How to choose an egi for bigfin reef squid
The size number is the body, the weight is the method, and V0 / V0+ / V1 / V2 is the fall speed
Have you ever hooked a bigfin reef squid (Aori squid) over 4 kg and lost it during the fight? Torn flesh, a hook pulled straight, a snapped shaft—once you have been through that, you want the next one hooked for certain. You start wanting a hook that is big and strong. That is where choosing an egi really begins. Before you look at a table of sizes, look at what the size number actually decides.
1. What the size number decides is the size of the hook
The size number of an egi describes how large the egi is. A larger egi is harder for small squid to take hold of, so more of what you hook tends to be large. That tendency is real.
But it is a matter of odds, not a certainty. A squid only about half the length of a size 7.0 egi has taken one. Size reduces the number of small squid; it does not rule them out.
So why go larger? Because a larger egi can carry a larger hook.
When a bigfin reef squid over 4 kg takes the egi, a small hook makes losing it far more likely. With an ordinary egi you hook them and still fail to land them: the flesh tears, the hook opens up, the shaft snaps. To hook them for certain you need a hook that is big and strong. That is why we treat the umbrella hook as one of the most important specifications and develop and produce ours in-house.
The guideline by size is below. It is the one we publish on the EgiOita PlaPla page.
| Squid you are after | Size | Weight | Product |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–2 kg class | 4.5 | 31g | EgiOita PlaPla |
| 2–3 kg class | 5.0 | 41g | EgiOita PlaPla |
| Monsters over 3 kg | 7.0 | 81g | EgiOita PlaPla |
Most egi on the market stop at size 3.5, and even size 4.0 is uncommon. Size 7.0 weighs 81g and asks something of your rod. This size, which once swept the market, came back in November 2025— because squid over 4 kg, the ones that crush that hook, really are out there.
2. A large hook does not fit on every egi
You want a large hook. So why not put one on every egi? Because the size of the body and the size of the hook it can carry are tied together by buoyancy.
Put a large hook on a small egi and the centre of gravity shifts and the posture collapses. An egi that is out of balance lowers your odds of hooking squid.
An egi that is out of balance catches less—something the fishermen who go out every day have confirmed over a number of trips none of us could count.
The other quality: responsiveness
We regard the most important qualities of an egi as its balance during a tensioned fall, and its responsiveness. Responsiveness means the egi telling you that a squid has touched it.
And that only exists while the buoyancy is still alive. Make the hook larger and its weight eats into the buoyancy. An egi whose buoyancy is dead—one balanced by force— not only fails to hold its posture, it stops passing on the touch of a squid. Carrying a large hook and keeping the feel both draw on the same buoyancy.
Our answer: a high-buoyancy body
We want the hook large and the buoyancy left over. What makes both possible is the rigid urethane foam we use. Its high buoyancy absorbs the weight of the hook and still leaves buoyancy behind.
MonroEgi MonsterTune carries large, strong umbrella hooks in multiple stages—three stages on size 4.0 V1, four stages on size 5.0 V2. Several hooks share the weight of the catch, which prevents the tearing that is the greatest problem when fighting squid over 4 kg. An ordinary hollow plastic body cannot hold its balance with four stages on it. The design only works because the material has high buoyancy.
There is a case the other way round. JetChaser size 2.5 carries the KS06 hook, which normally goes on egi of size 3.5 to 4.0 (the same umbrella hook as EgiSharp size 3.5 and 3.8), and still holds a high balance. A large hook on a small egi is the hardest combination of all.
