What's your favorite square bill crankbait? Brand, size, color, value, hooks, plastic or balsa wood?

Bill Lewis ATV in bluegill but I have many many more I like and fish.

I fish several types and brands but my favorite is the SPRO Fat Papa 55 in Bluegill color.

5 minutes ago, Columbia Craw said:

Bill Lewis ATV in bluegill but I have many many more I like and fish.

This is one I haven't tried. Many on You Tube claims it comes through cover better than other square bills, but I don't see why, they appear to be the same shape and have a similar bill, as many other square bills. Do they get bit more than other plastic squarebills? What is special about them. I would like to try one, but I already own so many plastic square bills I have a hard time justifying buying any more. If more people keep recommending them, I will have to cave in to the Monkey and buy a couple to try.

I buy a lot of stuff at yard sales, eBay and Amazon. I don’t know the names of them or they are knock offs. I do buy from bass pro their XPS series.

I like 3/8 or 1/2 size, in bluegill or perch pattern. They seem to do well around here.

Most of The squarebills I use are discontinued.

KVD 1.5 in Brown Orange Belly or Chart/Black have been my go to for years. I’m gonna try out a couple different cranks this spring.

LC RC 1.5 in Copper Perch.

Allen

LC RC 1.5 in Copper Perch.

Allen

Norman Fat Boy

Storm Arashi gets the nod over the KVD. I use the KVD regularly and it's very productive. The Arashi is hard to hang up and it shines for me when the fish are finicky.

My favorite without a doubt is the Black Canoe Balsa in River Shad. Not a cheap bait, but they're all hand crafted in his garage out of balsa and the big fish love them. It's one of the only cranks I enjoy fishing.

6th Sense Crush Flat 75x in any shad or gill pattern work well for me. Craw in late winter (a couple weeks ago to around now here in N Alabama).

Cordell Big-O in Pearl or Smokey Joe and the Strike King KVD 1.5 in some type of shad color.

Just getting into crankbait, I’ve heard the KVD 1.5 is pretty good, also the bandit 100.

Excited to try them

4 hours ago, Backroad Angler said:

Just getting into crankbait, I’ve heard the KVD 1.5 is pretty good, also the bandit 100.

Excited to try them

Bandit 100s are good baits, but can be a challenge to cast. They are definitely lighter than most other shallow cranks. I throw them on a ML moderate.

Thats really a tough one.

I like the ghost colors you can get with plastic, as well consistent action, however I prefer balsa.

Its very close between the PH Customs SB 1.5 and the BL Wreck. Gun to my head, I guess the Wreck gets the nod.

My favorite plastic SB really isnt even a square bill, which is the Fat Baby John. If the Ima Square bill had a silent version that would be my favorite plastic crank.

Other notable baits would be

BL Ricochet

LC silent 1.5

Rapala Clackin Rap

KVD 1.5 shallow

My personal fave is the Rapala OG Rocco in green gizzard shad. I love balsa squarebills being on a highly pressured lake. They recently released the The ROCCO big which runs a few feet deeper. I found one but not in a color I usually fish at a local shop. Gonna have to just put in an order for some to the TW.

I'm a big fan of Lucky craft RC 1.5 also. You can still pick them up on the auction sites but they have gotten pricey.

After Rick Clunn left LC he went to luck e strike and they made a version that was also good.

I like copper perch and black splatter back. The LC big daddy strike is another good one.

In balsa , I would just buy Black label.

It's kind of a tie between the Bill Lewis ATV 2.5 in Ghost Minnow or the Deps Evoke 2.0 in Black Back Shad. For the money, the ATV is best bang for the buck but for total number of fish, the Evoke wins.

7 minutes ago, FishTank said:

Bill Lewis ATV 2.5

Thats one I'm going to have to try. been hearing a lot about it.

KVD 1.5 in chart black back or bluegill are the top producers for me.

Lucky Craft BDS 3 in some form of red is the second.

An older bait, manufactured in different locations over the years (left to right USA, Mexico, China) and yet still effective.

I'll throw in another vote for the KVD 1.5

Honorary mention to the KVD Hybrid Hunter. Not quite a square bill, but I still consider it a crankbait and it's probably the best producing one for me.

On 3/15/2026 at 8:16 PM, Columbia Craw said:

Remind me, did I sell you a box of my square bills? That one with three or four baits in every compartment, looks familiar.