AS SEEN IN THE JULY / AUGUST 2007 ISSUE

Dragging daisy chains as teasers to attract billfish and tuna when trolling is no big breakthrough. Neither is the idea of adding a lure or natural bait to the end of the daisy chain to give the teaser an even greater level of appeal. And while the practice of pulling daisy chains is certainly employed around the globe, it is, in fact, more popular in certain geographic regions.

This aggressive blue was drawn into the spread by a squid chain before quickly veering off to grab the nearest ballyhoo. Look at New England for example. Up in the Northeast, charter boat crews crisscrossing the canyons regularly pull multiple bait spreader bars and daisy chains in their attempt to fool bluefin, bigeye, yellowfin and longfin tuna. In South America, you would be hard pressed to find any bait & switch specialist without a full arsenal of commotion creating teasers ready to deploy at a moment’s notice. What’s interesting though is that with all of the innovations we’ve seen in teaser technology over the past decade, one particular product has stood the test of time for more than three decades and continues to be a staple in the cockpit of nearly every tournament winning billfish boat.

If you have not figured it out yet, we’re referring to the old reliable squid chain. Over the years, numerous manufactures have created their own versions of the famous artificial squid; however, the original still sees the most action. Produced by Mold Craft Products of Pompano Beach, Florida, more than a million Squirt Squids continue to do what they do best – throw up heaps of white water which captures the attention of game fish - in all of the world’s oceans, and for many good reasons.

We know that squid are a staple in the diet of nearly every species of pelagic game fish, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that ‘squid anything’ would be effective at inviting nearby marlin, tuna, sailfish and dolphin in to the spread for a closer look. Remember though, the concept of a squid chain isn’t to hook fish, but rather to call them in to investigate what all the commotion is about. The fish don’t always play by the rules, though. You see, few things in the blue water arena are as exciting as witnessing a lit-up billfish slash a squid chain or a hefty tuna explode on what it believes is its next meal. These are the kinds of scenes that have made squid chains famous.

Along with their undeniable fish-attracting ability, squid chains are affordable, easy to maintain and store, and basically very easy to fish. Plus, they’re soft, but not too soft as to be destroyed by terrorizing toothy critters so the end result is a teaser that lasts for many seasons of use and abuse. Most blue water veterans swear that squid chains prove to attract the most attention when dragged off the riggers directly in the clean water outside the boat’s wake. Other leading crews position them straight down the middle at the end of the wash and wouldn’t pull them any other way. While the choice is ultimately yours, we suggest experimenting to locate the most natural presentation. Wherever you position the teaser, keep the squid chain skimming the surface on the face of the wake and don’t be overly concerned if the leading bait barely touches the water. Believe me, hungry game fish charging in from the depths knows it’s there.