The easiest answer is simply take a piece of squid that is a couple to a few inches long, a hook with a robust barb on the end and hook the squid strip once one end (the narrow end) of the squid. Slice down one side of the squid long-ways. I add rock salt to those bags (not table salt as it melts). When using frozen bait, we recommend using thick pieces of squid. Start with a box of kosher salt. I add rock salt to those bags (not table salt as it melts). How to Hook Squid Strips and Frozen Squid. We found that the best squid artificial baits successfully resemble the smell of the squid. So when i go fishing i take a bag of squid & shrimp with me. How I Cut & Hook Salted Squid For Surf Casting! This bait is TOUGH and difficult for fish to steal. After i defrost the box i put 6 in a freezer ziplock & date the bags. I add rock salt to those bags (not table salt as it melts). The first thing you want to do is remove the head from the squid. Make sure the beak is removed from the tentacles. The best setup would be a snood rig which contains two large hooks that are set on top of one another. Having the full hook coverage helps avoid any large fish from only eating half of the bait without getting successfully hooked. After i defrost the box i put 6 in a freezer ziplock & date the bags. I add rock salt to those bags (not table salt as it melts). Another bait I have never used for pompano is cut squid, but I understand that they will readily eat it. Additionally, it may be easier to cut even strip pieces when the squid is still slightly frozen.eval(ez_write_tag([[580,400],'catchandfillet_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_3',114,'0','0'])); Once thawed, use one squid strip and hook it about 15% of the way down from the top of the piece. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc or its affiliates. Try to only purchase the frozen squid that is packaged for bait. You can always trim them down when you are actually at your fishing site. Cut the head right in front of the eyes. Pack the squid in plastic Tupperware and keep it cool or even frozen until use. So when i go fishing i take a bag of squid & shrimp with me. SQUID. 5690 – Squid Strips • Brand: BAITMASTERS • Size: 6 oz bag • Case Size: 30 bags • Producer: Aylesworth’s Fish & Bait • UPC: 7 10707 05693 3. Bait it, jig it, get creative! These stripes make for a great easy to spot bait that flutters quite nicely in the water. I buy my frozen squids in boxes. It is important to remember that the firmer the piece of the squid, the easier it is to hook the bait. Squid on Jigs. When preparing strips from a whole squid, remove the squid’s head. Next, take the hooked piece and wrap it around to hook one more time. If you are unable to find squid strips, cutting up an entire frozen squid into squid strips works just as effectively. The double hook shouldn’t drastically impact the appearance compared to the single looping of the hook. Writer Bio. Currently unavailable. You could probably get 2 pounds of squid for about $4-5. Squids have special eating techniques, which means they need special bait, too. If you are lucky enough to live near the ocean, you can buy fresh shrimp a lot cheaper from the dock vendors or straight from the fishermen’s nets. How To Cut & Hook Squid "IKA" For Bait! Squid can be cut up into strips or pieces. Using Squid Strips The body cavity of the squid is used to prepare squid strips. Either way, wait for the strips to completely thaw out. We’ve always said that the BEST inshore anglers know how to use BOTH artificial lures and live bait (including cut bait, dead shrimp, etc).. And using cut bait is a great choice when targeting redfish, especially the larger bull reds. 7 Best Saltwater Rod and Reel Combos for Beginners. I'll link it somewhere in this article). As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. The size of squid strips is often related to the size of fish being targeted. Let the fish peel your drag a bit before setting the hook hard. After i defrost the box i put 6 in a freezer ziplock & date the bags. Squidy Bits are a unique bait that attracts a very wide variety of fish. If you are not purchasing strips, most frozen bait packages include the entire squid. eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'catchandfillet_com-box-3','ezslot_5',109,'0','0']));When understanding the basics of learning how to hook a squid for bait, it is important to note the different ways to purchase or acquire this versatile bait. The rock salt helps to toughen the meat & helps to preserve the squid. Most anglers prefer to cut the squid in little rings or long straight strips of about 1 inch long and a 0.25 inch wide. Once thawed, use one squid strip and hook it about 15% of the way down from the top of the piece. Fishermen receive the benefits of having the squid bait appearance without the mess that they cause, such as getting their ink all over the place. Use them whole by running the line through the inside of the mantle (the outside body shell) and hooking the squid in the head. Seriously, it looks like an old drinking straw. I often put the cutting board right in the sink. You won't need the skin. If using a large hook, feel free to hook the tail twice. While a satisfying taste and various methods of appearance, squid really are a fantastic all-around bait. I strongly recommend the use of either a glove or a towel to hold the squid as you try to set the hook. Load this up with any type of cut bait and cast it as far as you can. An idel bait for bass,rays,conger,huss,smoothhound and many other species. How To Cut & Hook Squid "IKA" For Bait! Then cut these pieces into squares of about 150mm by 150mm and lay them in the salt bin, alternating the fish with layers of salt. The mantles of larger squid can be cut into vertical pieces for strip bait. Even though the whole squid bait is frozen, it can still yield terrific results when trying to catch large salt water fish. Personally, I save the head. Honestly, this topic is large enough that it could warrant a completely separate article, which I might do someday. Accompanying the piece of squid with a shiner or minnow also yields pretty good results. Hook each strip through one of its ends, and leave a long tail on it. After i defrost the box i put 6 in a freezer ziplock & date the bags. Cutting and preparing squid for use as fishing bait is pretty easy to do. You will certainly want to remove this clear piece of cartilage as you are preparing your frozen squid for bait on a hook. but how do you set the hook into the squid? Either way, it is an extremely effective bait and can be used in many different ways. All Cut Bait Shad Lg. Keep the line taut and place it in a beach spike as you wait for a big hit. In case the strips / tubes aren’t thick enough