Squarebill/lipless Rod

[Robert Riley]

Would you guys use a spinnerbait rod for squarebills and lipless? I know people prefer a faster action for for those cranks, and it sounds like it'd be a M/MH fast action. So a little bit of tip. 

[Arv]

I use a Dobyns 705CB (graphite) rod for all of the above. Also, jerkbaits and topwaters.

[Ozark_Basser]

A rod with a moderate or moderate fast action is a good idea with treble hook baits in general. With square bills, you are target casting a lot, so a moderate fast action is a little easier to be accurate with than a moderate. Some manufacturers make fast action rods with a soft enough tip for treble hook baits. This is what I use, but with deeper cranks, I like that deep flex you get with a moderate action rod.

[fisherrw]

i use a phenix X10

[Smokinal]

I throw my traps on a W/M Skeet S Glass rod and I throw my sb's on one of those Clunn sb rods. For a cheap rod, it's actually pretty decent.

[jbsoonerfan]

I prefer a MH-F action for both. However, you have to let the rod play the fish. You can't horse them in. I just don't like the way a M rod feels for ripping through grass with a lipless and bouncing off the bottom with a square bill

[Robert Riley]

I prefer a MH-F action for both. However, you have to let the rod play the fish. You can't horse them in. I just don't like the way a M rod feels for ripping through grass with a lipless and bouncing off the bottom with a square bill

That's how I feel, can you explain what you mean by letting the rod play the fish? Is this just not letting the fish pull super hard, while still maintaining tension on the line? AKA what I was taught as a kid? 

[jbsoonerfan]

Yes sir. Have your drag set right and you won't have to worry about ripping the hooks out.

[SwampLife]

I use my 7'1 medium fast *** for square bills which is the best rod that I have found for square bills.. I use a MH falcon BuCoo micro for lipless.. I think it's called "trap caster"

[kschultz76]

I like my MB Orochi XX Spinnerbait Special for square bills and lipless. At 6'10 with a med fast action and strong backone it's great for target casting around cover, has enough flex to not tear the hooks out, and enough backbone to rip out of grass and move fish away from cover. It's a super versatile rod. About the only things I haven't done with it are throw deep cranks or Carolina rigs.

[David P]

I just picked up a Dobyns 706CB for these two very specific techniques, it's absolutely PERFECT for both. 

[smalljaw67]

I like having a more stout rod for square bills and lipless cranks because the added backbone makes it easier to rip the bait off of cover. That said, I have a Fenwick Elite Tech Smallmouth 6'10" MH-MF casting rod that is very stout but it flexes further down the blank for added control over the fish but it is not a soft rod and I found that I did lose a fish every now and again but it is pretty awesome. I went and picked up another rod for those baits, a Fenwick HMG 7'2" M-MF casting rod, that is the bomb of a square bill and lipless cranking rod and if I didn't know any better I'd say it was made specifically for those techniques. It is a medium in the sense that is just a tad softer in the tip that a medium heavy but it is rated for 3/8oz to 1oz and it can handle that weight range no problem. The softer tip section transfers over to power very fast but then still has a little extra forgiveness in the power range so when you are fighting a fish and it makes a sudden surge at the side of the boat, it will give just a little more than my previous rod. I have had a bunch of different rods for those techniques but none fit the bill as much as my HMG, but I'm curious as they added a 7' MH-MF casting rod to the Aetos line which might be good, the mod fast taper from Fenwick isn't as soft as it is on other brands so don't expect a deep flexing type rod when you see the mod fast taper.

[SoFlaBassAddict]

I just picked up a Dobyns 706CB for these two very specific techniques, it's absolutely PERFECT for both.

How's it compare to the 705 glass? I need to pick up a new lipless rod soon.

[pbizzle]

I like a 7' MH/F for most sqaurebills and lipless baits, but smaller baits like a Bandit 100 series get thrown on a M/M.

[David P]

How's it compare to the 705 glass? I need to pick up a new lipless rod soon.

705 glass is a pretty different rod, just cause it is glass. Have you tried the 705 Graphite before? 805CB?  Easier to compare to those rods. 

 

 The 706 is great for squarebills though and traps. Has the power to get the hooks in em from far away. I also use a lot of stouter replaced hooks on most squarebills and lipless baits and the added power is nice to have. Still has the softness in the upper part that you want from a crankbait, but has a little more backbone making it a more versatile rod IMO. 

[SoFlaBassAddict]

705 glass is a pretty different rod, just cause it is glass. Have you tried the 705 Graphite before? 805CB? Easier to compare to those rods.

The 706 is great for squarebills though and traps. Has the power to get the hooks in em from far away. I also use a lot of stouter replaced hooks on most squarebills and lipless baits and the added power is nice to have. Still has the softness in the upper part that you want from a crankbait, but has a little more backbone making it a more versatile rod IMO.

I've used the 805, not the 705 graphite though. Like you I normally replace my hooks to something stouter. Might have to look into the 706. The 705 glass I own is a great rod, probably my favorite crank rod. It just lacks that extra oomph in thicker submerged vegetation.