I don't hear much about people using squarebills in summer and was curious as to why. A quick survey of YouTube revealed that nearly all the reputable videos I could find on summer crankbaits are about deep cranking. I get that this makes sense for the deep fish, obviously not going to use a squarebill to go after them.

 

But even on a big lake, some of the fish stay shallow all summer. And in a pond, unless it's a really unusual pond they don't have a choice, and I was wondering how many people use squarebills to catch these fish. Obviously some of the typical summer shallow hangouts for lake fish--weeds, under docks--aren't great situations for squarebills, but still.

 

I've had a slow streak going the last few days at my subdivision pond. My usual approach there is finesse (small baits, slow presentation, light line), typically a wacky worm or Ned rig, because they get a lot of pressure (and the finesse techniques usually work really well). Last night I tried several finesse options and hadn't gotten a bite. Digging through my tackle bag I ran across my squarebill box. Thinking that maybe a reaction bite could be had even though they obviously weren't in an eating mood, I tied on a KVD 1.5 in a bluegill pattern.

 

Caught 5 in the short amount of time I had left before I had to leave. Apparently the reaction bite was working at a time when the otherwise weren't in the mood to feed. And, a squarebill is an option for me here because this pond is shallow, little to no cover other than a few weeds right at the bank. I was casting it out as far as I could get it, so that it was digging in the bottom by the time I got it back to the slight dropoff about 15-20 feet out from the bank. Usually if the fish are tight lipped I tend to go toward more "finesse-y" options, I have to confess that trying for a pure reaction strike in those circumstances is not in my usual playbook. It will be, going forward, and also a squarebill will be in summer list of options going forward.

I think that's because for most people, a square bill doesn't go deep enough to go after the bass off the edges, and it get's caught up in the weeds too easily to be fished in the shallows.  So I think for most people, they probably aren't a good choice until the weeds clear out a bit later in the year.  

 

But you're right in that they certainly can still be effective.  It all depends.  There's a lake near me that doesn't have a lot of vegetation, but has plenty of dead wood in it, and I'll fish a square bill there all summer long.  It's not usually the most effective method at my disposal, but some days it can be.  I always give it shot, because you never know until you try.  

I have not been a crankbait guy for bass at all really.  Our lakes here are usually very Shallow and weedy.  I use them for walleye in northern lakes with less weeds.   Many of the weeds have died off as of late so I also gave the square I’ll a try.  I caught quite a few bass.  I would usually use a chatterbait or spinnerbait for a reaction strike, but changing it up was fun.  I did find out why guys change out their hooks though.  I did bend some hooks but changed them out when I got home.  I am going to play with these shallow cranks some more and see what I think.  So far it has been a fun new way to fish em.  

My experience using squarebills in summer is usually catching bass on the smaller end of the range. 

My experience with summer squarebills is im either cleaning dead weeds off on every cast or not catching fish with them

Lately I've been getting on a decent morning bite in a channel connecting the 2 ponds at my local park. They are chasing bluegills and balls of shad in there as the bait moves from pond to pond early and late in the day. My 2 best baits have been a Ned rig and a kvd 1.5 shallow in neon bluegill or summer sexy shad. Today I caught 2 largemouth on the ned and caught a largemouth and a smallmouth on the crank. Last week I had a day when I caught 14 in 2hrs 12 of them caught on the ned\shallow crank combo.

2 hours ago, DitchPanda said:

Lately I've been getting on a decent morning bite in a channel connecting the 2 ponds at my local park. They are chasing bluegills and balls of shad in there as the bait moves from pond to pond early and late in the day. My 2 best baits have been a Ned rig and a kvd 1.5 shallow in neon bluegill or summer sexy shad. Today I caught 2 largemouth on the ned and caught a largemouth and a smallmouth on the crank. Last week I had a day when I caught 14 in 2hrs 12 of them caught on the ned\shallow crank combo.

My last two times out at my favorite spot they've been busting shad on or near the surface in 20 feet of water.  The ONLY thing that has worked is underspins. I tried cranks to mix it up but they won't touch them. 

Fish the Moment did a great video on Squarebills in the Summer. Basically saying that you need to fish them fast because your getting a reaction bite. In clear water, don't give the fish a chance to see the bait. Deflect that sucker off any stump, laydown, rock, etc that you can. He says fish a bigger profile in the morning/low light and a small 1.5 during the mid day. 

1 minute ago, RHuff said:

Fish the Moment did a great video on Squarebills in the Summer. Basically saying that you need to fish them fast because your getting a reaction bite. In clear water, don't give the fish a chance to see the bait. Deflect that sucker off any stump, laydown, rock, etc that you can. He says fish a bigger profile in the morning/low light and a small 1.5 during the mid day. 

Thanks, I'll have to look for that one, I can't believe I missed that one because I watch a ton of his stuff. 

