The arrival of longfin squid is one of the most anticipated events of the early season. As these squid move inshore to spawn, they draw a crowd, striped bass, black sea bass, fluke and others gorge on them, and anglers target the squid themselves for bait and for the dinner table.
What they are
Longfin squid, known in the trade as Loligo or calamari, are slender, torpedo-shaped squid that change color in an instant and move in schools. They spawn inshore in spring, laying egg mops on the bottom, and that inshore push is when they matter most to anglers.
Where and when
The spring squid run pulls squid into sounds, bays and nearshore waters over sand and structure. Where the squid concentrate, the gamefish follow, so a good squid bite often means a good bass and sea bass bite in the same water.
Tip Squid feed and gamefish often feed hardest around low light. Dawn, dusk and night, especially around lights, concentrate squid, which is why the classic squid jigging (and the predator bite that follows) happens at the edges of the day.
How anglers use them
- Catch them on squid jigs (the weighted, multi-pronged jigs), often at night near lights, for bait or for eating.
- Match the hatch: when bass are on squid, throw squid-colored plugs and soft plastics, or a squid fly like the red can squid.
- Fish them as bait, whole or as strips, a deadly and durable bait for many species.