Mostly you read how square bill crank baits  are a stained or muddy water deal ... Anyone have success throwing square bill crank baits in mostly clear water reservoirs ?

I've never heard of only throwing squarebills in stained or muddy water. 

I use them in all water conditions.  
In clear water I tend to lean towards very chrome or mirrored colors.  I've tried the silent ones in clear too but haven't had much luck with silent.  

I’m pretty sure a square bill is designed to deflect off of cover better than round types in certain situation. Not an matter of water clarity. 
 

Colors and bait patterns fall more in line with water clarity. 

Yup I love throwing square bills.  In clear water I prefer a Aurora Black or Ghost Minnow 

34 minutes ago, camman said:

Yup I love throwing square bills.  In clear water I prefer a Aurora Black or Ghost Minnow 

I like them for shallow cranking. I like the Strike King versions. 

Not quite a squarebill, but for all intents and purposes that's what it is. I've caught a few good fish off a SPRO Little John in clear water rivers and reservoirs.  Most of the time I use a squarebill, the water clarity is stained or muddy, when I think about it.  But there definitely are exceptions - I like a squarebill next to a grass island in a shallow river for example, and those are mainly clear.

BX Brat in the Haymaker color is money in clear water. Dig that sucker in the rip rap.

12 minutes ago, Cptndeez64 said:

BX Brat in the Haymaker color is money in clear water. Dig that sucker in the rip rap.

I also have good luck with the bx brat in bone craw, blue ghost, and tamale in clear waters.

31 minutes ago, Cptndeez64 said:

BX Brat in the Haymaker color is money in clear water. Dig that sucker in the rip rap.

 

   I fish a lot of riprap, too. That's where I use squarebills, and that's where they pay off. If I didn't need that deflection so much, I'd use other shallow cranks. After all, squarebills are not magic.

   Stained, dirty or clear water doesn't mean anything WRT squarebills, at least not for me.      jj

Thanks for the replies - I already have  few of those choices and will try them . I even saw that Academy had some semi-clear Ghost Shad color  crank baits that may work in clearer water .

5 hours ago, ChrisD46 said:

Thanks for the replies - I already have  few of those choices and will try them . I even saw that Academy had some semi-clear Ghost Shad color  crank baits that may work in clearer water .

I'm still not clear on why you think they don't work as well in clear water???

I've read a lot of fishing info and have never come across that.  Ever.

Can you point me to where you got that info??

Duuuuuuuude, @ChrisD46 they are killer in clear water, just match the hatch.  I've been super successful with them especially around heavy cover where people are afraid to throw them

42 minutes ago, Teal said:

Duuuuuuuude, @ChrisD46 they are killer in clear water, just match the hatch.  I've been super successful with them especially around heavy cover where people are afraid to throw them

I firmly believe that the quickest way to become a better fisherman is to get over your fear of losing lures. 

3 hours ago, Dens228 said:

I firmly believe that the quickest way to become a better fisherman is to get over your fear of losing lures. 

Best thing in the world is a lure retriever and then fire away. 

23 minutes ago, NoShoes said:

Best thing in the world is a lure retriever and then fire away. 

I'm in a kayak so I can usually get most of my lures back.  The few times I've used a lure retriever it usually ends up down there with the lure.....lol

I use shallow running crankbaits in clear water all of the time if the bass are hitting them. 

On Table Rock I always look in the backs of the creeks for stained water.  They will chase them in clearer water but personally I never want them to get too good a look at it.

I've been throwing it for a couple weeks now and they are getting close. The shad are moving back farther in the creeks  as the water cools and the Bass will follow.

Of course, if your standing on a pond bank your choices are limited.

I've had some success on the OSP Blitz during this transitional deal.

 

 

Just because the water is clear and shallow does not mean that there aren't any bass living there. All a largemouth wants in life is a place to live and something to eat. If there is adequate forage and heavy cover like wood or vegetation in clear shallow water, the bass will be there also. I've had great success fishing a shallow crankbait (squarebill) in these situations.

 

 

I've had good luck throwing LC 1.5 Silent squarebills in all colors in clear water (6ft or so of visibility). I sometimes add marabou and Krystal flash to the tail treble. 

On 10/2/2020 at 1:09 PM, Crackintubes said:

I also have good luck with the bx brat in bone craw, blue ghost, and tamale in clear waters.

Carbon color is great as well. 

Usually transparent silver colors are good in clear water, but I've had luck throwing a variety of colors at times. A few clouds usually never hurt either, but more important is if there are rocks or stumps to deflect them off of - at which point square bills can really produce.

18 hours ago, NorthernBasser said:

Carbon color is great as well. 

That carbon pattern is a great jerk bait also. I have not landed anything of size yet with it. Dinks and runts. But it will come. They like it and I hope a nice one will like it. 
 

I wish Rapala would incorporate that pattern in more styles of their baits. I’d love to have it in a Shad Rap or DT. 

SPRO Little John squarebills on crystal clear Lake St Clair Re deadly for smallies and walleyes........and most everything else that swims in there.  ??