This page contains affiliate links. Far Cornel may earn a commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you.
See the top-rated gear on Amazon →
Squid are one of the finest things you can pull from salt water, superb on the table and unbeatable as fresh bait, and a squid jig is how you catch them on purpose rather than by luck. The jig, called an egi, imitates a small prawn or baitfish. You cast it, let it sink, then lift-and-drop it so it darts and flutters like wounded prey. Squid are visual, deliberate hunters, so the right jig doing the right thing in the water matters far more than how hard you work the rod.
The jigs below cover the spread, from proven premium egi to a cheap prospecting jig for snaggy ground. What follows is how they differ and how to build a small set that covers most sessions.
Quick Picks
- Best overall: Yamashita EGI-OH Live — Warm Jacket thermo-cloth and proven squid-catching pedigree.
- Best value premium: Yo-Zuri Aurie-Q 3D — brilliant prism finishes that flash and draw squid.
- Best for clear water: Yamashita EGI-OH K — refined action and natural colours for spooky squid.
- Best floating/tandem: Yo-Zuri Ultra Bait — glow belly and holographic finish, fished singly or in tandem.
- Best budget prospecting jig: Generic cloth egi (suicide jigs) — cheap jigs for scoping snaggy new ground.
What Makes a Squid Jig Work
You are not really buying one jig; you are building a small set that covers the variables squid care about. The four that matter are size, sink rate, colour and how the jig sits in the water. Get a couple of sizes, a slow and a faster sink, and a light and a dark colour, and you can meet most conditions by swapping between them. Read the water first, then pick the jig to suit it.
Size and weight. Egi are graded in sizes, and a larger number means a bigger, heavier jig that casts further and sinks faster. A mid size around the middle of the range is the everyday workhorse for average squid and depths; go smaller for shallow, calm water or fussy squid, and larger to punch out a long cast or get down through current. If you carry only two sizes, make them a middle size and one step up.
Sink rate. This is the detail most people overlook, and it decides whether your jig ever fishes properly. A slow-sink jig hangs in the strike zone longer, which is deadly over shallow weed beds where squid sit; a fast, deep-sinking jig gets down quickly in deeper water or run before the current sweeps it away. Match the sink rate to your depth: too slow and you never reach them, too fast and you drag the bottom and snag.
Colour and finish. Colour earns its keep when light and water clarity change. Natural, translucent patterns suit clear water and bright sun; bold orange and pink cut through murky water and low light; glow and ultraviolet finishes come into their own at dawn, dusk and after dark. The base cloth under the outer wrap counts too. Carry a light option and a dark one, and change colour before you change spots.
Spikes and posture. The crown of fine spikes should be genuinely sharp and rust-resistant, since it holds the squid without a barb and lets you release cleanly. Just as important, a good jig sits horizontal on the pause, because a nose-down or tail-heavy jig looks wrong and squid refuse it. Spend on a few quality jigs that swim level with sharp crowns, and save with a cheap prospecting jig or two for snaggy ground you expect to lose gear on. The common mistake is fishing one jig everywhere; carry a small spread and match it to the water.
Quality and features. Premium jigs from the leading makers carry features that earn their cost: thermo-storage “Warm Jacket” cloth that holds heat like real prey (squid sense temperature when hunting), rattles, 490-glow finishes, and sharp, well-set prongs. Cheaper jigs are worth keeping too — a handful of inexpensive “suicide jigs” lets you prospect snaggy new ground without the heartbreak of losing an expensive jig. A tip: a dab of super glue along the belly and nose stops the cloth peeling off, which is where cheap jigs fail first. Have a quick look at the current and most recent options on Amazon for the squid jigs.
The Squid Jigs, Reviewed
Yamashita EGI-OH Live
The benchmark serious squidders reach for. Yamashita put extensive research into their jigs, and the EGI-OH Live features the patented Warm Jacket thermo-cloth that reacts to light and holds its temperature longer than ordinary cloth — squid recognise that subtle warmth as they would real prey, which gives the jig an edge. Add proven dart action and a wide colour range, and it is a jig that simply catches. For an angler who wants one quality jig to build around, start here. Have a quick look at the current and most recent options on Amazon for the Yamashita EGI-OH Live squid jig.
