SQUID

Squid (Calamari) 

Now this not a bait you can collect unless you are very lucky.

Squid is best frozen you can get it in small vacuum pack bags up to 5lb blocks which is partially thawed and broken in to smaller lumps. When thawed it should be white with a mottled pattern and have a fresh smell, if it is pink and smelling very fishy its old or has been thawed and refrozen to many times which degrades it use as a bait although I am told that Dogfish can go mad for it.

To use squid as bait you can:

• Mounted whole small calamari squid on a pennel rig hooking it with the top hook and then whipping it to the line, this is a good bait for big Cod and Bass

Or

To prepare squid you first pull off the head then scoop out the gut don’t discard the head as it makes a good tip bait. Next rub off the mottled skin leaving white flesh. It can now be used in several ways:

• Stuffing it with peeler crab or mussel the mounted whole thing on a pennel rig hooking it with the top hook and then whipping it to the line, then pierce the squid to slowly release the juices again this can be a killer for big cod and bass
• The main way I use squid is to cut it into thin strips and use as a cocktail with worm baits, apart form being a good bait it is very tough and helps keep the rest of the bait on when casting this is great for Codling and whiting.