So, I am looking into grabbing a rod just for squarebills and curious what lines you all use for them? I was using fluoro, but am leaning towards some 12lb Hybrid or something similar. Anything wrong with that in your eyes? 

Here ya go!

 

I have 2 rods I throw them on. Open water gets 12 lb Invizx, around grass or cover gets 15 lb Tatsu.

I throw square bills on heavy mono except when fishing in grass, then it's like 12 lb. Small ones on a medium rod, larger ones on a MH. The specific rod varies, but I don't like anything too fast nor a true cranking rod.

YZH - it's the only way to crank.

Sunline Sniper or P-Line CXX in #12. I prefer the mono but the FC has its time and place.

12# sunline assassin no matter what cover I am fishing!

I'm not that good with squarebill cranks, but I've been using 12lb mono for 5-8 ft, 15lb for 3-5 foot, and 20lb mono for shallow 0-3 foot. It isn't perfect but has been decent for me. Also lots of people will disagree with me but I've been doing good by adding a small 1/16th oz splitshot on the line on 10lb to squeak them a little deeper on steep riprap in the 8-10 ft. In a nutshell line size is a big element for my style,

I use a St Croix Legend Glass 7'2M/M and it is so much fun to fish and aesthetically very pretty too. Worth every penny to me. I will occasionally fish smaller cranks on a Dobyn's Fury 705CB too. I like the glass more though, I don't know exactly what it is but I catch a lot more fish on the glass. Something about the action and softness helps me climb through cover and not jump the gun on the bites a lot better than graphite. 

 

As for line I have been using 12lb Sunline Crank FC. I like it, but if you look at the price tag and scowl I am confident that normal sunline fluoro would probably work great too. I sometimes use mono or hybrid on graphite when cranking. 

 

Cranking is really fun to learn and try to master. Nothing quite like it when they are destroying squarebills on sight in the spring or fall. Squarebill has a place in the early summer for me too. I don't know about others, but I have found color to really matter in shallow cranking. I've had ponds where they would absolutely not eat one color one day and then I will switch and suddenly it is an 8 fish day. 

 

(PS. That glass + crank FC fluoro works amazing for bladed jigs, too!) 

A 7 foot medium heavy moderate action with a limp 15 pound mono will cover most of the situations. I’m happy with Sunline Super Natural.  This is for 100 series buoyant baits,  I’ll scale back for smaller baits like a Crush 50 or similar size model.

Here is my go to square bill, Booyah XCS citrus shad. Had probably 300 or better before I smacked a dock with it. Funny how you can watch them gorge on black and silver shad but this color will out catch the natural shad color where I fish.

I like my rods and reels to do multiple things, so I keep one rod for squarebills, lipless, and medium divers.  The lure weight ranges from ⅜ to ¾, and my Daiwa Tatula XT 7' Medium Regular is a glass/graphite composite that offers the sensitivity and forgiveness I've come to enjoy for treble hook applications.  The rod itself retails for one hundred bucks but can be found cheaper.  As far as the reel goes, I've got a Daiwa Tatula 100 6.3:1 on it backed with 50# braid and tied to a 90 yard section of Yo-Zuri Topknot Mainline Fluorocarbon in 14# test.  The braid keeps my spool light and gives me a few extra feet on my casts.  A little more footage cast after casts covers a whole lot more water and changing out half a spool of braid is much cheaper than than a whole one.

 

As you can see, there are tons of ways to effectively fish a squarebill crankbait.  I hope you find the way you like to fish them with the recommendations everyone has given. 

I appreciate everyone's suggestions and can respect how everyone is different in what they like. 

I love my Legend Glass 610 MM for squarebills. So much fun to fish with.........

4 hours ago, TBAG said:

I love my Legend Glass 610 MM for squarebills. So much fun to fish with.........

I use the MH/M, awesome rod. 

12-15 mono