Be There and Be Square: Pin Down Spring Bass with Squarebill Cranks

Finesse tactics paired with forward-facing sonar in open water have dominated much of the discussion in bass fishing recently. However, there’s something gratifying about returning to a more visual, intuitive method of searching for bass in shallow water. I’m talking about grinding a squarebill crankbait along rocky bottom in early spring to draw reaction strikes from bass— “Power Fishing 101,” if you will.

A squarebill crankbait is practically the four-wheel-drive vehicle of fishing lures. It’s designed to bounce, deflect and ricochet off the shallow lake bottom, rocks and wood cover to elicit a reaction strike from nearby bass. Because you can make long casts with a squarebill, it’s also well-suited as a primary search tool in less than 6 feet of water in early spring. At this time, bass frequently change their pre-spawn staging locations before ultimately settling onto the shallow flats to spawn, and being able to cover water is helpful.

The movement of bass en masse to shallow spawning flats is a process rather than a singular event. In fact, bass may only occupy pre-spawn staging areas for a few days due to ever-changing weather and water temperatures. However, once these spots are discovered, observant anglers can establish a successful pattern by noting the specific shoreline features where bites come from, thereby eliminating shorelines without those attributes.

Of course, many elements go into establishing a successful bass pattern in the pre-spawn, such as water temp and clarity, depth and even specific sections within the creek arms. However, two additional shoreline features can further refine a pattern, allowing for even greater success: the slope of the shoreline and the composition of the lake bottom. Each of these traits can be explored quickly and effectively with a squarebill crank.

SLOPE OF THE BANK

In early spring as water temps gradually warm into the mid-50s and the days grow longer, bass will migrate farther back into creek arms via the creek channels that meander toward shallow pockets and flats. The creek channels hold pods of baitfish and act as highways for bass moving from deep to shallower water. A steeper slope along a stretch of bank, typically 45 degrees or steeper, often suggests creek channels that swing near the shoreline.

That steep shoreline acts as a natural backstop for bass herding passing baitfish and also gives bass options for positioning higher or lower within the water column when water conditions change. As the spring sun warms the surface late in the day, bass can rise to bask in the sun. However, should a cold front pass through, the steeper banks offer a place of retreat to slightly deeper water.

Steeper shorelines call for paralleling the bank with the squarebill crankbait when possible, bouncing it along rock and submerged wood cover along the steep slope. Sections of flatter shorelines that suddenly become steeper are also bass magnets in early spring, and running a squarebill into these areas will draw reaction strikes from bass looking to herd bait against the steeper banks.

During periods of extended sunlight or as the water warms consistently toward 60 degrees and above, bass will likely move toward flatter shorelines and points as they feed closer to their eventual spawning grounds. The more gradual slope means bass won’t be as tightly grouped, yet they’ll still feed aggressively on these flat, shallow banks. When this happens, the squarebill bite can be epic, as bass ambush everything in sight. Isolated wood cover can provide ambush points along these flatter shorelines, though the presence of wood isn’t mandatory for holding roaming bands of pre-spawn bass.

BOTTOM COMPOSITION

The other notable feature for refining a pre-spawn bass pattern is the composition of the lake bottom. Rock is always an attractor for bass in colder water, as many anglers theorize that rock reflects the sun’s rays. Rock is abundant across many Midwestern reservoirs; however, all rock is not considered equal for holding bass, nor does it require a geology degree to determine where the bites are coming from. Rather than determining the type of rock, the size of the rock aggregate will often be the trick in unlocking a repeatable pattern.

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Chunk rock that’s softball-size or larger is often the key in early spring as bass forage for crawfish and sunfish along the rocks and crags along the shorelines. Certainly, riprap bridges are a prime pre-spawn location for bass because the chunk rock has the added appeal of intersecting a creek channel. However, many highland reservoirs in the Midwest have an abundance of natural-rock shorelines to hold pre-spawn bass.

Sand and gravel banks are key spawning grounds but also provide ideal foraging shelves for bass. A squarebill kicking up sediment along a gravel point has a high chance of being engulfed by a pre-spawn bass if one is within sight of it.

Lastly, the classic “edge effect” for holding bass is created where two bottom compositions meet along a shallow shoreline. Bass will hold around areas where softball-sized rock suddenly transitions to gravel, or where a rock bottom ends abruptly near a silty lake bottom. Directing a squarebill along these “seams” in the lake bottom could be the key to unlocking the pre-spawn pattern.

Although we often make predictions as to the location of pre-spawn bass based on certain weather and water conditions, their predictably unpredictable nature means we simply must make as many casts in the shortest amount of time possible to test our hypotheses and determine their true location. The ability of the squarebill to “search and be destroyed” by the bass makes it an excellent tool for finding them in the pre-spawn period.

GEARING UP

Among the legacies of Kevin Van Dam’s legendary tournament bass fishing career is his systematic approach for coordinating the rod, reel and line to land more bass with a squarebill crankbait. Chief among these qualities is the specialized fiberglass “cranking” rods available from multiple rod manufacturers today that have a deep-flex tip that transitions into a powerful mid-section and butt of the rod. The soft tip and muted feel of the glass rod material allow a hard-charging bass to inhale the lure deeper before the angler can react, thereby getting more treble hooks into the fish’s mouth. Rods of 7 feet to 7 feet 3 inches provide longer casts, yet remain accurate when directing a squarebill crankbait between shallow targets.

Unlike deep cranking, where low-geared reels ease the strain of a hard-pulling plug, the squarebill offers little resistance in the water. Therefore, reels with a gear ratio of 6.6:1 or 7.3:1 keep the squarebill moving quickly while maintaining a comfortable pace on the reel handles.

Squarebill enthusiasts have differing opinions for line material, with most preferring the invisibility and minimal stretch of fluorocarbon. Some, however, prefer the improved feel and zero-stretch trait of braided line when shallow cranking. Thus, it’s simply a matter of preference. Monofilament rates lower as an option because it has less abrasion resistance compared to fluorocarbon or braid. Furthermore, the added stretch from monofilament line, combined with a deep-flexing glass rod, would likely provide too much stretch and lower the landing percentages with a squarebill crankbait.

The test weight of fluorocarbon line should be determined by the type of cover, keeping in mind that the thickness of the line diameter can impact the depth a crankbait will run. Lines in the 10- to 12-pound-test class work well for open-water cranking, while 15- to 20-pound-test lines offer the added strength to pull fish away from isolated woody cover. For those using braid, 30-pound line is a popular choice.

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• This article was featured in the March 2024 issue of Game & Fish magazine. Click to subscribe.