I love fishing, and I especially love fishing for squid! Squid is a great fish to catch because they taste delicious when you cook them, they're fun to play within the water, and they make it easy to get good bait. The best way to get a lot of squid is by using the best squid jig – one that will attract them quickly and efficiently. In this article, we'll go over some of the top 10 best jigs for catching squid so you can be prepared next time you head out on your boat or jet ski!
When the squid fishing season starts you need to get out there in force with a squid jig that can keep putting them in the cooler one after another after another. It's a lot tougher than it sounds, and here are the best squid jigs on the market to give you an advantage over your fishing buddies.
In order for squid jigging to be successful, you need some of the best equipment available. That means that if you take care of your gear and use a quality product like these top ten options then there is no reason why you can't get out there with confidence and increase your chances of taking home more fish!
I hope this list helps you find what will work best for catching that tasty calamari next time they put up their defenses – or should I say tentacles? Read on below for my picks of the best squid jigs so far this season.
What Is The Best Squid Jig To Use For 2021?
When it comes to what is the best, it will actually depend on whether you are using a Floating Jig (vertical jigging with weight), Light Eging (slow sinking), or a Sinking Jig. You can use the floating jig on a line with a sinker and work it directly within your green light to catch squid. A light Eging will allow you to throw your bait from shore. This is useful if you don't have a boat or access to a dock or pier. A sinking jig will work vertical jigging as well. This just keeps the need to use a whole setup with weight and multiple jigs.
Since most people are trying to catch squid as quickly as possible, I would suggest the Yo-Zuri Aurora Floating Squid Jig. The pink one would be the best since it will be imitating a shrimp with its action.
Top 2 - 10 Best Squid Jigs
Without going into too many specifics, I am going to make this section a list of the rest of the top 10 squid jigs. You may or may not have used these jigs already. Unfortunately, having the best doesn't mean it will perform the best. The other half of the equation lies within your technique. Many people forget about this when they are fishing and end up going home empty-handed.
How Do I Choose A Squid Jig?
Choosing a squid jig is not too hard because you won't find a large amount of name-brand ones on the market. You will find that most of the time, you have a few options when shopping for one.
- What do I want my jig to do?
- How deep am I fishing for squid?
- Am I targeting other types of fish as well like snapper or grouper?
Answering these questions can help narrow down your choices so it is easier to make up your mind on what to buy in-store. These are also helpful if you're purchasing online and don't know what works best out there! Sometimes the price isn't indicative of quality but some brands do cost more due to their reputation and how long they've been around creating top-quality gear.
I would promote starting with what works for other people. That would be Yo-Zuri who is an expert in squid fishing. They make a wide variety of products and some are designed for specific fish as well.
What's The Best Time To Catch Squid?
Squid can be caught at all times during the day. Squid has a natural tendency to migrate during the night.
The best time of day for jigging is in the evening and early morning- before dawn when squid are most active, but after dark, so you can see what you're doing! Ironically, this is the best time to catch other fish as well.
Squid are nocturnal and behave differently during the day than at night. To better sight them, explore cracks under jagged rocks by hunting for squid with a headlamp or flashlight to make certain they stay relatively calm.
What Are Squid Attracted to?
One of the most popular things that people purchase for squid fishing is a squid fishing light. Squid are attracted to lights and you'll find that they can be seen better if there is a light in the water. The most popular color is green because it attracts the most squid than any other color.
The setup is fairly easy to put together. I have a blog post about squid fishing lights that you can view at this link. A high power light, battery, or generator, and the proper lures will have you getting action all night long!
Squid Fishing From A Boat
When it comes to squid fishing you need a few things if you want to be successful. The best time for the day is at night when they come out to feed, but some people will go during daylight hours and just slow troll with live bait or dead bait.
The most important thing that all fishermen should have while going after this type of fish are sharp hooks because there can't be any "fish-yanking" on their part! When they get hooked up on your rod, reel them in as fast as possible so they don't feel stressed and break off before being reeled back in.
Around here in Massachusetts, the squid season starts in May and they come in strong. It seems like you can catch them without even trying. Funny enough a lot of other fish come in during this time too (Striped Bass, Black Sea Bass, and Tautog).
Best Squid Jig Setup
The best squid jig setup is a bait with two hooks. You can use floating squid jigs with this and no weight. This keeps the bait right in front of squid where they will be looking for something to eat.
Before going jigging for squid, it's important to know what hooks work best. We have a few different types to choose from like stainless steel, aluminum, and titanium hooks. I recommend getting titanium hooks because they last longer than the other materials but are also sharper - this is convenient since these fish have tough skin!
Best Squid Jig For Night
When night fishing, you need to use a squid jig with a light attached. You can attach it on the top of your line or at the end (it doesn't really matter as long as there's enough light). The best way is to wrap some wire around part of the lure and then secure it with electrical tape so that no water will get in. Then just cut off any excess wire!
The most popular type for nighttime is glow-in-the-dark squid jigs because they're easy to see even when it's dark out. These come in all different colors such as pink, blue, green and more... You can see one above in the Top 10 list!
Some fishermen prefer metalheads while others love rubber ones.
The best squid jigs are the ones that work for you! Figure out what kind of fishing you like to do and then decide which style is best. You can buy a few different kinds, try them all, and see which one works best for you.
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Make sure your line isn't tangled in anything or it will break when you reel it up. When there's nothing on your hook, this really shouldn't be an issue but sometimes debris gets caught around the hooks so just check before reeling back in. This can be hard to see when it is dark, but you will learn to do it by feel.
Best Squid Jig Size
A word of advice on sizes for squid jigs: don't skimp! Squid are some of the best-eating fish and they also fight tremendously. You'll want a hook that can handle their weight so you're not constantly fighting with your gear to land them. A good rule is bigger hooks mean more fun, but smaller ones work too if you have enough power behind your cast.
The size hooks you see on name brands like Yo-Zuri are basically what you need to baseline yourself on. Don't be afraid to try other sizes and shapes. Just because the big guys aren't doing it doesn't mean they have tested everything.
Best Squid Jigging Rod
The choice of the jig is important, but without the right rod, you won't be able to fish for long. You'll need a lightweight and light-line combo so your replacement can hold on well in choppy water. The most common combination is a medium power level because it will work in just about any condition you might encounter.
The Penn Squadron III is a hard-fighting squid jigging rod that won't be too bulky to carry - it's really the best choice for any angler. Another great choice is the Shimano Sedona, which is a very lightweight rod that can do anything you need it to.
Best Squid Jig Color
The best colors for squid jigs are pink. The reason for this is because they are the most prevalent and visible colors on a reef. It's important to match your color choice with what you're fishing in - if it is deep water, use darker hues like blue or purple; shallow water will require brighter shades of reds, pinks, yellows, and oranges.
The best squid jig colors for both shallower and deeper waters are pink or green because they blend well with any type of baitfish found near reefs.
Choosing one jig color that matches all of these environments isn't impossible but can be difficult to do without testing several options first! The Yo-Zuri Purple Gold Squid Jig might very well suit this need perfectly.
Some of my favorites in this order are:
Conclusion
I hope this post about the best squid jigs will help you choose the right one for you. There are great options out there and all work well. So choose which one meets your needs best and enjoy some squid!