I�ve found a really big squarebill that I get a lot of bites on but I can�t keep them on long enough to get them in the boat. Some of them have been really big fish. Every time I get one on the fish comes up to the top and they come off. I�ve caught lots of fish on big crankbaits in my life but this one has me scratching my head. I�ve changed the hooks out to 1/0 triple grips and same results. I�ve tried different rods and they still come off every time. It�s really frustrating to say the least

What rod and line are you using? Might need to switch to a composite rod and Mono so the fish can inhale the bait before you set the hook, thus getting it deeper in their throat. Personally I hate composite rods because I like the sensitivity of graphite. So i trained myself to wait a half second longer before sweeping the rod.

Which bait are you using? I'm experimenting with the biggest H2O square bill myself.

I started out with a medium heavy enigma crankbait rod which is actually more on the heavy side down to some lighter mediums all with 10 or 12 lb big game.

6th sense cloud 9

Change out the hooks to the KVD short shanks and go up a size.

Burry the rod in the water if you have to try and keep the fish from breaching. I sometimes will reset a hook about half way through a fight if I have any doubt at all I got a good hookset. I have no real evidence, but I believe sometimes fish just "glob" onto cranks early in a cast and it's easy to get poor penetration on the hook set when there is no strong "bite".

You can stack everything in your favor, but you are going to lose a higher percentage of fish on a crank than you are on a single hook. If everything is working well though, you should be able to bat above 75% hook to land ratio. With single hooks I'm usually north of 90%.

https://www.bassmaster.com/keith-combs/five-crankbait-fishing-myths

Might try heavier line. I throw those giant squarebills on 15-20 pound fluoro.

12 lb flourocarbon might help. You may be getting too much stretch with the mono.

Is there anyone else who has a hook to land ratio for crankbaits that is equal to single hooks? It's certainly not my experience, so either I'm doing something seriously wrong or Keith is exaggerating a bit here.

Find a rod with a soft tip to let the fish inhale the bait, but with enough back bone to drive the hooks past the barbs. When you hook up reel fast and walk back the back of your deck and keep reeling until you have the fish under your control. I like to stay away from high speed gear ratios.

I throw the Lucky Craft SKT MR and don't recall ever losing a fish on one. Have never caught a fish under 8lbs on it. My wife caught an 11.5 and a 13 on it. Could just be the 6th sense model and different weighting? But I really think you're using the wrong line. And what gear ratio is your reel?

10-12lb Big Game is very stretchy; probably too stretchy and too light of line to get good hook penetration on those big 1/0 triple grips you are using. I've had bigger fish bite right through 12lb Big Game. 12lb Pline CXX not as stretchy and is thicker/about the equivalent to 15lb Big Game


Personally, I'd go 30lb PP Super slick braid mainline to 6ft leader of 12lb Pline CXX. If you like Big Game, I'd use 15lb Big Game instead of the Pline.
With big square bills, I like a Medium Heavy moderate/moderate fast action rod (like the Falcon Trap caster)
With the braid mainline you'll get good hook penetration and the 6ft leader of 15lb Big Game/12lb Pline CXX gives you the shock absorption so you don't pull the hooks out and forgiveness so you don't lose the fish on last ditch runs.

Agree with burying the rod tip in the water and reeling if the bass is coming to the surface

I like a Glass rod for those if possible and 15lb fluorocarbon

Get rid of the mono..... way too stretchy.