SydneyIsSkyBlue
-
Posts
92 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
2
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Gallery
Events
Fishing Tips, Advice and Articles
Blogs
Store
Posts posted by SydneyIsSkyBlue
-
-
7 hours ago, 61 crusher said:
).
I went out on Monday & got 6 green eyes, some bugger pinched 1 while I was fishing who didn’t have any luck, there were 4 of us squidding & 2 catching while I was cleaning mine the other guy lost count after 7 and they were still on when I left, you shouldn’t have gone overseas 😀, hopefully you get your mojo back soon
I'm back!
Got on to 3 this afternoon.
-
2
-
-
11 hours ago, raging said:
I got 10 on Saturday. They seem to be holding deeper than usual at the moment.
I'm squidding land based mate so that may explain a few things...
(Well at least that's what I'm hoping 😂)
-
I've had an absolute nightmare with squid the last 4-5 times I've gone out. Have come back with nothing every time and it's starting to get a little frustrating after going on a good run for a while.
Starting to think the trip overseas has killed all the momentum I had 😅
It's nice to hear fellow raiders are helping each other out though. Hopefully I'll get to bump into some of you out there one day!
-
Keen to hear others feedback on this who are more familiar with these areas. I was actually around the northern beaches today chasing squid and really struggled.
Lost 3 jigs at Fairlight beach and nothing at Collaroy beach off the rocks.
Also tried the Spit Bridge with no success.
-
8 hours ago, Rob81 said:
Some days I whip it hard, some days soft and others just gotta work it much slower. The action, colour & speed changes. Each time you're out, you will need to work out which is working and also depends on the conditions you are fishing.
I say this because there's been a few occasions where I have gone out, and a quick action in a green coloured squid had been very successful however the very next day in the almost the exact some conditions in the same locations it didn't work, turned out the brown jig in the same speed with a slightly less aggressive action was working best.
To work out the depth you just have to test. You must remember the faster the water moves, the longer it will take for your jig to hit the bottom.
Regarding how do you know you've got a strike, it's actually quiet difficult. I've only ever felt very few strikes, one time was obvious as it hit the jig very hard and took off (turned out to be a 32.5cm calamari), and others felt soft, but in most cases I didn't know I had a squid on until I started to retrieve, sometimes they may feel like snags (and you only know this when you see you've got a candle on your jig). Not always will you feel the pulsing of the squid and may feel like you've caught a ball of weed or something. So always treat every retrieve with load in case you do have a squid on.
Regarding slack line whilst being out, I'm not actually fussed about this. I don't mind the slack like but again depends on swell and speed of current as I wouldn't want to snag the line onto the rocks or other structures.
If you do snag, you can always whip your rod aggressively and there is a chance of retrieving your jig. doesn't always work, but increases you chances of getting your jig back. But again, all depends on conditions.
Also, if you want to be a little safer, you don't always have to drop it all the way to the bottom, sometimes they like the chase and will come for it mid water. They have very good eye site and can see from a distance. Sometimes I see it chase my jig at the very end when i decided that the cast wasn't all that great and wanted to recast.
Everyone starts somewhere and I guess when I first started squiding I had lots to learn and lost many jigs along the way. Hope this information helps, good luck with the hoods.
Thanks mate, really appreciate the detail. It's funny because I've caught myself a fair few calamari in recent months but I guess my initial question was generated on the basis of wanting to improve returns and thinking I was missing something when it came to the feel/lack of sight during my first night session where I felt there was a much greater reliance on feel. From what everyone has said, it seems to confirm that what I've labelled as "luck" is purely lifting the rod and setting the jig!
-
Glad you enjoyed it mate!
@61 crusher
-
3 hours ago, DerekD said:
Hi SSiB,
Believe we were discussing a squidding session one day. Offer is still open.
Most of my squid fishing is done with braid on a 2-4kg rod so if I strike the shock is taken up by the rod tip. As one or two people have mentioned above when the squid grabs the jig because they don't really have any hard body parts you generally won't feel the strike. My usual retrieval technique is short sharp flicks to get their attention followed by a pause to allow them to grab it the next set of flicks will hook them up. If they are really skittish then for anything less than a short sharp jab they can let go before you hook up. The time between the flicks is dictated by the area I am fishing (snags) and the sink rate of the jig I am using. Within reason the longer you can leave it the better chance you have of getting them. Just remember to watch behind the jig as it comes in close to see if they are hesitent but still following and interested. You have to then use small movements to keep them interested and time your flick when they have grabbed the jig.
Once in a while I notice the line straightening as the squid moves off with the jig and then the short sharp jab sets the jig. Currently with the exception of a few tubs of ice cream my freezer is packed with bags of squid from multiple sessions so to date it has worked for me. If you think you have been getting touches then check the tines for a very small ball of white from the cephlapod. Note that in some areas it may actually be cuttlefish grabbing the jig but with their smaller tentacles they are a little harder to hook up.
