Square Bill Rod Recommendations

[BooshBass]

I'm in the market for a light square bill rod for use in tight quarters. Ideally 6'6" medium with moderate fast action. Any suggestions?

[garroyo130]

Price range?

[BooshBass]

$150 or less

[The Maestro]

I have one of these and it's a great budget squarebill rod. Also perfect for small topwater baits.

 

[BooshBass]

1 hour ago, The Maestro said:

I have one of these and it's a great budget squarebill rod. Also perfect for small topwater baits.

 

 

Did not know about this rod.  The shortness is very appealing, but is it pretty whippy?  True moderate or could it be perhaps mod-fast?

[casts_by_fly]

How small of a square bill are you going down to?  Bomber A’s?  Big difference casting a model A and a dt-fat. 

[BooshBass]

2 minutes ago, casts_by_fly said:

How small of a square bill are you going down to?  Bomber A’s?  Big difference casting a model A and a dt-fat. 

 

1.0 KVDs are the smallest I've used, but this rod would likely be used to experiment with even smaller and no bigger than 1.5 KVDs.  I already have a Dobyns Fury crankbait rod that's 7' med-hvy, mod-fast, but I sometimes fish in the Chicago river in areas that are quite tight and the fish are heavily pressured.  I did pretty good last month there during the spawn with my 6'8" Shimano Clarus medium power, extra fast action, in those conditions and it was quite fun, but I missed a ton of fish I'm pretty sure due to the extra fast action. 

 

I think a short, medium power, moderate fast action rod would be a good compliment to the Dobyns and Shimano rods I already have.  I would probably give it a shot on poppers and jerk baits as well and see if I like the more moderate action for that.  Believe it or not, the 6'8" was fine but even still a little bit long to be 100% comfortable in the conditions I plan to use it in. 

 

So a 6'6" medium, moderate-fast rod I think would be exactly I am looking for, if not even shorter.

[casts_by_fly]

The falcon bucoo sr 6’6” treble hooker is the right rod for the small cranks. 1/4-1/2, medium moderate. A 4-power falcon is fairly light and lighter than I prefer for crank baits but would be a good choice for the lighter crank baits. I prefer a 5 power in the falcon line and the trapcaster/all round is my preference but that’s 7’. A great one for double duty with small cranks and top water is the 6’10” finesse jig/top water. I’ve fished bomber a’s and dt fat with it. Makes a great spook and popper rod. Little longer than you want but a great action for all of that. 

[The Maestro]

2 hours ago, BooshBass said:

 

Did not know about this rod.  The shortness is very appealing, but is it pretty whippy?  True moderate or could it be perhaps mod-fast?

I'd say it's pretty whippy. It's a glass/graphite composite. I use braid and find the combination of no stretch in the line and the softness of the action is pretty much bang on. It still has a good backbone that really shuts off once you hit it. It really let's you set hook on those long distance topwater bites especially when they hit it sitting still.

[ironbjorn]

Dobyns Fury 663c is perfectly what you're looking for. You can't go by the label on the rod. It says MH/F, but it performs as a M/MF, $130, lifetime warranty.

[BooshBass]

2 hours ago, ironbjorn said:

Dobyns Fury 663c is perfectly what you're looking for. You can't go by the label on the rod. It says MH/F, but it performs as a M/MF, $130, lifetime warranty.

 

 

Thanks for the awesome tip!  The first Amazon review says: "However this rod isn't medium heavy. It's definitely medium."  

 

Edit: It seems kind of weird and misleading that Dobyns appears to have power ratings 1-6, but then they call a 3 medium-heavy.  Seems like calling it medium is a no brainer and pretty much every person who uses the rods considers it as such. 

[BooshBass]

2 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

The falcon bucoo sr 6’6” treble hooker is the right rod for the small cranks. 1/4-1/2, medium moderate. A 4-power falcon is fairly light and lighter than I prefer for crank baits but would be a good choice for the lighter crank baits. I prefer a 5 power in the falcon line and the trapcaster/all round is my preference but that’s 7’. A great one for double duty with small cranks and top water is the 6’10” finesse jig/top water. I’ve fished bomber a’s and dt fat with it. Makes a great spook and popper rod. Little longer than you want but a great action for all of that. 

 

I have never tried one of these but I really like the options they have.  So far I think I'm between this and the other suggested Dobyns Fury 663c.