3. Same size, different weight — the weight follows the method
Once the hook and the body are balanced, the next question is weight. This is where most people are caught out. A larger size number does not mean a heavier egi. Line the actual figures up and it becomes obvious.
| Product | Size | Weight | Why that weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| EgiSharp | 3.5 V0 / V0+ 3.8 V0 / V0+ | 15g / 16g 17g / 18g | To show it slowly |
| MonroEgi III | 3.5 V1 | 19g | Standard |
| Daybreak size 3.3 / 4.0 | 3.3 4.0 | 35g 39g | Made for tip-run; heavy because the boat drifts |
| EgiSharp Alpha | 4.3 V0 / V0+ / V1 | 22g / 23g / 24g | Goes after large squid while keeping the fall in check |
| LongEgi 135mm | 4.5 equivalent V0 | 17g | Weed beds; light and slim so it sinks gently |
| EgiOita PlaPla | 4.5 | 31g | The standard for large squid |
| MonroEgi MonsterTune | 5.0 V2 | 52g | Drops fast in deep water |
Size 3.3 (35g) is heavier than size 4.3 (24g). LongEgi 135mm, equivalent to size 4.5 at 17g, is about half the weight of EgiOita PlaPla at the same size 4.5 (31g). A size 4.5 egi normally comes close to 30g.
What sets the weight is not the size number but the way you fish.
- Tip-run—the boat drifts, so the egi is made heavy enough to hold the bottom (Daybreak size 3.3 35g / size 4.0 39g)
- Deep water—heavier still, to drop faster (Daybreak size 4.0 39g, MonroEgi MonsterTune size 5.0 V2 52g)
- Weed beds and shallow water—light, to avoid snagging and to show the egi slowly (LongEgi 135mm 17g-23g)
- Casting from shore—a balance between distance and control (JetChaser 20g-24g)
4. Fall speed: V0, V0+, V1 and V2
When you see V0, V0+, V1 and V2 next to the same size, they mark differences in fall speed. On EgiSharp there are four grades, and they are grades for the free-fall phase.
| Grade | Fall speed | EgiSharp size 3.5 | EgiSharp size 3.8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| V0 | Ultra-slow fall | 15g | 17g |
| V0+ | Slow fall | 16g | 18g |
| V1 | Standard fall | 17g | 19g |
| V2 | Fast fall | 20g | 24g |
The same size 3.5 is 15g in V0 and 20g in V2. The body stays the same size; only the speed of the fall changes. Show it slowly in shallow water or when the squid are slow to react; drop it fast in deep water or a strong current. That choice is what the V figure is for.
The grades and their names differ from product to product. On LongEgi 135mm, V0 is slow sinking (17g), V1 medium sinking (21g) and V2 fast sinking (23g). Some of our products go as far as V3. Do not compare V figures across different products. Use them to compare within one product.
We regard the most important qualities of an egi as balance during a tensioned fall, and responsiveness. The V figure is a guide for choosing, not a measure of whether an egi is good.
5. Choosing by place and method
Before the size and the weight are settled, where and how you will fish is usually already decided. You can work backwards from there.
Shore tip-run
JetChaser (size 2.5 20g / 2.6 22g / 3.0 22g / 3.1 24g). It lets you work water 10-20 m deep with light tackle. For deeper water or a fast current you can add a mask sinker from any maker.
Tip-run from a boat
Daybreak size 3.3 (35g) is made for tip-run. For deeper water, Daybreak size 4.0 (39g) falls fast. JetChaser works here in every size (2.5 / 2.6 / 3.0 / 3.1).
Weed beds and shallow water
LongEgi 135mm. At 135mm (equivalent to size 4.5) it weighs only 17g-23g. V0 slows the fall so the egi can sit above the weed at a 45-degree angle. The slim, long body picks up the slightest change in the current and shimmers.
EgiSharp in V0 and V0+ also works here— 15g (V0) and 16g (V0+) in size 3.5, 17g and 18g in size 3.8. You can slow the fall without dropping the size.
Deep water
MonroEgi MonsterTune (size 4.0 V1 30g / size 5.0 V2 52g), with three-stage and four-stage umbrella hooks respectively.
When you want to drop faster, EgiSharp in V2 (size 3.5 20g / size 3.8 24g) and LongEgi 135mm in V2 (23g) also work.
Large squid and monsters
EgiOita PlaPla (size 4.5 31g / 5.0 41g / 7.0 81g). From size 4.5 up, small squid are naturally screened out.
