Strike King
Strike King KVD Square Bill Crankbait
The bill shape that lets you crash it into cover on purpose.
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Most crankbait fishing is a compromise between getting the lure near cover and getting it back. The square bill removes most of that compromise. The flat leading edge kicks the lure sideways when it hits something hard, which both keeps the hooks off the snag and produces the erratic change of direction that makes a following bass commit.
Why the Strike King KVD Square Bill Crankbait stands out
Deflection is the technique, not an accident
The right way to fish a square bill is to aim at things. Crash it into a stump, a rock or a piling and keep reeling. The bites come on the recovery immediately after contact, which is why casting into open water with one wastes most of its design.
A shallow runner, deliberately
Square bills are built to work in the top few feet, which is exactly where cover is in most lakes and rivers. If you need depth, this is the wrong lure and a longer round-billed crankbait is the right one.
Mono is the sensible line here
Treble-hooked lures and stretchless line are a bad combination, because a head-shaking fish levers small hooks out. This is one of the places monofilament's stretch is a genuine advantage rather than a compromise.
At a glance
| Type | Square bill crankbait |
|---|---|
| Depth | Shallow |
| Technique | Deflect off hard cover |
| Best for | Bass around wood and rock |
The verdict
One of the few lures where the correct instruction is to hit things with it. Fish it on mono, aim at cover, and expect the strike right after the deflection.
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