Blog / Rigging

Shop mahi lures

Rigging

Weedless Squid Rig: Trolling for Mahi in Scattered Grass

Scattered grass fouls every bait you put out, and it is tempting to leave feeding fish. A whole squid rigged weedless lets you stay and fish it.

By David Rose, updated September 2026

The situation

Why a whole squid in scattered grass

Mahi hold near floating debris, seaweed and scattered grass, because that is where the shelter and the bait are. The problem is that the same grass fouls your spread. Every pass picks up more of it, and eventually you give up on fish you know are there.

Whole natural squid get overlooked next to rigged ballyhoo and skirted lures, but arguably every fish in the ocean will eat a squid. They are to an offshore angler what shrimp are to an inshore one. They are also inherently tough, so a squid can be trolled for a long time before it needs replacing.

Rigged the way described below, the hook is buried inside the squid and there is nothing hanging off the bait for grass to catch on.

The bait

Buying frozen squid

As with any bait, starting with quality bait is critical to success.

Look for pale white squid with clear eyes. Squid change to a pink color as they age.

Get the right size. You want a whole bait squid with a tube length of about 5 inches, not counting the head and tentacles. California squid have produced the most success.

Skip the swordfish squid. Bait shops often carry squid sold for trolling, but those are usually intended for swordfishing and are much larger than what we are rigging here.

These squid come packaged loose and flash frozen. Open the container and inspect them before you buy.

Pale white with clear eyes, about a 5-inch tube.

Prep

Thawing frozen squid

Frozen squid need to be thoroughly thawed before rigging. Working with partially thawed squid makes them fragile and easy to damage.

Thaw squid in saltwater if possible. If not, allow them to thaw without water. Thawing in freshwater has a tendency to make the squid mushy.

Protect the tentacles throughout the thawing and rigging process.

The rig

How to make the weedless squid rig

  1. Start with a 6-foot piece of 50 lb monofilament. You can go heavier, but not lighter: this leader has to be pushed up through the body of the squid, so it needs some rigidity.
  2. Tie a 5/0 J-hook to one end with a loop knot. A Mustad 3407 or similar style works well. Hook size matters: on squid this size a 5/0 is right, and larger hooks may fit but will deform the squid's natural shape and keep it from trolling naturally.
  3. Slide an aluminum crimp onto the leader and crimp it lightly about 5 inches from the eye of the hook. It should be tight enough to stay put, but still adjustable so you can position the hook correctly in the squid.
  4. Slide on a bead, then a 3/4 oz egg sinker.

Hook, crimp, bead and egg sinker on 50 lb mono.

Rigging

Rigging the squid

  1. Cut a small hole in the very tip of the squid.
  2. Carefully slide the leader up through the squid, disturbing the internal organs as little as possible.
  3. Insert the hook through the squid's head between the eyes.
  4. Position the egg sinker inside the tip, or tail, of the squid.
  5. Hold the egg sinker in place and slowly pull the leader through the crimp, drawing the hook and the squid's head up into the mantle.

Done correctly, the hook sits inside the bait and the weight is buried in the tail. There is nothing exposed for grass to wrap around.

The finished bait: hook inside the mantle, sinker in the tail.

When the grass clears

Rig ballyhoo in two steps, on the water

Once you are back on clean water, TrollTrue lures rig a ballyhoo in two steps: hook the bait, slide the lure on. No pins, wire wraps or rubber bands.

Shop mahi lures

Mahi fishing guide →

On the water

Trolling the rigged squid

Troll it slow: 4 to 6 knots

This rig wants a slower speed than most trolling. You are not trying to cover ground: the mahi are in the scattered grass, so you want to keep your baits in that area rather than trolling through it too fast. Faster speeds also increase the risk of fouling. Even rigged weedless, you are still in grass.

For how every other bait compares, see the best trolling speed by bait.

Naked or skirted

The rigged squid can be trolled naked, or you can add a skirt. If you add one, the shape of the skirt's head matters: it needs to shed grass well. A bullet head is perfect. A chugger style head would not be recommended.

Check it alongside the boat

As the bait goes out, watch how it trolls beside the boat and adjust the rigging until it tracks well. Usually that means adjusting the rig length so the hook is drawn up into the squid without deforming its shape. When you are satisfied, start dropping it back.

Work your baits back gradually

In scattered grass the main line catches most of the grass, and the further back a bait runs, the more line there is to catch it. Start with your baits closer to the boat, then work them back as you see how it goes.

Keep watching

Most of the grass will shed off the lure, but keep a close eye on every bait. If one picks up grass, jig it to help shed it.

Pro tip

Cut up worn-out squid and save them. Toss them over to hold schooling mahi beside the boat, or for bailing dolphin.

Built to keep ballyhoo swimming true

Molded from 100% lead with an integrated keel weight, TrollTrue lures keep your bait swimming true instead of spinning.

Rig as you go

Rig on the water, only what you're about to fish, instead of over-rigging at the dock.

Fewer short strikes

The lure positions the trailer hook to cut down short strikes.

Made in the USA

Handpainted, with a powder-coated finish that stands up to offshore conditions.

Shop mahi lures

Shop all trolling lures

Keep reading

More on mahi and rigging

Mahi Fishing Tips and Techniques

Finding, rigging for and landing mahi offshore.

Best Lures and Baits for Mahi

What to pull for mahi, and when to pull it.

Ballyhoo Fish: What They Are and How to Fish Them

The other natural bait worth rigging for mahi.