Trolling (hikigata)
Hikigata Egi. Made for the trolling method handed down around the coasts of Japan, with the buoyancy controlled precisely so the posture holds both at rest and under tow. Three lines: Goto type, MonroEgi trolling type and Oita type.
Standard eging
EgiSharp (size 3.5 / 3.8, in V0, V0+, V1 and V2), MonroEgi III (size 3.5 V1, 19g) and EgiSharp Alpha (size 4.3, V0 22g / V0+ 23g / V1 24g).
6. Quick reference (the full bigfin reef squid range)
| Product | Size | Weight | Suited to |
|---|---|---|---|
| JetChaser | 2.5 / 2.6 / 3.0 / 3.1 | 20 / 22 / 22 / 24g | Shore tip-run (10-20 m deep) |
| Daybreak size 3.3 | 3.3 | 35g | Made for tip-run |
| EgiSharp | 3.5 / 3.8 V0, V0+, V1, V2 | 3.5: 15 / 16 / 17 / 20g 3.8: 17 / 18 / 19 / 24g | Standard; four fall speeds to choose from |
| MonroEgi III | 3.5 V1 | 19g | Standard; carries on the Yamakawa form |
| Daybreak size 4.0 | 4.0 | 39g | Deep water, fast fall |
| MonroEgi MonsterTune | 4.0 V1 5.0 V2 | 30g 52g | Deep water; three- and four-stage umbrella hooks |
| EgiSharp Alpha | 4.3 V0, V0+, V1 | 22 / 23 / 24g | For large squid |
| LongEgi 135mm | 135mm (4.5 equivalent) V0, V1, V2 | 17 / 21 / 23g | Weed beds and shallow water |
| EgiOita PlaPla | 4.5 / 5.0 / 7.0 | 31 / 41 / 81g | 1-2 kg / 2-3 kg / over 3 kg |
| Hikigata Egi | 4.5 | — | Trolling (Goto, MonroEgi and Oita types) |
All of our products carry an open price. Please ask your retailer for the price.
7. Frequently asked questions
What size egi should I choose for bigfin reef squid?
Choose by the size of the squid you are after. On EgiOita PlaPla we suggest size 4.5 (31g) for the 1-2 kg class, size 5.0 (41g) for the 2-3 kg class and size 7.0 (81g) for monsters over 3 kg. Most egi on the market stop at size 3.5, and even size 4.0 is uncommon.
Why is a larger egi better?
Because it can carry a larger hook. When a squid over 4 kg takes the egi, a small hook makes losing it far more likely. The size of the body and the size of the hook it can carry are tied together by buoyancy, and putting a large hook on a small egi collapses the balance, which lowers your odds. We use high-buoyancy rigid urethane foam to loosen that constraint.
Why do two egi of the same size weigh different amounts?
The size number describes the body, while the weight follows the method. LongEgi 135mm is equivalent to size 4.5 but weighs only 17g-23g; a size 4.5 egi normally comes close to 30g. Conversely Daybreak size 3.3 weighs 35g, more than EgiSharp Alpha size 4.3 at 22-24g.
What do V0, V0+, V1 and V2 mean?
They are fall speed grades. On EgiSharp, V0 is ultra-slow fall, V0+ slow fall, V1 standard fall and V2 fast fall, and they are grades for the free-fall phase. We regard the most important qualities of an egi as balance during a tensioned fall and responsiveness.
Will a bigger egi reduce the number of squid I catch?
It probably will, and that is the point. Egi of size 4.5 and up make it harder for small squid to take hold, raising the share of larger fish. That said, the screening is never certain— a squid only about half the length of a size 7.0 egi has taken one. Use small egi on days when you want numbers and large egi on days when you want size.
Which egi should I use for shore tip-run?
JetChaser is made for shore tip-run. It comes in size 2.5 (20g), 2.6 (22g), 3.0 (22g) and 3.1 (24g), and lets you work water 10-20 m deep with light tackle.
Is there an egi that works well over weed beds?
LongEgi 135mm is made for weed beds. At 135mm (equivalent to size 4.5) it weighs only 17g-23g, and V0 slows the fall so it can sit above the weed at a 45-degree angle.
