DUEL - EZ-Q DARTMASTER SQUID HOOK 2.5 A1725 SQUID BAIT

DUEL EZ-Q Dartmaster #2.5 Squid Jig A1725

The Dartmaster is the EZ-Q built around one action: the dart. Snap the rod sharply and the jig does not just lift — it cuts hard to one side, stops, then cuts back the other way on the next snap, tracing a zig-zag rather than a straight line. That sideways escape is exactly what a prawn does when it flicks away from a threat, and it is the movement most likely to convert a squid that has followed without committing. Ordinary egi mostly hop: they rise and glide forward, which draws squid in but gives them a long, easy look. A dart gives them a decision to make instead. This is the silent Dartmaster — no rattle chamber — the one to reach for in clear, shallow, heavily fished water where added noise makes squid cautious. DUEL rates size #2.5 at 10g with a sinking speed of about 5 seconds per metre.

Key Features

• Sharp side-to-side darting action that mimics a fleeing shrimp or baitfish
• Patapata side fins that flutter and vibrate on both the dart and the fall
• UV-reactive and glow-in-the-dark body options for day and night
• Snag-resistant sinker placement that holds the sinking posture
• Sinking speed of about 5 seconds per metre for controlled presentation
• No rattle chamber — a silent presentation for pressured, clear water
• Model A1725, size #2.5 at 10g, in eleven colour codes

How To Fish It

• Snap, do not sweep — Rod tip low, two to four wrist-driven snaps in a row, slack recovered between each. The dart comes from acceleration followed by an abrupt stop; a long slow lift only raises the jig.
• Let it fall nose-down — Drop the tip and let the jig sink on a controlled slack line. At about 5 seconds per metre a ten count is roughly two metres, so a productive depth is easy to repeat.
• Silent in clear water — On calm, clear jetty marks fished every night, choose this over a rattling jig. If you get follows to the rod tip but no takes, slow the fall and shorten the snaps.
• Sweep into the weight, never strike — Squid wrap the jig with their arms instead of biting. Line that stops sinking, jumps or moves sideways means a squid is on; sweep and wind under continuous pressure to the net.
• Fish the shadow line — Charge the glow with a torch, then dart the jig along the edge of a light pool rather than through its centre, where squid hold and ambush.

Target Species By Region

• Southeast Asia — Candat sotong for bigfin reef squid (sotong torak) and cuttlefish (sotong katak) from jetties and boats off Terengganu, Pahang and Johor; the silent body suits clear water on calm nights.
• North America — Market squid down the pilings at lit California piers and harbours.
• Japan & East Asia — Shore eging for aoriika: #2.5 is the usual autumn choice for that year's smaller squid, while spring fish call for a larger size. Also fished in Korea and Taiwan.
• Australia, Middle East & Europe — Southern calamari over shallow seagrass in South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania, where clear water rewards a quiet jig; European squid on Mediterranean night marks.

Specifications

Colour codes: #2 KVOP, #5 KOMO, #10 KRRK, #11 LGOG, #13 LRBE, #14 BLMP, #15 BLBI, #16 BLBW, #17 BLGK, #18 BLOP, #19 KVE. SKU prefix 30A1725.

Recommended Pairing

• Egi rod of roughly 8' to 8'6" with a fast, crisp tip — the dart depends on a rod that stops sharply
• 2500–3000 spinning reel with PE 0.5–0.8 braid so the snap reaches the jig without stretch
• Fluorocarbon leader of roughly 8–14 lb, about a rod length, for clear-water work
• Long-handled squid net — barbless crown hooks will not hold a lifted squid