Preferred Attributes for Squarebill

[Heron]

When selecting a square bill, what general qualities and attributes do you look for in this type of crankbait?

[Torn Thumb]

Wobble, price, color.

[timsford]

Action and wobble type, size and depth range, Quality hardware and hooks, good colors and paint quality, material(wood or plastic) and price

[scaleface]

I like a tight action and no rattles most of the time .

[Columbia Craw]

Water displacement (overall profile and side to side action)

Deflection (bill design)

Buoyancy (how quickly it floats when stopped)

Color/pattern (how visible it will be in the water clarity fished)

Sound (rattles, rattle or silent)

[Molay1292]

That thee packaging says RC LC 1.5            

[crypt]

that it catches fish.

[bigturtle]

less than $5

[Bluebasser86]

I prefer the one with the fish attached. 

[Montanaro]

So hard to say honestly as its personal preference and also dictated by season and cover and FOW you are fishing.

Balsa (fast rise and hard wobble) in summer in thick cover

 

Spro lil john md (slow rise tight wobble and rubberized tungsten weight) in spring for bass hanging in 8 fow

[smalljaw67]

I look at the places I'm going to fish them. If I'm buying new baits for soft bottom areas where I'll be fishing in, and around, brush, then I look for baits that have a wide body like the Rapala DT Fat 3, KVD 2.5 or Norman Fat Boy and now the Arashi square 3 and 5. If I'm going to primarily be around rock and, or sparse grass, then I like the thinner body like the Bagley Kill'R B and Rattlin' Kill'R B, KVD 1.5, and the new Berkley Pitbull 5.5 as well as the DT Flat 3.

[primetime]

Price, Make sure the Seams match up, and I stick to brands I know since I can't feel that magic vibration some guys can. I usually just throw something small 2" and under for most part, or if bigger,I go flat like the Spro, Shad Rap, Flat A, Bomber, Rapala, Bandit, Strike King,Bass Pro, Speed shads, Timber Tigers make up most of my box. And the Luck E strikes that were on sale. I like most Rapala, and love the spro Lil John. But the Subwart is my favorite since it gets bit when fish are not hitting the same 1.5 or 2.5 everyone is tossing all day. Crappie sized cranks catch fish of all sizes and seem to always hunt well, especially the Rapala One's.

[Cgolf]

Something different from the ones that I own already. 

I like @Columbia Craw list I look for a lot of similar attributes, but generally it is post purchase since we really don't know till they hit the water.

The best example I can give was a trip 2 years ago where the Xcalibur 200 square bill was hot early and that thing pushes a ton of water and fishes much bigger than its size, I hooked a 45+ musky on it I lost mid acrobatics. Once a couple of fronts pushed through that week, the bite shut off for the Xcal and I switched to a slightly smaller Bandit 100 which also has a much more subtle wobble and the bite was back on big time.

Essentially I want an arsenal of square bills that I can pick and choose from depending on the mood of the fish. If I find two that are similar in when they work I will keep using the cheaper of the two.

[blckshirt98]

Pretty much every squarebill at the tackle shop has/will catch fish, otherwise it wouldn't be out there in the retail aisle..  Every squarebill will have it's share of fisherman that "swear by it", so just find one that fits your budget and gives you the most confidence.