What’s your favorite squarebill rod?

[TBAG]

On 2/28/2020 at 2:37 PM, FishTank said:

St. Croix Legend Glass 7'2'' Med. Mod.  Best application specific rod I have ever used.  It's so good, it's scary.  I have used a Mod. Avid, a Loomis GLX crankbait rod, a regular Loomis Crankbait rod, Lamiglas, a Shimano Crucial Crankbait, and probably a couple I have forgotten but the Legend Glass just does the job better. 

 

You're absolutely correct on this. My Legend Glass is the 6'10" but still is the best crankbait or any bait specific rod I've ever used. I own one other CB specific rod, St. Croix Avid but the glass is 10x better IMO.

 

I'm a huge crankbait fan anyway so I always try to find an excuse to use the Legend Glass whenever I'm out and it always puts a smile on my face.

 

This was a couple Sundays ago on a rare warm February day.

 

 

Untitled by Caleb Bender, on Flickr

[roadwarrior]

For most medium weight lures with treble hooks: G.Loomis GLX PR844C/ Core 50Mg/ Sunline Defier Armilo #11

 

For heavy lures and deep divers: Lamiglas SR705R/ Conquest 100/ #30 Smackdown, #15 Tatsu leader

 

[gilkeybr]

Really like my 704CB Graphite for small cranks (1.5s and even a bit smaller)

[Cityangler7]

Dobyns Champion XP 705CB, I personally don't like anything with glass.

[clemsondds]

anyone ever try the st croix mojo glass 6'10" M for squarebills?

[Hooligan]

On 3/1/2020 at 7:30 AM, clemsondds said:

mind sharing how these rods differ?  If you have three money rods for squarebill, what else is in your collection?!? 
 

thanks everyone for your thoughts! So many to choose from 

They differ in the way the blank loads and recovers, they differ in the power transition of the blank.  They differ in casting accuracy and trajectory as well.

The legend is as close to a perfect squarebill rod as I’ve come across. The sole aspect that I do not like is around wood it is too quickly into the power of the blank because the rod loads in so heavily with a 1/2 ounce bait.  It doesn’t “bump and run” in wood because the rod is already loaded so much, half the time you feel the wood too ate and you’ve buried a bait.  In grass, you can let the rod load up and it will rip a bait free nearly of its own power. Just a difference in the way they’re built.  
The CBR is better around docks for that same reason, you can feel small changes better, you can feel deflection easier, and it casts a short line a bit better. The difference between the two is solely a difference of bait size. A Big BX brat doesn’t fish as well on a 4 power rod. A Little John doesn’t do well on a 5 power.  
As for what else I have, they’re all tools.  You don’t strike a chisel with a sledgehammer, and you don’t drive 16p with a tack hammer. 

[Bluebasser86]

Use to be a St. Croix 7' MH Pro Glass. Broke it a few years ago and been getting by with a Quantum KVD crankbait rod that does pretty well.

 

Now I stepped up to a St. Croix Legend Glass 6' 10" MH that I'm really liking so far. Most of my cranking is shorter cast with squarebills and shallow to mid range baits, and this rod does that perfectly.

[Smalls]

On 2/28/2020 at 9:34 AM, J Francho said:

I like a different rod from most cranking sticks for square bills (and traps, too) - a 7' m/f stick.  I like to be able to react quickly when the bait contacts wood or dock pilings, etc., and the fast rod helps with that, but the m power and length keep steady pressure on the fish when you get bit, without being to stiff.

I thought I was the only one. I've got a 705cb for fishing rock, grass, etc. But if I'm around wood, it gets benched for my mh/f Christie rod. It's still got enough bend to not rip trebles out, but fast enough to let me keep em out of the cover. 

[J Francho]

I think that whole ripping trebles out is over played.  I've bent trebles before they're ripped out.  My take is the drag was set too high.  I'm thinking when we lost fish and blame it on the trebles ripping out, it wasn't really hooked well to begin with, and a slow rod wouldn't save it anyway.  BTW, ever get a treble in your own skin?  I did, my leg once.  It was not easy to get out.

[bunz559]

I hardly squarebill but definitely enjoy my Dobyns 705cb glass when I do. 

[Smalls]

5 hours ago, J Francho said:

I think that whole ripping trebles out is over played.  I've bent trebles before they're ripped out.  My take is the drag was set too high.  I'm thinking when we lost fish and blame it on the trebles ripping out, it wasn't really hooked well to begin with, and a slow rod wouldn't save it anyway.  BTW, ever get a treble in your own skin?  I did, my leg once.  It was not easy to get out.

I agree. What I mean by "ripping them out" is the fish coming unbuttoned during the fight. I noticed that happening a ton less when I bought my first dedicated crankbait rod. I don't think I've ever actually ripped em out on a hookset

[rcjoutdoors]

On 3/1/2020 at 8:30 AM, clemsondds said:

Can you tell me why you like this? I haven’t been able to find one at a store to look at. I love my other mb rod...

mind sharing how these rods differ?  If you have three money rods for squarebill, what else is in your collection?!? 
 

thanks everyone for your thoughts! So many to choose from 

I like the taper and the tip for casting, it has enough bend in it without being too noodley for me. The length is not too short... where I don't feel I can make a long cast from the bank. It's 7ft, I know most like 6'9" squarebill rods, but I'm accurate enough with it when casting to hit my targeted areas.

