Squid is a great bait for sea fishing but needs to be prepared properly. This is straightforward and all that is needed is a sharp knife and a chopping board to work on.
1. Begin by removing the head of the squid and cutting off the wings. The head can be kept as bait but the wings are useless and should be thrown away.
2. It is optional to remove the skin. Some anglers prefer to leave this on as it leaves the squid in a natural state, whereas others believe exposing the white flesh makes the squid more visible and allows the scent to escape. If the skin is to be removed it comes away easily from the body with the help of the knife.
3. The body of the squid can now be used by itself as a large bait for species such as cod, bass or conger, however, if smaller baits are needed more preparation needs to be done.
4. One side of the body should now be cut open.
5. The body can be opened out and the internal organs scraped away with a knife. The plastic-like backbone should also be removed.
6. The flesh of the squid is now ready to use as bait and can be cut into large strips to use as a standalone bait or smaller strips to use top tip off larger baits.
