Squarebill crankbaits shine for their ability to bounce and deflect off wood cover and rocks, drawing strikes from shallow bass. (Photo courtesy of Bandit Lures)
Finesse tactics paired with forward-facing sonar in open water have dominated much of the discussion in bass fishing recently. However, there’s something gratifying about returning to a more visual, intuitive method of searching for bass in shallow water. I’m talking about grinding a squarebill crankbait along rocky bottom in early spring to draw reaction strikes from bass— “Power Fishing 101,” if you will.
A squarebill crankbait is practically the four-wheel-drive vehicle of fishing lures. It’s designed to bounce, deflect and ricochet off the shallow lake bottom, rocks and wood cover to elicit a reaction strike from nearby bass. Because you can...