How to fish a squarebill crankbait: Tournament winning setup by KVD

You know, a crankbait is one of my favorite baits for covering water, and without a doubt, a KVD 1.5 Square Bill is one that I fish a ton. It’s fast and efficient. I’ve got a setup that is really good for making precise casts. I’ve got a good one here—nice, just like that.

Accurate Casting and Setup

I’ve got some pilings right here, and I need to make a good, accurate cast with it. This setup really allows me to do that. It’s a 7-foot medium-action rod. This is a new series of rods that I developed for Lew’s, called the CC2. It’s a 7ft medium action with a nice soft tip but a lot of backbone.

That soft tip gives me a precise underhand cast, allowing me to be good at targeting. But I’ve got a lot of power—oh gosh, I just had another one, same little piling.

Efficiency in Presentations

Again, I make those little underhand roll casts around docks and overhanging trees, getting the bait into a lot of places. I can make so many presentations in a day. If you have a lot of shallow cover, you can be very efficient covering a lot. There’s a lot of rock around that, and it gives you a good feel.

I can feel the differences when the bottom has a transition. If you’re cranking down the bank, Channel swing Banks, and things like that, you feel those big rocks and stuff. It’s just a way for me to cover a ton of water and trigger a lot of strikes.

Ideal Reel and Gear Ratio

I typically throw it on a reel with a power-type gear ratio. This one, designed for Lew’s, has a 25-inch per crank with a 6.2:1 gear ratio. It’s my KVD series, bringing in 25 inches of line per crank.

To me, that is the perfect speed. If I want to fish it fast, I reel a little faster. It gives me a tremendous amount of feel for it. I’ll throw this whether I’m shallow cranking or deep cranking. I love that particular gear ratio for cranking in general—it’s the best of everything built into one.

Line and Hook Setup

This rod’s got plenty of power. Just like right here, there’s a lot of grass. If I’ve got to keep the bait clean out of the grass, I can still do that. It’s a perfect setup. I usually throw this on 14 or 17-lb test fluorocarbon. When I’m around targets, the dirtier the water, the bigger the fish, so I may go up to 20. But 14 or 17 lb fluorocarbon gives me a tremendous feel.

The low-stretch fluorocarbon with this composite rod gives me the best of both worlds. I get the sensitivity of the graphite, feeling a piece of grass or anything like that, but also the slow reaction of the glass.

This allows the bait to deflect off rocks or cover, letting the fish get it, and when you get one on, it’s a lot better—they’re not going to lose it. Just like that fish I just caught—he had a face full of hooks and wasn’t going to come off. It’s a whole system for me to cover a ton of water.

Rigging the KVD 1.5

This is a KVD 1.5, and here’s how I have them rigged. I put two number two Mustad KVD extra short extra strong trebles on there. Those bigger hooks with heavier lines mean no matter the size of the fish, they’re not going to pull off. It enhances the erratic hunting action of this bait.

I’ll match the color based on the water clarity and the forage. I’m fishing up north in Wisconsin, where the lake has lots of brim and bluegills, so I’ve got this orange brim on. If it’s dirty, I’ll throw a sexy Shad or a chartreuse black back. Whatever color matches the forage and water clarity is what I’ll pick.

This bait catches them from north to south, east to west, and this system is really deadly. I can be super efficient, make a jillion presentations in a day, and trigger a lot of bass—boom