Live or Dead Squid Rig

Whether using a whole live or dead squid, the use of the sliding of fixed snooded rig will keep your squid looking as natural as possible. The object of having the top hook able to slide along the leader is so that the position of the top hook can be adjusted to suit the different lengths that a whole squid may come in.

Nothing is worse than having a lovely whole frozen squid slide down the hook and form a bunch at the end. This will look unrealistic and make the bait very uninviting to the larger fish that you are targeting.

The sliding or fixed snooded rig can also be used when it comes to using a strip of squid.

Technique 1

If the squid that you are using is alive, you will need to make sure that you don’t kill it. Whether you have a fixed or sliding snood rig the top hook will go into the tail of the squid (the pointy end). Making sure that you have also gone through the soft backbone.

The bottom hook is then placed through the shoulder of the hood of the squid, making sure that it’s as close to the centre of the hood as possible. Placing the hooks like this will help to stop the squid from twisting.

When using a dead squid, it will be rigged the same, with the top hook through the tail. The bottom hook will now go through the centre of the hood and also into the head of the squid. Rigging it this way seems to stop the head of the squid flopping downwards, making it look very natural.

If I am trolling a live or dead squid, I will use two different sized hooks. The smaller will go into the tail and the larger hook will be pinned into the centre of the shoulder of the squid. The top hook will have a turned down eye, while the bottom hook will have a straight eye. This will also help stopping the squid from twisting.

As an example, the top hook would be a 4/0 and the bottom would be a 6/0, in say a Mustad Hoodlum Hook. The size of the hooks will depend on the size and type of fish that is being targeting.

Technique 2

Using this same rig, you could try suspending the squid bait one to two metres below an A-Just-A Bubble Float (or a large bobby cork) and cast it out into the wash off the rocks. If you are fishing out of your boat and you are anchored up, you could cast it out the back into your burley trail and then set the rod in the rod holder. Then, it’s just a matter of waiting for the bigger fish to take it.

If you are fishing at night and you can’t see your float, insert a glow stick into the bobby cork and make sure that you keep an eye out for when it disappears under the surface. If the bobby cork doesn’t already have a small hole in the top of it, you should drill a hole into the float before you venture out. When using A-Just-A Bubble Floats you can lift the top cap and drop a small chemical light inside the float.

Technique 3

Have you ever tried to catch hairtail during the dark of night? Down in the Hawkesbury River area one of the best times to target hairtail is during the dark of the moon, during winter and when it’s usually freezing cold.

To help the squid stand out in the dark depths of the river, I will attach a small glow stick to the leader so that it’s just above the bait. This can be done using a material called Bait Mate or Bait String. If you don’t have any of that an elastic band will also do the job.

Most of the time you will find that the hairtail won’t eat the glow stick, therefore it can be used time and time again.

Just like prawns, just about everything that has teeth in the saltwater will take a liking to a whole live squid. Flathead, snapper, trevally, coral trout, kingfish, mulloway, dolphin fish, barramundi, mangrove jack, estuary cod, bonito, tailor and I have even caught Australian salmon on whole live squid.

Suggested Rods and Reel Combos.

Okuma Azores Spin / Jig Rods - Z-S-702M, 7’, 8-12kg rod, matched with an Okuma Azores ZXP-6000P Low Speed threadline (spin) reel and spooled with 50lb Platypus Pulse X4 Braid and Hard Armour Leader 60lb Tough.

Okuma Azores Spin / Jig Rods - Z-S-572MH, 5’7”, PE 5.0-6.0 rod, matched with an Okuma Cedros CJ-10000, 20kg drag threadline (spin) reel and spooled with 65lb Platypus Pulse X4 Braid and 40 to 50lb Platypus Pulse Mono.

Okuma Surf XT Rod - SFXT-S-1202SFM, 8-10kg rod matched with a Rockaway RA-6000, with its 12kg drag, for either off the rock breakwall or ocean rocks. Ideal for chasing mulloway, kingfish and the likes off the rocks and breakwalls.