I usually like to begin my reviews by explaining when and where I heard about particular baits and how and why they were developed, but Iâll be honestâI donât have anything for this lure. Until several months ago, I honestly didnât know this crankbait existed. Embarrassing, I know. I was organizing my tackle the night before a tournament and happened upon two Bomber Square A crankbaits. I donât know if a guide client left âem in my boat or if they were an impulse purchase years ago. But I had no idea I had them.
Long story short: Iâve bought a lot more of them since my discovery. After months of catching quality bass on these plugs, I think there are a few important characteristics every bass angler needs to know about.
What youâll like about it
The Bomber Square A is not a big, beefy crankbait by any means. There are two models: The 1/4-ounce measures 1 5/8 inches and the 3/8-ounce measures 2 inches. While both sizes are relatively diminutive in stature, they perform excellently and catch some seriously big bass.
Most anglers will really appreciate this lureâs ability to maneuver through thick cover without annoying hang-ups or snags. Its square lip design features chamfered, or cutaway, corners that allow the Square A to crash into and over shallow cover with very few issues. When you run this plug into hard cover, it doesnât deflect âtooâ much, which is important in my opinion. It kicks to the side just a few inches before quickly returning to its original path. This results in more time in small strike zones and in theory, more bites from big bass.
The durability of the Square A is also worth noting. A squarebill needs to stand up to whatever you throw at it because, after all, theyâre the 4-wheel drives of bass fishing lures. I donât want to be worried about making an errant cast or knocking it against a dock post too aggressivelyâIâm more concerned about making bass react. This particular lure has held up remarkably well to months of abuse. I havenât been easy on it; Iâve cranked a lot of chunk rock, dock posts and gnarly stumps and Iâve yet to notice any damage to the lure. Thereâs no bill separation, cracks, chips or leaks to speak of.
When I first discovered these lures in my collection, I was a bit skeptical as to how well they would run at high speeds. Iâm not a big slow crankerâI like speed. But many squarebills with short lips have a tendency to âblow outâ at high speeds and helicopter on top of the water. As it turns out, I havenât has any such issues with the Square A. Iâve actually used it quite a bit on a 7.1:1 ratio casting reel and Iâm able to burn my reel handle without taking this plug off its original course. It will hunt a bit, like a good crankbait should do, but it doesnât lose its footing whatsoever.
My experiences with it
Iâve spent a lot of time fishing this lure since the very early stages of fall and have become a very big fan of its unique action. Although it has a very wide wobble to it, this little dude kicks back and forth very quickly, giving it a much different cadence and rhythm, if you will, than many squarebills Iâve tested. The water temperatures are dropping steadily in my area of the country, but Iâve still been able to catch a few bass on the Square A every time Iâve been out recently. It seems like its action is just enough to grab the attention of nearby bass, but not too much as to overpower them when theyâre lethargic in cold water.
This is quickly becoming a major player in my dock fishing arsenal as well. Iâve actually been tuning the Square A to run just a bit crooked so Iâm able to âsteerâ it underneath docks. Iâm not exactly sure why it has proven to be so effective, but itâs definitely an awesome dock plug. You can smack it against the posts and bang it on concrete seawalls without any worry of premature damage or loss of structural integrity.
Donât think this is a âspinning rod crankbaitâ, either. Anytime I see a crankbait this small, I start cringing at the thought of using it on my spinning gear. Thankfully, however, it casts quite well on casting gear. Iâve experimented with several different rod lengths, tapers and actions throughout my testing and have found it terribly difficult to beat a 7-foot, medium action casting rod when using the Square A. Itâs small, so the soft tip wonât wear you out, but this particular action also allows you to properly load your back cast and make accurate casts to isolated cover.
Final impressions
The Bomber Square A has been rigged on at least one of my cranking rods for roughly three months, and I donât see it going anywhere. Itâs a powerful tool when the fishing is tough and not to mention, itâs only $3.89. I strongly recommend replacing the stock hooks before fishing it, but other than that, I have nothing but great things to say about it.
The Bomber Square A is available at TackleWarehouse.com.