DUEL - EZ-SLIM METAL 18g A1653 SQUID JIG SQUID HOOK

Duel EZ-Slim Metal 18 g A1653 Squid Jig

The EZ-Slim Metal is the metal-bodied version of Duel's slim squid jig, carrying its weight in the body rather than in a separate sinker. At 18 g it has the mass to be dropped straight down and held against tide and drift, which is what boat squid fishing asks — get down to the squid, stay in their layer, and stay in contact so a soft take registers at the tip. The narrow section cuts down with little swing, so the jig stays under the boat instead of streaming away on the current. Supplied here in colour LHRH. Genuine Duel product.

Key Features

• Metal-bodied squid jig in Duel's slim EZ-Slim profile
• 18 g body weight for dropping and holding depth from a boat
• Narrow section drops with minimal swing, keeping the jig under the boat in current
• Squid barb crown at the tail
• Colour LHRH, model code A1653

How To Fish It

• Drop and hold in the strike zone — Free-spool to the bottom or a marked bait layer, wind up two or three turns and hold. Squid stack in layers; once one comes, count the same turns off the bottom every drop.
• Short lift and stop — Lift the tip 30–50 cm, lower it under control and stop dead. The take almost always comes in the stop, felt as the jig going heavy, light, or simply not falling any further.
• Shake and pause — Small, fast wrist shakes for two or three seconds followed by a long still pause. This works when squid are following but not committing; the pause converts them.
• Fish it under lights — On night boats squid rise to the light line to feed. Work the jig through the edge of the lit water rather than the middle, and wind smoothly once hooked.

Target Species By Region

• Southeast Asia — Bigfin reef squid (sotong torak) and cuttlefish (sotong katak) on candat sotong night trips out of Terengganu, Pahang, Johor and the Indonesian and Thai islands, where squid gather under the boat lights behind kembung.
• North America — Market squid on the US West Coast, fished vertically from boats and around lit harbours and piers in California for calamari.
• Japan & East Asia — Kensaki-ika, yariika and surumeika on ika-metal and omorig boat trips, the discipline this style of jig was developed for.
• Australia, Middle East & Europe — Southern calamari and cuttlefish over weed and reef in southern Australian waters; European squid and cuttlefish fished vertically in the Mediterranean and off Spain and Portugal.

Specifications

Recommended Pairing

• Short, soft-tipped boat squid rod so the tip shows the take before it is felt
• Small baitcasting or spinning reel with PE 0.4–0.8 braid for depth control
• Fluorocarbon leader of roughly 6–10 lb, kept short so the jig hangs true