When squid are around
 

I was surprised this year to find so many squid in New Hampshire. I don't have much experience trying to imitate them surf casting. What do you find works well imitating them (at night).

Copper needlefish. ;)
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Not eels! The eel bite got ruined a couple nights once the squid moved in. Large gulp jerk shads in the glow/chart color should do the trick if u can get your hands on them
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Any tips for retrieving? Do squid dart around or do they move more slowly?

Also, does anyone know if they primarily move tentacle-forward or backwards?

Is this the color you mean?

Yup
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storm or tsunami shads work well when the fish are on squid, I think it may have more to do with bait size than anything else. white, chart., & red. Jigging / pop & stop retrieve was the ticket

backwards.....when using squid take a threading needle punch a hole from tail to head...put line into tail add plastic bead bring line to tenticles tie on hook.

white polaris with siwash hook on rear with feathers

Cheat, catch some squid and fish em whole. Or the amber SS darter.

Or just buy some fresh squid whole and fish them... why bother with the hassle of jigging them... :smash:

My dad made a root beer colored needle that he used to do really well with. He also has a pencil he made in the same color that works great during the daytime. I've done pretty well with wonderbread Bombers at night when the squid are around.

bart knows

I like these, pretty heavy when using the Hogy Doublewide baits. Making them is pretty fun too.

Yup
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Wooden darter crept along just subsurface with pauses/shakes every 3 cranks.

The original post was asking about what you use at night to imitate squid. You guys all use a polaris popper at night? I wouldn't even have one in my bag when I go out at night.

I've not tried it, but there are some who have with impressive results.

http://www.striped-bass.com/Stripert...ttyhunk+popper

I know poppers can work at night, as I've caught on them when fish have been feeding on top and I worked the plug very slowly, creating a v on the surface. I would be surprised if all three posters here were doing that to imitate squid, though.

Sorry I missed that part. I've done well with that plug, specifically a fat boy Polaris that T.O. made, at daybreak when squid (and butterfish) were present.

At night I would probably throw a large white needle, same deal with the siwash and feathers. Or a large white danny. Or eels. Depends on where I'm fishing...

I've swam the older, white 3 oz Atom poppers with same hook arrangement on a full moon and got some decent fish but had no idea if they were on squid

I appreciate all the responses.

I assume the squid we are most likely to see inshore here is the Atlantic Shortfin?

Seen this done with sluggos as well....

Yup... Bubblegum color!:uhuh:

I have had great luck with a atom jr. style plug in pink with white feathers on a single hook on the rear and treble on the front

Cotton Cordell Pencil! I had a run in with them last Spring and no matter what I threw, the bass only hit the pencil.

Mind you, I do NOT high stick like many people. Instead, I pick up the slack and make it pop, then reel in the slack and make it pop. There is a slight pause to the lure with this slow retrieve, so if you are doing it the way I do it, you will make a small splash, the plug will be sitting there in the water as you pick up the slack, then small splash again.

I guess you can say I fish it like a Spook in that sense.

I'll also pick up the slack and just drag the plug across the top of the water so that it makes a sort of splash with a wake then repeat.

I use the former retrieval at night as well if I know the fish are on top.

The Darter is always a great one too since you can give it a few cranks, pause, give it a few cranks, pause, etc. Matching the swimming of the squid

I didn't have this experience but this one fisherman was nailing them using a Yozuri Mag-Darter I believe. He caught 2 30 lb. fish that had 2 whole squid in their bellies! As far as retrieval I think he just kept the rod down and reeled in. If it wasn't the mag-darter, I'm not sure what it was then (it definitely was a swimmer and not a crystal minnow, it looked like the mag darter).

To this day, I still have no clue how to work that damn plug.

squidplug...I have caught a lot of fish on this thing...

The entire plug is plastic. I made a wooden plug and then made a mold. To make it is a little bit of a pain because there is foam and weights in it but it works well. It is a bit bulky but it gets the job done when squid are around. I used it this spring and outfished my buddy...he finally caved and asked ...what the hell are you using. This was a pic of the first one made but the later ones are more realistic in color. Video of an early swim test. To see it in real life back up is cool.. It looks pretty squidlike
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdKcwf-1lkk

Very intriguing

I had some good experiences fishing the Mag Darter around squid. I caught a lot of bass, but I wasn't ever sure if the bass thought the Mag Darter was a squid, or they were attracted to the live squid trying to capture the darter. I snagged squid on it when I started maniacally setting the hook upon the slightest touch.

Very cool invention.