I've Caught My Squid, Now What Do I Do?

[Davidpriddy]

Can anybody give me advice on what to do once I've caught my squid and gotten it into the boat? What is the best way to keep it until I get it to the kitchen? Should I put them on ice straight away? Keep them alive in bucket of sea water? What's best?

[kingyfisher]

If i'm going to eat it I remove the head & tenticles,and save them for bait in a plastic bag.Slice the hood open and clean it inside getting rid of the ink.Then I push my thumbnail between the hood and side flaps and run it up and down the length of the hood separating the skin from the body,do the same to the other flap and the skin & flaps will come away from the body which is now ready for cooking.The skin & flaps can also be used for bait.

[Davidpriddy]

Thanks kingyfisher - I'm planning to duck down to Rye and try my luck in a boat off of Sorrento. I've seen guys in boats catching squid one after the other. I always wondered what they were doing as i couldnt tell what they were catching until a few weeks back i saw one of the guys pull in (what i thought was a fish) and then saw it squirt its black ink all down the side of the boat. If you're in the boat for a few hours, you want to keep them as fresh as possible until you get them to the table. i just haven't seen anything on the net that tells you what to do once you've caught an inkie.

[benzeenees]

We land them in a bucket. But make sure they are pointing away from you (aim them at a mate!).