Squarebill crankbaits getting snagged

[primetime]

9 hours ago, ratherbfishin1 said:

 

Problem... Solved

 

It looks like a joke to me, but hey, who knows!?

I would imagine the hook up ratio would be very poor on that design, but it does look the part. I actually purchased the bill norman weedless rattle trap a few years ago to get to $50 on TW, and the only time I ever hooked up on it was when I added the treble hook which defeats the purpose.

 

When I fish in places with a soft bottom, I rarely use a crankbait, but I would simply slow down and then do a random hookset to create a deflection/direction change. You can find crankbaits that dive 2-3' but one of the things I do in a few ponds where I live, is throw a deep diver like the DT 10 and fish it in 4-5' of water and bottom is soft. I simply pull it down quickly to the bottom, let the bill hit, then kill it and let it float up slowly....then just repeat, the bigger bill protects the hooks. The rapala seems to work best when I do this since it floats slowly, and is not too loud. It either scares the fish, but if they are active, it often gets choked by a bigger fish.

 

I am not a crankbait expert by any stretch, but I think the vertical action and bigger body creates bigger strikes in ponds. I rarely throw cranks in ponds for the reasons you mentioned, too many weeds and soft bottoms, but in order to get long casts and fish a bit differently, I usually try this before leaving, and when it works, they rip the rod out of your hands, or you simply spook everything, so I do it last.

 

Hope that helps.

[WRB]

My advice is stop trying to use the wrong lure in the pond you fish. IMO Rapala F13 Joint minnow will catch more bass from what the OP has discribed as the pond he fishes.

Tom

[MN Fisher]

4 minutes ago, WRB said:

My advice is stop trying to use the wrong lure in the pond you fish. IMO Rapala F13 Joint minnow will catch more bass from what the OP has discribed as the pond he fishes.

Tom

Either that or the Jointed Shallow Shad Rap. I use that one in shallow, log-ridden areas myself without major issues.

[J.Vincent]

10 hours ago, ratherbfishin1 said:

 

Problem... Solved

 

It looks like a joke to me, but hey, who knows!?

Interesting lure, but not as a 3 to 5 ft diver. With that soft lure body and hook design it might be better if they redesigned it as a wake bait. 

 

[MarkH024]

Get some Manns -1. Change your hooks and hang on. Great shallow crank that you can keep in the 1-2ft depth. I run it above grass in the springtime. Works really well.

[IgotWood]

It’s actually very easy to control your depth with squarebills and even deeper running coffin-bills. 

 

Keep your rod tip up high to keep the bait running shallow. Lower your rod tip to let the bait run deeper. Obviously speed is also a major factor. It’s also helpful if you use the same bait often so that you learn very well exactly how it behaves. 

 

If if you feel a bump, pause and let the bait float up and away from the snag. If you feel drags on your bait like leaves of grass, give it a sharp rip. Often it will pull the debris off, and also can generate a strike. 

[waymont]

On 2/22/2019 at 7:38 AM, fishballer06 said:

The water you're fishing is too shallow for the squarebill you're fishing. Try using a Mann's Baby 1-. They only run about 6-12" deep and they're a killer crankbait.

Hey. What colors do you like? I would guess Bluegill or shad.

[fishballer06]

On 2/23/2019 at 12:41 PM, waymont said:

Hey. What colors do you like? I would guess Bluegill or shad.

All depends on what the fish want. Time of year, location, water clarity, etc. 

 

I get a lot of mine custom painted by a buddy because I'm not a fan of most of the factory colors and honestly, the factory paint doesn't hold up too well. Some waters I use bright chartruese, others I use bluegill colors, and other times I'll use a sexy shad pattern. In the spring of the year, a brown craw with an orange belly can be a killer.