The German engineer was explaining — patiently, with diagrams drawn on a napkin — why the LED light frequency was suboptimal for attracting Loligo chinensis squid. He had researched this. He had brought his own headlamp with a specific wavelength. He had opinions about lure design.
He caught zero squid.
The 8-year-old girl next to him, using the basic rod our crew provided, holding it the way her mother held her hand — gently, no technique, just patience — caught three.
I bought her an extra juice at the bar. After managing squid fishing on Halong Bay cruise for four years across three ships, I have learned that the bay rewards patience, not engineering.
At a glance — Squid fishing on Halong Bay cruise:
- Time: ~8:30–10:00 PM (after dinner, Day 1)
- Location: 1st Deck stern platform, Cozy Bay Grand
- Equipment: Rods, lures, and LED lights provided
- Cost: Included in overnight cruise fare ($139–$240/person)
- Skill required: None — crew teaches technique on the spot
- Best season: April–September (warmer water = more active squid)
- Success rate: Varies — but the experience is the real catch
How Squid Fishing on Halong Bay Cruise Works
Squid fishing on Halong Bay cruise is nothing like fishing in the traditional sense. There is no casting, no bait, no waiting for a bite. The method is jigging — dropping a small luminescent lure into water illuminated by underwater LED lights, then raising and lowering the rod with a rhythmic motion that mimics the movement of small shrimp.
The LEDs attract plankton. The plankton attract small fish. The small fish attract squid. The squid see your lure glowing in the middle of all this activity and — if you are lucky and patient — they strike.
Here is what happens on a typical night:
The Sequence
| Time | What Happens | Your Role |
|---|---|---|
| 8:30 PM | Crew sets up LED lights off the stern | Watch the water light up green-blue beneath the hull |
| 8:35 PM | Rods distributed, crew demonstrates technique | Learn the jigging rhythm — lift, pause, drop, pause |
| 8:40 PM | First lines in the water | Find your spot along the railing, 1-2 meters apart |
| 9:00 PM | First squid spotted near the lights | Excitement ripples along the railing |
| 9:00–10:00 PM | Active fishing window | Jig, wait, feel for the gentle tug, lift slowly |
| 10:00 PM | Lines up, squid cleaned by crew | Celebrate catches, share stories at the bar |
The key sensation — and this is something no video or description can fully prepare you for — is the tug. Squid do not bite like fish. They wrap their tentacles around the lure and pull downward with a soft, steady pressure. It feels like someone gently attached a weight to your line. No thrashing. No drama. Just a quiet insistence.
The first time you feel it, you will look at the person next to you with wide eyes and say: “I think I have one.” The crew member will nod and say: “Lift slowly.” And you will bring up a creature that glows faintly in the LED light, its chromatophores flashing patterns you have never seen before.
What Makes Night Fishing on Halong Bay Different
Squid fishing on Halong Bay cruise happens in conditions that exist nowhere else in Southeast Asia’s tourism circuit. The sheltered bay — 1,969 limestone karsts acting as natural breakwaters — means the water is calm enough that you can see individual squid approaching your lure in the lit water below.
The Darkness Factor
At anchor in the bay at 9:00 PM, there is no light pollution. The ship’s LED lights create a circle of illuminated water approximately 15 meters in diameter. Beyond that circle: total darkness, broken only by distant anchor lights from other vessels and — on clear nights — more stars than most guests have seen in their lives.
My father was a fisherman here before he retired. He used kerosene lanterns hung over the side of his boat. The squid came to the orange glow the same way they come to our LEDs. He would say: “The squid are curious. They come to see what is happening. Some get caught. Most just come to look.”
I tell guests the same thing. Squid fishing on Halong Bay cruise is not about catching. It is about participating in something that has happened on this water for generations — the conversation between light and darkness, between patience and the sea.
🚢 Mike’s Bay Tip: If you want the best chance of catching squid, choose the rod position closest to the stern light — that is where the highest concentration gathers. But if you want the best experience, choose the position farthest from the crowd, where you can see the stars above and the lit water below simultaneously. The quiet edge is where the bay talks to you.
The Real Stars of Squid Fishing Night
I have managed squid fishing on Halong Bay cruise across three Cozy Bay ships — Classic, Boutique, and Grand — and the dynamic is always the same. The activity attracts four types of guests:
The Competitive Anglers take it seriously. They study the crew’s technique, adjust their jigging rhythm, and count catches. They are often the ones who catch the most.
The Social Fishers use the rod as a prop while talking to the person next to them. The railing at night, with LED-lit water glowing below and stars above, creates a conversational space that the bar and dinner table do not. Strangers become friends during squid fishing faster than at any other point on the cruise.
