Spinnerbait Vs. Squarebill

[CPBassFishing]

Will a spinnerbait catch fish if a squarebill is? Also, when do you use spinnerbaits? Just looking for some opinions on when to throw spinnerbaits.

[Shoalamfishin]

You can really use spinnerbaits in variety of situations the label of "search bait" really is true. Whats better about spinnerbaits is that you can run them through timber, over grass, etc. I generally lean toward spinnerbaits when I want more flash in my presentation; there are time a squarebill and spinnerbait will 

both catch fish but there are also times when the fish prefer one over the other. A chatterbait can serve as really good compromise between spinnerbaits and squarebills; the flash they put out is moderate to minimal, the vibration is good and they snag up easily. I throw chatterbait just about anytime I would otherwise use squarebills or spinnerbaits. I really like all of the lures in murky, muddy water, around logs/timber, and in current.

[The Rooster]

I fish square bills through timber also. I don't get hung up that often either, just let the bait impact the wood, wait a second for it to float up and away and then start cranking again. Spinnerbaits can come through this same cover a little faster though, and, of course, without as many hang ups. Also a spinnerbait is easier to attach a trailer to.

You can let spinnerbaits helicopter down near cover, fish them over grass beds and let them drop into holes as you pass over them. Crankbaits can't do this. Spinnerbaits also come through grass easier being more weedless.

You can cast a crankbait out and let it sit on top of the water in one spot before starting the retrieve, pull it below the surface for a few feet and then let it pop back up. Spinnerbaits can't do that.

So each has its advantage. Then there are places where each one would work just the same if it's just about vibration and passing by a piece of cover where a bass may be hiding.

By the way, that bass in my avatar was caught on a little square bill Bandit 100 I casted out and just let float with the creek current on top of the water. This could have just as easily been a topwater, but definitely not a spinnerbait.

[CPBassFishing]

Alright thanks for the replies. I caught 2 bass on a squarebill last Saturday by burning it over submerged grass patches. I was just wondering if a spinnerbait could catch them the same way.

[The Rooster]

Alright thanks for the replies. I caught 2 bass on a squarebill last Saturday by burning it over submerged grass patches. I was just wondering if a spinnerbait could catch them the same way.

It might, but you'd have to know that it was just because of the vibration. It could have been the rattle, profile, retrieve cadence, or anything.

[38 Super Fan]

There are many times you can fish on a spinner, but when it's windy...that's prime spinnerbaiting. IMO 

[Felix77]

Spinnerbaits is my #1 "Search Bait".  I can search various depths with one lure just by varying the retrieve.  Burn for the top, countdown and slow retrieve for the middle and let it sink and slow roll it to cover the bottom.

 

Crankbaits - In particular Lipless Crankbaits can cover the various depths as well but not as fast as a spinnerbait.  Squarebills are more situational etc.

 

Chatterbaits are a great in between as someone else mentioned.

[Shoalamfishin]

Great point Felix!! Another aspect of what makes spinnerbaits so versatile (and in many instances effective) is that you can cover the entire the water column  (most of the time, deep requires heavier spinnerbaits), fish grass, fish timber/cover all with one lure, all of this is a great advantage but when combined with a variety of presentations it can make spinnerbaits lethal.

[Fishes in trees]

For me, squarebills and spinner baits are both search baits.   I tend to throw a square bill unless it is too weedy, then I throw a spinner bait.   A chatterbait gets thrown into the mix somewhere, but I'm not sure exactly sure where, just sometimes I throw a chatter bait instead of a square bill and sometimes instead of a spinnerbait.   I don't have a hard  and fast rule as to what I throw when, other than I am most likely to throw a square bill unless it is too weedy.

 

If you are throwing your square bills into sunken bushes and  assorted wood cover and getting them stuck, you should try a Timber Tiger.   I really like the D8, but I've got several of all the different sizes in the boat, all the time.

[CPBassFishing]

Alright thanks for all the great info guys. I'll be throwing a spinnerbait as my search bait next time I'm out.

[craww]

I'm noticing (at least on public waters around here) that spinnerbaits just dont seem to get the strikes they used to. I remember hearing Hank Parker mention the same thing. I've caught some big fish on spinnerbaits; (got a DD 4 years ago in a pond) and love throwing them, but the squarebills/bladed jigs/rattlebaits have definitely taken a chunk out of their use for me. I still like to throw them if there's a chop on the water.

 

Before someone calls me out I'm not saying spinnerbaits are dead, I know some still do well on them; just stating what I'm observing locally.