 

That is consistent with my experience last night. My subdivision pond fish are all dinks so the 1.5 is pretty big for them, but I was definitely moving it pretty quickly, using my Fuego 8:1 (not at top speed obviously), and bouncing it off the bottom and in particular I think off of the small dropoff a little off the bank.

I fish them all year along on some bodies of water and have found more luck running weedlines in the summer than the typical baits.  I think fish get use to seeing a spinnerbait/chatterbait over the weeded patches as that's what most guys throw in those scenarios.  I'll go by with a squarebill and its something different and have also enticed them ripping it out of the grass.  I'm fishing spots that probably are in the 3-8 foot depths so normally deep cranking doesn't apply out here.  I know other lakes you can't buy a bite on a squarebill in the summer as all the fish head deep and can be cranked up with a DD22 type bait.

 

Anglers generally agree to use a slow retrieve in cold water,

but seem reluctant to endorse a fast retrieve in hot water.

 

There are exceptions that prove every rule, but the exceptions don't erase the rule.

Fishermen are warm-blooded animals that may be uncomfortable on a hot summer day,

but that shouldn't cause a sympathetic reaction. Fish are cold-blooded animals, and given adequate

dissolved oxygen, fish are comfortable in most any water temperature. On the other hand, 

water temps dictate the fish's metabolism and behavior (slower in cold water <> faster in hot water).

 

Roger

Given the number of squarebills I find during the summer months, there's more than a few people around here fishing them. Just in my short, 4 hour trip last Friday morning I found 5 squarebills, all KVD 1.5s or 2.5s.

It's a good summer time tactic... there are still some shallow fish in the summer.  The key for locating them to me these shallow areas with good cover like socks, big shade trees, vegetation and QUICK ACCESS TO DEEPER WATER AND OR CURRENT.  When I find a good combination of these things I have a better chance of finding fish shallow.  Not many guys are really slinging a squarebill under a dock or behind it.  I really like to burn them and hit everything I can with them.  

Because  the nature of the lake has changed I have not used squareblls at all the past few years . I use to throw them a lot in the summer , especially in standing timber . The timber has rotted away and is no longer visible .Still there  but under the water line , just out of view  .

summer time is T rig time for me due to all the weeds etc.

Vegetation growth and depth generally prevent me from being effective with squarebills in summer EXCEPT where there is current. So rivers and impoundments are a GO for squarebills all summer. In natural lakes, gravel pits, and bayous, however, I've more often got jigs, worms, or creatures rigged up instead.

There are  no summer time lures . Squarebills work in the summer just like spring and  fall . Summer time vegetation might make a square bill ineffective , then use   lures that navigate vegetation well . Use the right tool for the job .

When I lived in a state where the lakes had grass, one of my favorite things to do was run a squarebill overtop the grass. Usually just ticking the top, but occasionally digging it into the grass, then ripping it out and killing it. The key is to hold the rod reeeaaaal tight, cause that bite is vicious.

Well up in the northern parts of the country, square bills can be deadly at hotspots on a cool morning or night when fish move in shallow to feed, especially a cool day after a long heatwave. I've gotten on bites were I was getting a fish every single cast.

During the day, you're better off with a T-Rig, jig, dropshot, deep diver or even a spinnerbait (the flash and water commotion can drive fish up that are willing to chase).

 

In many lakes, the weeds become a problem as well.

You can catch them on rip rap and shallow shell beds year round with a squarebill. I have more consistent results with a wake crank in the summer though. 

Thanks to everyone for your thoughts on this. 

 

I was out again on this particular pond when the squarebill was working well. I have a theory on why it is working well in this particular summer setting.

 

The pond is fairly small, shallow everywhere (max. depth 6 feet or so), and almost no structure or cover. It's one of those goldfish bowl HOA ponds. So that (a) allows me to fish a squarebill where I couldn't in a lot of summer locations, and (b) I think for the most part during the day these fish roam, with no cover or structure to set up against until the sun is low enough early morning/late evening to set up right against the bank. 

 

So whereas I usually go with a more finesse style because these are heavily pressured fish, that also requires working the bait slowly of course. I think that with the squarebill I can cover water a lot faster, while I may be missing a few bites I'd get on Ned rig/wacky worm, I'm trading that for picking up some bites because I can cover a lot more water with the squarebill.

 

 

My number one bait today at least was a squarebill. Strike King 1.5 in bluegill, stopped counting at 30 bass, a mix of both smallmouth and largemouth. Many came off submerged weeds but a lot of them also came off either laydowns or rocky points and shoals. Water was 74 deg, pretty much our summer high for this particular lake. 

Cranking a square bill through the tops of deeper weeds is a great tactic in the summer. No, your no where near bottom contact, but you are contacting the cover. When that bait hangs on some grass and is ripped free you'll get some vicious strikes.