Check today’s prices on Amazon →
Yo-Zuri Aurie-Q 3D
The flashy value-premium pick. Yo-Zuri’s Aurie-Q range uses brilliant 3D prism finishes that throw light and flash in a way squid find hard to ignore, in a well-balanced body that casts and works cleanly. Available across the useful size range and a spread of colours, it delivers a lot of squid-catching performance for the price. A great jig to fill out a wallet with proven colours without paying top-shelf money for every one. Have a quick look at the current and most recent options on Amazon for the Yo-Zuri Aurie-Q 3D squid jig.
Yamashita EGI-OH K
The refined choice for clear water and pressured squid. The EGI-OH K range brings Yamashita’s quality build and sharp dart action with finishes — including 490-glow and UV keimura options — suited to finicky squid in clear, calm conditions where a natural, subtle presentation outfishes a gaudy one. It is a jig that shines exactly where squid are hardest to fool. For clear-water and daytime squidding, it is a standout. Have a quick look at the current and most recent options on Amazon for the Yamashita EGI-OH K squid jig.
Yo-Zuri Ultra Bait
The top-of-the-line floating jig with a trick up its sleeve. The Ultra Bait series carries striking internal holographic prism finishes and glow-in-the-dark belly accents for brightness even in murky water, and being a floating jig it can be fished singly or in tandem (several jigs above a sinker, sabiki-style) to cover all levels of the water column at once. Precisely balanced for a lifelike swimming action, it is a versatile, eye-catching option when you want to search the column. Have a quick look at the current and most recent options on Amazon for the Yo-Zuri Ultra Bait squid jig.
Generic Cloth Egi (Prospecting Jigs)
The smart cheap insurance in any squid wallet. Inexpensive cloth jigs — often called “suicide jigs” — are exactly what you want for scoping out snaggy new ground, where there is no heartbreak in losing one to a reef or weed bed. They will not last like the premium jigs (the cloth tends to peel after a while), but a few in the box let you fish fearlessly where a $20 jig would make you wince. A dab of super glue on the belly extends their life. Keep a handful for prospecting. Have a quick look at the current and most recent options on Amazon for the budget cloth squid jigs.
Comparison
| Jig | Best For | Standout Feature | Why It Stands Out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yamashita EGI-OH Live | All-round, serious squid | Warm Jacket thermo-cloth | Proven, holds heat like prey |
| Yo-Zuri Aurie-Q 3D | Value premium | 3D prism finish | Bright flash, good price |
| Yamashita EGI-OH K | Clear water, fussy squid | 490-glow / UV options | Refined, natural presentation |
| Yo-Zuri Ultra Bait | Tandem, searching column | Glow belly, floating | Fish singly or sabiki-style |
| Generic cloth egi | Snaggy prospecting | Low cost | Fish fearlessly, cheap to lose |
The Short Version
Squid jigs reward a bit of thought more than a big spend. Rather than one lucky jig, carry a small set that covers the variables: a couple of sizes, a slow and a faster sink rate, and a light and a dark colour. Match the size and sink to the depth and current, switch colour with the light and water clarity, and keep the spikes sharp. Do that and a session that started slow often turns into a bag of squid once you find the combination they want.
Pair it with the rest of a light squidding setup: our guides to the best spinning reels, best soft plastic lure kits, and the beginner fishing gear checklist help you build the rest of the rig.
Common Questions
What size squid jig should I start with?
A middle-of-the-range size is the best all-rounder and the one to buy first, because it casts and sinks well across the depths most people fish. Add a slightly larger jig for deeper water, current or longer casts, and a smaller one for shallow, calm conditions or wary squid. Two well-chosen sizes cover far more situations than a drawer full of one size.
What colour jig is best?
There is no single best colour, only the right one for the light and the water. Natural, translucent colours work in clear water and bright sun; bright orange and pink shine in murky water or low light; glow and ultraviolet patterns suit dawn, dusk and darkness. Carry a light and a dark option and change between them before you give up on a spot.
Why does sink rate matter?
Sink rate sets how long your jig spends in the zone where squid actually strike. Too slow for the depth and it never gets down to them; too fast and it drops straight past them or drags along the bottom and snags. A slow-sink jig suits shallow weed beds, while a faster-sinking one is made for deeper water and current. Matching sink rate to depth is often the difference between blanking and catching.