Trolling with Cut Squid

• 1). Insert the triangular end of a weighted squid rig through the mantle of a thawed squid so that the hook faces downward. The mantle is the opening just above the squid's tentacles.
  
  
• 2). Push the eyelet of the rig through the mantle and tie to the main line using a clinch knot. (See the Active Angler website in the Reference section for instructions on tying a clinch knot.)
  
  
• 3). Point the hook down through the bait so it is obscured by the tentacles.
  
  

Surf Casting and Bottom Fishing with Cut Squid

• 1). Cut strips of squid about 1/2-inch wide and 3 to 4 inches long
  
  
• 2). Pierce the end of a squid strip with the hook, puncturing the bait and sliding the hook down until the strip is pressed against the eye of the hook.
  
  
• 3). Stab the bait close the midsection with the hook barb and push the point through the squid so the strip is now threaded on the hook in two places. This makes it more difficult for fish to strip the bait from the hook and also holds the squid on longer for the rough-and-tumble conditions of surf fishing.
  
  
• 4). Replace squid strips every half an hour with fresh bait to keep the scent in the water. Squid strips wash out pale and lose their effectiveness after about 30 minutes in salt water.