Regards,
Derek
Would definitely be keen Derek. Will be overseas for the next month but once I'm back I'd love to tee something up if you're free.
A lot of this makes sense and I feel I can relate to when squidding. It seems as though my retrieval technique may be a little be too aggressive (and probably too fast) as well as not really trying to gauge the depth I'm fishing.
-
Is there a way to estimate the depth of an area you're fishing if you're land based?
-
31 minutes ago, noelm said:
OH, and not too sure what you mean by "whip" the rod, I just use gentle kind of lifts, certainly nothing I would call a whip.
If you go to the 2 minute mark in this video, this is what I refer to when talking about the whipping motion
-
45 minutes ago, 61 crusher said:
Most squid tend to go for the jig on the drop hence why you’re hooking up when whipping the rod at other times on a very “sloooww” retrieve, mix it up. I’m land based & use braid if I’m winding slow I’ve got a slight bow in the line from the tip & occasionally surge or the bottom will straighten it out in which case move the rod tip slightly & if in doubt strike. The bottom tends to be a clunky in which case I give a bit of slack & lift, if feeling tension strike straight away to set hooks, not to hard though, at times they wil be aggressive and other times tentative with there candles which are soft & easly break if you strike to hard. At night time they can be higher in the water column especially around a light source. I find when they are shy & feel resistance they tend to drop it in which case let the jig drop down near the bottom & slowly wind, I’m no expert but this is what I’ve noticed, I still come home with zero at times
It seems that the common theme amongst you guys is that the very slow wind is important - I'm guessing for line tension? I tend to give the rod a number of whips and take the slack line then wait (occasionally take line slowly during this period).
-
52 minutes ago, Welster said:
I haven’t done much land based squidding there is probably other raiders more knowledgeable than me in that.
Are you quidding for green eye or arrow squid? What size jigs are you using? I’d think it would be harder to stay in touch with the lighter smaller jigs. I have some smaller ones but rarely use anything below 2.5.
Also depending on the length of your rod a 45 degree jig would represent a lot of movement at the jig. Maybe a “slow roll” retrieve and just a slight twitch would work better. By slow roll you should be thinking it’s too slow. Again this will depend on the water depth.
I'm always chasing green eyes and tend to use 3.0, but sometimes I'm going to 2.5 jigs if I'm mixing it up a bit.
I'm fishing with a 7 ft 6 rod (for further casting purposes being land based).
-
24 minutes ago, Welster said:
Are you fishing land based?
On the boat I can usually tell pretty accurately straight away if it is squid or weed. Sometimes that will be a rod sitting in the holder or one in my hand. I’m not sure quite what defines the difference but it definitely is a different feel, it must have something to do with the pulsing action of the squid or that on the take it pulls away. Even the rod action will pretty quickly give it away when I have others with me on the boat that aren’t familiar with squid fishing.
Anyway when you do have a squid on be sure to set the barbs into the squid rather that just let it hold onto the jig. Setting it doesn’t have to be a wild strike just firmly raising the rod against the squid.
Yeah mate - do all of my squidding land based at the moment.
I guess what I'm finding hard to distinguish is the tension of a squid as opposed to the current or dragging through the weeds.
Another thing I find is it's hard to keep significant tension on my line (find I'm constantly slowly winding to try and keep tension). Is this a drag issue or possibly the fact that I'm using primarily braid - more buoyant etc?
-
Hi Raiders,
A bit of a weird one here considering that I have caught myself a number of squid (all land based) over the last few months. However some how I feel like I tend to catch them by "luck" when I'm whipping the rod to impart movement on the jig rather than by feel.
I'd like to hear what you guys think regarding the "squid strike" or "bite". Those that do chase squid, are you actually feeling the strike or is it more of a visual thing for you (i.e.: watching the rod tip bend, line straighten etc)? For those that ask about technique, I tend to hold my rod down towards the water in the 8 o'clock position and whip from 8 to 11 with the occasional sideways whipping motion.
This was none more evident than last night during my first night squid session where the visual aspect was diminished due small amounts of light and not being able to see the rod tip meaning that I had to rely on what I perceive to be the feel. It produced one squid for the night but again, I put it down to being in the right place at the right time and lifting my rod just as the squid was on it. The thing that baffles me is I do think I felt some sort of weight on the line which convinced me that it was the right time to lift but then found it hard to separate that sensation to the tension on the jig when dragging through the weeds down the bottom. There were also numerous moments where I was letting the jig sink and felt increasing tension on the rod tip, yet I would wait 2-3 seconds to let it build then strike for no result.
I guess what I'm trying to ask in my usual long winded way is, can someone help me out with knowing when a squid is hanging on to your jig?
