[Mr. Sandman]

They make a steel insert in two sizes for fishing squid. (I forgot the maker) I have a few. It is a flat section with a couple of flared punched out pieces in the center to keep body of the squid fuller. It has a hole at each end one your leader and other for a hook. I have only used it a couple times. It seems to work but I don't think you could whip out a sqiud on a 10.5' surf rod the way you do an eel time after time. You can cast them but they are not as robust as an eel.

Drifting fresh dead (or live) squid out of a breachway or from a boat is pretty darn effective. They don't last very long before something grabs it. Dealing with live squid is a pain. (they bite! and the big ones hurt! and they require a good air-rator) The ones I use are dead. I catch them and vacume pack 6 or so in a pack right away and freeze them. They seem fine all season.

The hard core squid fishermen I know, catch about 6-10 squid and then go fishing right away. Most work the bottom with them.

btw, the big derby winner shore bone and albie....live whole squid off the dock.

The problem with supermarket or california boxed squid is they they are washed and cleaned, as the market is aimed at calamari lovers. IMO you are better off catching your own fresh local stuff. 1) they are bigger, 2) they have all the oils and jucies and smells of the real squid and 3) it is just fun catching squid. Some local bait shops sell "ink squid" these are local squid that were purchased by the tote from a dragger and the baitshop owner probably boxed and packaged them himself. They are not washed will work better then the supermarket type. I do a lot of fluke fishing and you can ask anyone on my boat what bait they want and it is that big fresh squid.

I think dead squid are fine because squid don't live very long and after they spawn most of them die within a short time later (30 days or so) and fall to the bottom...so for a fish to see a drifting dead squid on the bottom is a pretty natural thing.