Best Squarebill Crankbaits for Bass

When choosing a squarebill there are two things you want to consider. The first thing is the size of the baitfish in the body of water you are fishing. The next thing to think about is the depth you want to target. Knowing these two things will make your lure selection much easier. Below I break down my favorite squarebills and the situations I use them for. For fishing tips please read our complete squarebill guide.

Best All-Around Squarebills

Lucky Craft 1.5 / 2.5

The Lucky Craft 1.5 and 2.5 are both great all-around squarebills. The only difference between the two is the size. The 1.5 has a smaller profile at 2-2/5″ and the 2.5 is larger at 2-3/4″. These sizes are what I consider standard and my starting point when fishing a squarebill. The Lucky Craft’s are silent and dive down 3-4ft deep. I use these when I need a silent standard-sized squarebill.

Colors: American Shad, BP Golden Shiner, Ghost Minnow

River2Sea Biggie Poppa and Smalls

The River2Sea Biggie comes in two sizes, the Poppa and Smalls. The Poppa is the equivalent of Lucky Craft’s 2.5 while the Smalls is the size of the Lucky Craft 1.5. The difference between the Biggie and the Lucky Crafts is the sound. The Biggie produces a lot of noise while Lucky Craft’s are silent. So the choice between these two brands comes down to whether or not you want a rattling squarebill. The Biggie is my go-to squarebill and what I start with until I get better dialed in to what the bass are wanting that day. The Smalls dives down 2-4ft while the Poppa goes down to 3-5ft.

Colors: Abalone Shad, Cold Blooded, I Know It

Lucky Craft  Fat BDS 3

The Lucky Craft BDS 3 is a slightly larger standard-sized squarebill at 3″. It acts as a bridge between standard sized and larger squarebills. The BDS 3 is silent and runs slightly deeper at 4-6ft.

Colors: BP Golden Shiner, TO Craw, Ghost Minnow

Best Large & Deep Diving Squarebills

6th Sense MiniMag

The MiniMag is 6th Sense’s largest squarebill that they make. It comes in at 3-1/4″ and dives 3-7ft. It is a silent lure and with larger squarebills that is what you want, I don’t use any large rattling squarebills. 6th Sense makes high-quality crankbaits that are ready to fish right out of the pack. The MiniMag is an excellent choice if your body of water has larger baitfish.

Colors: Ghost Shad Scales, Ghost Threadfin Shad, Delta Craw

Lucky Craft Fast BDS6

The Lucky Craft BDS6 has the same design as the BDS 3 but in a larger profile at 3-3/4″. This makes it the largest squarebill on my list. It is a silent bait that is ideal for targeting large bass that are feeding on larger baitfish like gizzard shad, bluegill, crappie, or other panfish. The BDS6 dives down to 5ft.

Colors: BP Golden Shiner, TO Craw

Best Small & Shallow Diving Squarebills

Megabass Super-Z Z-1

The Super-Z Z1 by Megabass is a high-quality, small 2″ squarebill. It produces an ultra-high pitch action that is great at drawing fish in. It dives deeper than the other small squarebills at around 6ft deep. This makes it ideal for anglers that need to mimic smaller baitfish while still being able to reach deeper depths.

Colors: Kasumi Ito, Mat Craw 2, GG Gill -SPRO

SPRO Fat John 50

The Fat John is another excellent small 2″ squarebill. It is designed a bit differently than other squarbills as the bill has a slight curve and it has flat sides. These design changes create a tighter action that can get bit when wider body squarebills arent. It is an ultra-shallow squarebill that only dives down to about 2ft. This makes it perfect for fishing structure or vegetation near the surface. Think of times where you would normally throw a topwater lure. Being able to fish right below the surface and deflect off grass or structure can make all the difference.

Colors: Matte Shad, Citrus Nasty, Nasty Shad

Spro Little John 50

The Little John 50 is similar to the Fat John 50 but is slightly larger at 2-1/2″. It also dives a bit deeper at 3-4ft. The Little John has a much softer sound than most other squarebills that rattle it is a good balance between silent and rattling lures. It is great during the early spring when bass are not quite ready for all the action a wide-body squarebill produces.

Colors: Copper Shad, Natural Herring, Fire Craw, Blood Craw

Evergreen CH-1

The Evergreen CH-1 is another ultra shallow squarebill. It only dives down about a foot so like the Fat John 50 it’s an excellent option for when you would normally throw topwater lures. The difference between this lure and the Fat John is the CH-1 is slightly larger at 2-1/4″ and it has a much higher-pitched rattle.

Colors: Ayu, Fire Craw, Damonde Shad

Best Squarebill Crankbait Rod & Reel for Every Budget

Best Value: Dobyns Fury 705 CB 7′ Med Hvy Cranking paired with a Shimano SLX 150 HG

Mid-Ranged: G Loomis E6X 845C CBR paired with a Shimano SLX XT XG

Top of the Line: G Loomis IMX Pro 845 CBR paired with a Shimano Bantam 150 XG