[down4ttown]

This past summer, I used both religiously. The squarebill while nice just does not feel as good as a spinner to me. I use both but I can cast a spinnerbait further do not have to worry about treble hooks and tend to get bigger fish in my area. 

[smalljaw67]

For the places I fish I have distinct uses for both like the squarebills are my rip rap and stump flat bait of choice. spinnerbaits are my favorite bait, to me they aren't a search bait which is  why I throw them on a shorter rod than most because I target cast with them and will often find patterns using them that can last all day. I can use the spinnerbait just about anywhere and any depth but I prefer th throw them at the corners of docks, the edges and over top of weedbeds as well as around wood including stumsps. Early on in May until mid June I do have some spots when I could use either or, these are flats that have laydowns and stumps scattered around, those places are great for both baits but I lean toward the squarebill at that time because when it gets to late June and into July then the weeds have grown to the point it hampers the squarebill and then the spinnerbait will take over.

[Hooligan]

The two are entirely distinct baits for me, that is to say they aren't interchangeable in the least. 99% of my spinnerbait fishing is structure oriented. I fish them around humps, drops, and swings as a primary tactic. They are not, generally, a searching tool for me. I do use them as a tool to find fish on deep flats and in situations that suggest a pattern may develop around that, however, I usually am targeting specific areas and patterns even when that is the case.

Squarebills are, again, very specific in terms of what I am asking of them and when I am going to throw them. I usually look to a squarebill for specific things like working shallow grass edges, working in flooded Tim Ed, and working lay downs when a moving bait is preferred. I tend the throw squarebills around much of the same things I would a spinnerbait, but it is far more cover oriented than the spinnerbait for me.

What I mean by th statement that that I am not generally using them as search baits is that I am not fan casting a given area with them, in random fashion. Do I do that with both? Yes I do, but that generally is not the tactic that I employ with either of them initially.

That said, if you know that fish are on a predominantly moving bait pattern and you have limited ability to thoroughly break down the structure and cover in an area, a spinnerbait is far and away one of the best tactics to employ. Start with any visible structure and cover and make repeated casts from all directions. The single greatest advantage of a spinnerbait is that you can vary the depth of that bait to cover all of the water column. When I am fishing spinnerbaits, a 3/4 ounce Northstar is where I start, almost without fail. I can fish that bait in shallow water or in deep water, equally as effective.

Squarebills are limited in their ability to cover water because of their lack of variability. They're a versatile bait, but they are quite limited to specific depth. There are situations that I fish a squarebill in 40'+ of water, but it is very specific. My primary use for a squarebill is in grass, followed by wood and rock and rip rap. I've been extremely successful ripping a squarebill in grass for a couple years, and it's a tactic not often employed by others, so it's a variety that not a lot of fish have seen.

[CPBassFishing]

The two are entirely distinct baits for me, that is to say they aren't interchangeable in the least. 99% of my spinnerbait fishing is structure oriented. I fish them around humps, drops, and swings as a primary tactic. They are not, generally, a searching tool for me. I do use them as a tool to find fish on deep flats and in situations that suggest a pattern may develop around that, however, I usually am targeting specific areas and patterns even when that is the case.

Squarebills are, again, very specific in terms of what I am asking of them and when I am going to throw them. I usually look to a squarebill for specific things like working shallow grass edges, working in flooded Tim Ed, and working lay downs when a moving bait is preferred. I tend the throw squarebills around much of the same things I would a spinnerbait, but it is far more cover oriented than the spinnerbait for me.

What I mean by th statement that that I am not generally using them as search baits is that I am not fan casting a given area with them, in random fashion. Do I do that with both? Yes I do, but that generally is not the tactic that I employ with either of them initially.

That said, if you know that fish are on a predominantly moving bait pattern and you have limited ability to thoroughly break down the structure and cover in an area, a spinnerbait is far and away one of the best tactics to employ. Start with any visible structure and cover and make repeated casts from all directions. The single greatest advantage of a spinnerbait is that you can vary the depth of that bait to cover all of the water column. When I am fishing spinnerbaits, a 3/4 ounce Northstar is where I start, almost without fail. I can fish that bait in shallow water or in deep water, equally as effective.

Squarebills are limited in their ability to cover water because of their lack of variability. They're a versatile bait, but they are quite limited to specific depth. There are situations that I fish a squarebill in 40'+ of water, but it is very specific. My primary use for a squarebill is in grass, followed by wood and rock and rip rap. I've been extremely successful ripping a squarebill in grass for a couple years, and it's a tactic not often employed by others, so it's a variety that not a lot of fish have seen.

great post!