The Photographers focus more on the light effects than the fishing. The green-blue LED glow on water, squid silhouettes against the light, and the ship’s reflection create images that belong in galleries. I have seen professional photographers spend the entire session shooting the water and never touch a rod.
The Stargazers come for the sky, not the squid. They hold the rod loosely, eyes upward, watching for constellations and satellites. On clear nights, the Milky Way is visible from the stern — Sông Ngân Hà, we call it in Vietnamese: the Silver River. My mother says if you make a wish on the Silver River from a boat, the water carries it faster.
Squid Fishing Across the Cozy Bay Fleet
On Cozy Bay Classic — our old 9-cabin wooden junk — squid fishing happened from a tiny platform at the stern. Room for maybe six guests at a time. The wooden hull transmitted every ripple, so you could feel the squid swimming past before they took the lure. Intimate, cramped, charming.
On Boutique, the platform grew. Ten guests could fish simultaneously. The sundeck bar stayed open during fishing, so guests alternated between rod and cocktail. The problem: wooden hull meant more sway, and on windy nights, the LED lights would swing and scatter the squid.
On Grand, the 1st Deck stern platform accommodates all interested guests — typically 15-20 per night. The steel hull keeps the ship stable at anchor, so the LED lights project straight down without swinging. More light concentration means more plankton, which means more squid activity in the illuminated zone.
The trade-off is atmosphere. Classic’s creaking wood and swaying lights felt more authentic, more fisherman. Grand’s stable platform feels more like an organized activity. Both work. I prefer Classic’s chaos, but Grand’s results are better.
What Happens to the Squid You Catch
If you catch squid during squid fishing on Halong Bay cruise, the crew cleans them immediately. You have two options:
Option A: Morning preparation. Your squid is kept fresh overnight and prepared by Chef Tuấn for your Day 2 breakfast — grilled with lemongrass and chili, served alongside your phở. Guests who eat their own catch at breakfast invariably describe it as the best squid they have ever tasted. It is not. It is the same quality squid from the same water. But ownership changes flavor.
Option B: Release. Some guests prefer catch-and-release. The crew gently returns the squid to the water. This is completely fine and increasingly common, especially with younger guests.
| Catch Option | What Happens | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Keep & cook | Crew cleans, chef prepares for breakfast | Guests wanting the full experience |
| Release | Crew returns squid to water | Guests preferring catch-and-release |
| No catch | Still a great evening under the stars | Honestly, most guests |
Practical Details for Squid Fishing
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Time | ~8:30–10:00 PM, Day 1 of 2D1N cruise |
| Location | 1st Deck stern platform, Cozy Bay Grand |
| Equipment | All provided — rods, lures, LED lights |
| What to bring | Light jacket (evening breeze), phone for photos |
| Footwear | Deck shoes or sandals (deck can be wet) |
| Best months | April–September (warmer water, more squid activity) |
| Winter months | Squid fishing still runs Oct–March but success rate drops |
| Safety | Life rings and crew present at all times |
| Cost | Included in cruise fare ($139–$240/person) |
What Happens After the Rods Come Up
At 10:00 PM, the crew collects the rods and turns off the LED lights. The sudden darkness is startling — your eyes have adjusted to the glow, and when it disappears, the bay goes black. Then, slowly, the stars appear. More stars than the LED light allowed you to see.
This is the moment most guests remember. Not the fishing. Not the squid. The transition from artificial light to natural darkness, and the realization that the night sky above Halong Bay contains more visible stars than most city-dwellers have ever seen.
Some guests go to bed. Some stay on the sundeck with drinks. Some stand at the railing in silence, looking at water that is now dark and still and infinite.
My mother says the bay at night is the bay being honest. During the day, it shows you what it thinks you want to see — blue water, green karsts, golden light. At night, it just exists. Dark, quiet, old.
Squid fishing on Halong Bay cruise is the invitation to meet that honest version. The squid are a bonus.
See you on the bay. I’ll save you the good seat at the bar — yes, the manager still pours drinks here. — Mike 🌊
Internal links:
- Night activities on Halong Bay cruise →
- Complete 2D1N itinerary →
- Sunset dinner on Cozy Bay Grand →
- Cooking class on the sundeck →
- Sleeping on Halong Bay — what it is really like →
Related Guides
- 📖 Cozy Bay Grand Itinerary: Hour-by-Hour 2D1N Schedule
- 📖 Halong Bay Overnight Cruise Dinner Menu: What You’ll Eat on Cozy Bay Grand
- 📖 Kayaking from Cozy Bay Grand: Exploring Halong Bay’s Hidden Lagoons
- 📖 Christmas Cruise on Halong Bay: Celebrating Overnight at Sea
📌 Official resource: Ha Long Bay — UNESCO World Heritage Centre
