100s for a smaller presentation.  LC are good if you can afford them.  All I seem to do is loose them.

[bcody]

I'm a huge believer in Rick Clunn's lucky craft cranks. Preferably the 1.5 series because of where I fish.

2 favorite colors are chartreuse perch and white shad... They're really hard to buy at $15.99, but I wait til they're on sale for $9.99.

http://www.luckycraft.com/ProductNews/rc15.htm

[Fishes in trees]

Lots of good baits have been mentioned, yet no one has mentioned my favorite yet, the Timber Tiger.  They are made by Wordens.- Yakima Bait Co.  They come in different sizes, all you really need are the DC$ and DC8.  Bass Pro used to carry them - don't any more - don't know why.  So did Cabelas - but not anymore.  They are still available via the internet.

[hookset]

The best producing sq. bill CB for me is the RC 1.5 from Lucky Craft. I hate the price on these baits but if you buy just one you won't be dissapointed IMO. They are usually on sale during the spring classic at bass pro for 9.99, that beats paying 16 bucks for them. Im not saying they are snag proof, but they are the best at coming through cover.

[aarogb]

Rapala dt fat-03 is a killer bait.Comes through cover like a dream(especially if you take that goofy sure set off the front of it.) Dick's should carry them but everything is so hit and miss in that place though.

Ditto. It runs about 3-4ft. They have a new one, Thug, that runs to 6 I think -not square but snag resistant, and a tad pricey for a something you'll be throwing into a tree.

I also really like a Bill Dance Excalibur/Bomber that I found at Dick's a few years ago -got two left. But they appear to be gone.

BPS XPS(I think) has a square lip that is nice, but is a tad small in my book -at 2".

Lesseee... Oh yes! The 1/4oz SpeedTrap -GREAT plug. 2-1/2", runs to 6ft with a big wide square lip. Good plug, although a tad light.

Lesseee...OK I looked in my box:

Manns Elite C4 -good plug, runs to 4ft.

And ...the most snagless of them all....

the Wiggle Wart. They run a bit deeper than the others, to 10ft, but are amazing. By far the most snagproof plug I've used. Almost weird, bury one deep in a milfoil clump and with a firm pull it somehow comes out clean most of the time.

X3.  These things are amazing, especially in firetiger color.

[Pez]

Rapala dt fat-03 is a killer bait.Comes through cover like a dream(especially if you take that goofy sure set off the front of it.) Dick's should carry them but everything is so hit and miss in that place though.

Ditto. It runs about 3-4ft. They have a new one, Thug, that runs to 6 I think -not square but snag resistant, and a tad pricey for a something you'll be throwing into a tree.

I also really like a Bill Dance Excalibur/Bomber that I found at Dick's a few years ago -got two left. But they appear to be gone.

BPS XPS(I think) has a square lip that is nice, but is a tad small in my book -at 2".

Lesseee... Oh yes! The 1/4oz SpeedTrap -GREAT plug. 2-1/2", runs to 6ft with a big wide square lip. Good plug, although a tad light.

Lesseee...OK I looked in my box:

Manns Elite C4 -good plug, runs to 4ft.

And ...the most snagless of them all....

the Wiggle Wart. They run a bit deeper than the others, to 10ft, but are amazing. By far the most snagproof plug I've used. Almost weird, bury one deep in a milfoil clump and with a firm pull it somehow comes out clean most of the time.

I agree to that, wiggle warts, bomber square A and the Rapala dt fat-03 are my top 3!

 

[Stasher1]

Haven't got to try them yet but I picked up a pack of 6 Rick Clunn special Lucky Craft's from BPS last weekend for 36 bucks ...can't wait for spring!

6 for 36$, you got a steal. Excellent purchase, count me as jealous.

I wish I could have gotten all 4 sets they had...but I like being married more than I like Lucky's on sale (most of the time anyways)

The Atl. BPS had a big bin full of them a couple weeks ago. The colors must not be popular in this area because the sets have been steadily dropping in price since they came out.

[MALTESE FALCON]

Bomber Square A

Bomber Balsa B

Norman Mad N

Rapala DT Fat03

Strike King Series 1

Strike King Series 4S

Falcon

[Sherlock 60]

Yesterday Gander Mountain had a bin full of Bomber Square A's and a variety of other Pradco crankbaits for $2.95 each. Lots of Bomber cranks, but also Arbogast (Hula Poppers and Jitterbugs), Bandit and Rebel products.