Chokka (Squid) Cephalopod
The single most versatile bait on the coast — fresh or frozen chokka catches almost everything that swims.
📍 Where to collect / buy
Bought fresh/frozen at tackle shops and harbours (Mossel Bay is a chokka hub); jigged at night off jetties.
❄️ Preservation
Freeze in tubes; keep on ice while fishing. Salting toughens it for distance casting.
🪝 Rigging
Whole for big fish, or cut into strips/heads; bind with bait cotton for casting.
🎯 Presentation
Thread strips to leave a fluttering tail; hook heads through the mantle.
🐟 Best species
Kob, roman, santer, geelbek, most reef fish
#️⃣ Hook sizes
3/0-6/0 for strips; larger for whole squid
💪 Durability
High — tough, stays on well
Note: bait collection (prawn pumping, mussel/redbait picking, cast-netting) requires the correct permit and is subject to daily limits and closed areas. See regulations.
