SANTEC - UMBRELLA SQUID HOOK - U SHAPE/ V SHAPE SQUID FISHING

Santec Umbrella Squid Hook — U Shape / V Shape

An umbrella hook is bait tackle, not a lure: a ring of fine needle points set around a central stainless shaft, opening out like an inverted umbrella. A whole fish, a fillet strip or a prawn is bound onto the shaft with elastic thread and the rig is lowered straight down and held. A big squid or an octopus does not bite — it drops onto the bait and wraps its arms around it, and the moment you lift, the needles pin those arms from the inside out. That is why it holds animals that pull free of a single hook. Santec offers it in stainless steel across three crown geometries and sizes from 7 cm to 15 cm.

Key Features

• Stainless steel throughout for salt water and repeated bait changes
• Ring of needle points around a central shaft — no strike needed to hook up
• U-shape crowns (3664, 3615) carry the points on a wide rounded arc
• V-shape crowns (3662, 3614) draw the points into a narrower cone
• L-shape crowns (3665) offered in 9 cm and 15 cm
• Sizes from 7 cm to 15 cm, matched to bait and target size

How To Fish It

• U shape or V shape — The U crown spreads its points wide for a large catching diameter around a bulky bait — the choice for big octopus and large squid that engulf the whole bait. The V crown pulls the points into a tighter cone, carrying a slimmer bait with less resistance on the drop and better position in current. Strong current or small bait, start with V; large target and a whole fish, start with U.
• Size to the bait and the target — 7 cm and 9 cm suit a small fish or strip bait and medium squid. 12 cm handles a larger whole bait and bigger squid. 15 cm is for a full-size bait fish and the largest squid and octopus.
• Bind the bait properly — Lay the bait along the shaft, head toward the line, and wrap firmly with elastic thread so nothing swings free of the crown. A loose bait lets the animal feed to one side of the points.
• Drop and hold — Lower to the bottom for octopus, or to the depth showing squid, and hold with light movement only — small lifts every 20–30 seconds. This is a waiting technique, not a jigging one.
• Lift steadily, never strike — When a slow, heavy weight comes on, lean into it and wind at one constant speed. Do not jerk or pump: slack line is the only way an animal already on the needles gets off.

Target Species By Region

• Southeast Asia — Large bigfin reef squid (sotong besar), cuttlefish (sotong katak) and octopus (kurita) from boats, jetties and rock walls — the traditional heavy end of candat sotong tackle.
• North America — Humboldt squid on Pacific night trips and octopus over rocky structure, subject to local rules.
• Japan & East Asia — Madako and other octopus on bait rigs from boats and breakwaters, plus large aoriika on baited squid rigs.
• Australia, Middle East & Europe — Maori octopus and large southern calamari on Australian reef and jetty ground; common octopus and cuttlefish on Mediterranean and Gulf rock marks.

Specifications

Recommended Pairing

• Medium to heavy boat or jetty rod with backbone to lift a heavy, gripping animal
• PE 2.0–4.0 braid or 30–60 lb monofilament with a heavy abrasion-resistant leader
• 4000–6000 size spinning reel or a small overhead with a firm drag
• Elastic bait thread, a sinker sized to hold bottom in the tide, and an ink-proof bag