[clemsondds]

Has anyone compared the 705cb with the 704cb? I wonder if the 704 would be a little better for light squarebills. 
Also, is a secondary technique to use your squarebill rod for? (Spinnerbait, lipless...)

[clemsondds]

Also, has anyone used the Shimano Zodias?   Thanks

[jbsoonerfan]

I have the Zodias in 6'10 ML, 6'10 M & 6'10 MH. I have never actually tried a squarebill on the ML, I actually prefer the MH to the M throw them on. I actually have a Poison Adrena that is a 6'11 M+ that I have thought might be perfect. The only reason I haven't tried it on that rod yet is it has 40lb braid on it. I have only used the ML for shakey head and drop shot as it also has braid on it, but in 20lb. I may just do a reel swap and see what I think, although I think it might be too much for the rod in grass, which is why I like the MH as it seems to pull away from the grass compared to the M when I tried it. I use the M for medium divers when throwing them in open water or near rock/dirt bottom.

[clemsondds]

17 minutes ago, jbsoonerfan said:

I have the Zodias in 6'10 ML, 6'10 M & 6'10 MH. I have never actually tried a squarebill on the ML, I actually prefer the MH to the M throw them on. I actually have a Poison Adrena that is a 6'11 M+ that I have thought might be perfect. The only reason I haven't tried it on that rod yet is it has 40lb braid on it. I have only used the ML for shakey head and drop shot as it also has braid on it, but in 20lb. I may just do a reel swap and see what I think, although I think it might be too much for the rod in grass, which is why I like the MH as it seems to pull away from the grass compared to the M when I tried it. I use the M for medium divers when throwing them in open water or near rock/dirt bottom.

Well that didn’t help lol 

so do you like them? Have you tried the glass versions? 

[jbsoonerfan]

I love the Zodias line, but I havent used a Zodias in glass. I have the 7' M glass Curado and it is a beast at throwing deep divers, it has a lot of backbone but also has great action.

[clemsondds]

4 minutes ago, jbsoonerfan said:

I love the Zodias line, but I havent used a Zodias in glass. I have the 7' M glass Curado and it is a beast at throwing deep divers, it has a lot of backbone but also has great action.

So do you have a rod you really love throwing light squarebills on? Sounds like you are still searching 

[jbsoonerfan]

Yep, 6'10 MH Zodias if we are talking a 1/2 oz. When I started deciding what to throw my baits on I used them all with different baits and came up with the following for cranks. Squarebill/lipless 6'10 MH Zodias, Med divers 6'10 M Zodias, Deep divers 7' M Curado glass, Jerkbaits 6'9 M Intenza. If I am fishing a bank in say 3-8 fow and not around grass I will throw the lipless and a shallow runners (6th sense crush, SPRO lil John SD)on the 6'9 M Intenza.

[clemsondds]

So my staff game me a pretty sizable gift card to cabela/bps.  I'm thinking of getting a squarebill rod with it.  I'm looking on their site and they unfortunately don't have a lot of the names mentioned here. But they still have several that would work well I believe. Here are my top 4.  Which do you think I should go with? Also would love to get some ideas for secondary use for the rod when not using squarebill. 

1. St Croix Avid X AXC68MHF

2. Shimano Expride EX166MA

3. Shimano Zodias ZDS1610M

4. Shimano Zodias ZDS1610MH

 

Thanks

[jbsoonerfan]

I am admittedly partial to the Zodias line, especially when it comes to moving baits. One of the first Zodias rods I owned was the 6'10 MH. I had 3, the 6'10 MH, a 7'2 MH and a 7'2 H. I used the two 7'2 rods for my texas rigging and jig work and the 6'10 got a lot of duty on moving baits. I threw lipless, squarebills, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits and jerkbaits all on it with 14 lb Sunline Super Natural. IMO it is a very versatile rod that can handle a number of techniques and do them very well. 

[clemsondds]

Cool so your vote is for the zodias 6'10" MH?  I think it's interesting that you are using the MH for squarebills and the M for medium diving crankbaits.  Mind sharing why?  I would have thought it would be the opposite.  

I guess I am leaning towards the zodias, but I have an expride spinning and absolutely love it...so I tend to want to trust the expride. But I haven't seen anyone review that particular rod and not sure how it will do with squarebills. 

[jbsoonerfan]

I like to fish a squarebill over or around grass or on the edge of a grass line. A MH rod makes it easier for me to control the bait with the rod and keep it where I want it (on top of or the edge of the grass). I will fish a M diver over rock or a sandy bottom and I want the bait to work the rod more as opposed to the rod working the bait. If I am digging into the bottom or bouncing off of rock I want the bait to make more natural movements as opposed to me having to forcefully rip the bait through the grass like I have to do with a squarebill. Also, once you have hooked into grass with a M rod it seems as though it is very difficult for me to free it from the grass.

[clemsondds]

Ok thanks!  

[fvogel67]

6’8” MH Falcon Jason Christie.

Found it in a Walmart clearance section.  25$