to hold well on the hook, it’s best to pass the hook … Disclaimer: So when i go fishing i take a bag of squid & shrimp with me. In order to cut the squid into strips it needs to be gutted first – a guide on how to do this can be found by following this link. Let's work on some squid and get fishing! I think their long-lasting formula is one of the very best on the market. Live squid can be messy, especially the bigger that they are. Both of these principles can make hooking a squid a whole lot easier. When preparing strips from a whole squid, remove the squid’s head. When your hooked live bait resembles its natural movements in the water, the better the results. I've definitely caught fish with squid-skin on but the consensus seems to be that you want as much of the squid meat exposed in the water. The beauty of using strips is that you will catch mulloway from 2-42kg using this method, whereas if you rig squid whole and large, the smaller fish will still have a go at the bait but your hook-up rate will drop dramatically. Fillet them as normal, but keep the ‘wings’ (including the pectoral and pelvic fins) intact. If you know of another technique, feel free to comment or let me know where your blog on the topic is. Squid is tough and will stay on a hook a long time. Select a container with a flat bottom suitable for the size bait you want to cure. Strips of squid can be threaded onto the hook, and if the hook goes through the strip of squid several times it will be a tough bait which stands up well to … Luckily, modern-day advancements have created some really good artificial squid baits. After i defrost the box i put 6 in a freezer ziplock & date the bags. Squid have an appealing taste to many fish and can be prepared in a rather delightful presentation when hooking the squid for use as bait. The typical small package usually includes about four and five whole squids. Off the water, he enjoys blogging and sharing his favorite fishing tips & tricks that he has learned over the years. When I use that up I'll save the container and the scented juice that remains in the bottom. So when i go fishing i take a bag of squid … I can feel the big fish biting already :-). I love learning the nuances of fishing. The rock salt helps to toughen the meat & helps to preserve the squid. They can be used for various types of fresh water and salt water fishing journeys and can lead to great success! Combining squid (hooking the same way) with bucktails is even more effective. If your bait is … Check it out. The allure of squid is that it’s cheap, it stays on the hook well, and lots of fish will eat it. How I Cut & Hook Salted Squid For Surf Casting! Setting up the hook in this location of the body provides enough strength to keep the squid on the hook. For the best results, add small cuts or slices towards the bottom of the strip to resemble the tentacles of the squid. The cartilage provides no benefit at all while fishing and can be annoying when trying to initially hook the squid. 2.0 out of 5 stars 1 rating. The possibilities are endless with this bait! James Clark began his career in 1985. Also look for a long plastic-like membrane inside the squid. Squid happens to be one of the more traditional and popular frozen baits that are sold for fishermen. When squid is prepared for human consumption in the form of calamari, the cartilage is always removed.eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'catchandfillet_com-banner-1','ezslot_8',116,'0','0'])); As mentioned, using squid as bait can be presented on a hook (or hooks) in many different ways. It has a body that looks like a fish, is illuminated to catch their attention, and has one or two rows of sharp points that allow them to be reeled in when they bite. For best results, you should never skin your squid bait because the skin has a certain gloss over it that tempt squids to take a quick bite. You can never go wrong with having an emergency package of frozen squid in your freezer – it will always go to good use when needed for fishing! We receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Once you get the squid home from the bait-shop, put it on a cutting board. If you are an offshore angler, it is definitely worth adding a package of these Fish Bites to your tackle box.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'catchandfillet_com-box-4','ezslot_7',130,'0','0'])); The hard, plastic like substance inside a squid is known as its cartilage. This creates an ideal presentation for luring fish such as flounder, fluke, red drum, trout, blowfish, sea bass or bluefish. When setting the hook for live squid, hook the top of the squid (also known as its tail), which is an extension of a squid’s fin. Some don't but I'll use it for fishing later or I also throw it in a minnow trap (please see my minnow trap article if you get a chance. Good point, after you've cut the squid up properly for use as bait, you need to set the hook into the squid, I added a paragraph above in the post to give you some real basic guidance on this. How to Cut, Clean, and Prepare Squid Bait for Fishing Step One. He has written about electronics, appliance repair and outdoor topics for a variety of publications and websites. Do not use iodized salt. His favorite fish to catch is a striped bass and his favorite bait to use is bunker. Otherwise, purchasing fresh whole squid from a fish market can actually be relatively expensive, especially since you are only using the squid as fish bait. Thanks for reading! Squid can also be used as live bait, although they are most difficult to find and harder to catch alive. Make sure this fits by entering your model number. Removing the skin exposes more of the meat. Squid can be a little messy, there is some small amounts of black ink involved as well as the usual slim and guts so think ahead about where you do this. 7 Types of Shrimp: Which One Tastes the Best? Squid readily take squid Jigs such as … Puncture the skin near the side flaps with your thumb and peel off the plastic-like membrane on the outside of the mantle. After the skin is removed, squid bodies should be rinsed in clean saltwater, cut into strips, and kept cool. I buy my frozen squids in boxes. The Old Codger who will be 90 years young at the end of the month. Home » Miscellaneous Bait » Squid » Cut Squid. Just hooking it once will allow a lot of action (flopping, wiggling) off the end of the hook when in the water. Depending on what type of fish that you are fishing for can help determine how the squid should be presented. What is the Hard Plastic Thing inside a Squid? Squid can appeal to fish of all different sizes, which is why the bait can be sold in many different ways. I won't drag out the topic any more than this but that is the basics for hooking squid to your hook.