-
On 3/4/2019 at 10:12 PM, Hateanchors said:
Why do you soak them? Fresh caught squid has a taste and texture (awesome snap when you bite it) that you can’t beat anywhere.
Personal preference is to have them a bit more tender. I hear what you say on the textural component to fresh squid though.
-
@61 crusher This was just done on a normal BBQ but also really nice over charcoal if you're bothered with the extra bit of trouble!
Keen to hear what you think once you try it mate!
-
Thanks mate!
-
Very easy @61 crusher.
Once I've cleaned the squid, I soak it in milk for 24 hours or so (can also be kiwi fruit or any of the other things most people use to tenderise squid). Then open the hoods up and score them in a cross pattern, keep the tentacles for BBQing also. I then take them out of the milk and marinate them in extra virign olive oil, dried oregano leaves, grated fresh garlic and cracked pepper until ready to BBQ. The BBQ has to be super hot - I slap them on until they're slightly charred like the photo and then finish them with a squeeze of lemon, salt and a drizzle of olive oil. Hope you enjoy!
-
1
-
-
The end product! 👍
-
3
-
-
Thanks guys. Was a good few hours out there!
Got home late tonight so they'll be tomorrow's dinner now.
-
-
Hi Raiders,
It's been a while since I've been on here (and also a while since I could get near any water to throw a line in) but thought I'd provide my first report.
Headed down south today to the Hacking after having the afternoon off work and decided to chase some squid. Got down there just as the tide was starting to roll in, turned out to be some very windy and rainy conditions which wasn't anticipated given the forecast I'd read this morning. Casting straight into the wind for the first 10-15 minutes was proving a problem to get any sort of distance, so I moved around to try and get some shelter from the rocks and on my second cast the first one struck. The guy on the left of the photo measured a 25cm hood - thought I was snagged initially until it start to peel some line. From there on, things quieted down for about an hour before I got my second squid (the small one on the right).
The other two in the middle followed about 15 minutes later in quick succession with one of them coming out very angry and tried to paint my clothes black as soon as it hit the surface of the water and got close enough to see me. Had me questioning why I was wearing a white top (idiot!). The red jig seemed to really do the trick today!
Anyway, dinner sorted for tomorrow. Most likely going to quickly sear these guys on a super hot BBQ and cook them Greek-style. Olive oil, lemon, dried oregano and garlic!
-
8
-
-
Hi Raiders,
I'm heading down to Shellharbour for a few days with my girlfriend's family over the new year period and was just wondering if anyone could recommend some spots to try?
I'm also keen to target some squid so any recommendations on spots down that way within 10-15 min of Shellharbour would be awesome as I don't know how far they're going to want to travel.
All the best to everyone over the holiday period and hopefully I can come back with a few reports!
SSIB
-
Yep, dispatch them (obviously they immediately turn white) and then leaving them in a little bit of water in a bucket but changing that water every 15-20 min.
It's more the texture of the body that goes quite rubbery over the next hour rather than that typical soft fresh squid feeling.
-
Thanks mate - will try that!
Any ideas why the arrows react that way once dispatched?
Port Hacking Squid 24/4
in Fishing Reports
Posted · Edited by SydneyIsSkyBlue
Hi Raiders,
Had the afternoon off work today so decided to venture south and try to regain my mojo with squidding. Having worked very hard on trying to refine my technique and understand squidding over the past year or so I was finally starting to really get some results prior to leaving for a holiday to Japan about 6 weeks ago.
I returned 3 weeks ago (and having spent a fair bit on some more jigs - this stuff gets out of hand) only to find that my ability to catch squid seemed to have been left in Japan. Over the past 3 weeks, I'd ventured out for twice a week to solely target squid and have ended up with nothing apart from losing 6-7 of my new jigs to the rocks and kelp.
Alas, today I headed to the Hacking and as they say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, but expecting different results. I was really starting to get fed up with the situation and early doors it looked like it was just going to be another day. Tried my first spot (which had formerly produced a number of times) for about an hour and nothing so I thought I'd take my gear and have a little walk around to see what else was around. On my travels, I came across a designated fishing platform I guess you'd call it, which sat just over some kelp beds and thought it'd be a good spot to try. How wrong I was! Within 5 minutes the place got bombarded by about 10 people (in a space no wider than about 20-25m) so decided to pack up again as I wouldn't be able to fan my casts and I found myself a perfect little spot down on the rocks. Got the live search rattle jig out and within 10 minutes that feeling of hooking up which seemed so distant to me was back! I hooked up to the smaller squid (on the right) whose hood measured 20cm. From there, I had the wind in my sails and the other two followed in quick succession (26cm and 23cm hoods). All in all, it's great to finally have that confidence back - I was really starting to think it was me doing something wrong.