Steve-o

Is this a joke? You're against oil and coal? If you don't use any oil and coal in your life, such as a car, a recreational boat, electricity from the grid, and food from the store that uses oil and gas for logistics and storage, then I applaud you for doing something you believe in. However, if you still take advantage of these things and just want them somewhere where they don't impact your leisure activities, or are looking to pat yourself on the back and feel warm and fuzzy, then you are really selfish and elitist and a stain on the human race.

Yeah I did some arrow squid rings side by side with the southern calamari rings. Cleaned them both with lots of water a couple of hours after catching them, left them in the fridge until the next morning then cooked them up the same. There is definitely a noticeable difference, the squid has a very very mild flavour, the calamari has something else to it. I don't think it's an issue with the squid as you use your breading and sauces with it, but the calamari flavour leaves an impression on you and lingers, if I had heaps of it I might be unable to eat my fill as it is a rich flavour. That's just my experience though. Calamari tasted great but I only had a little bit of it.

There is definitely a different taste. The squid is very mild and the calamari has a stronger flavour. Not sure which is better, the calamari might be too rich if you have a lot of it. The squid doesn't leave that impression.

I got my first calamari last night. I'm going to prepare it identical to the squid and see what the hype is about.

Mine still tasted good. Can you give me a tip on the coating you used?

Thanks just had a read then.

Pepper turned the flour brown. Or maybe I cooked it too hot.

My first ever squid. New rod, new reel, special Japanese squid fishing line and buyers remorse.

Caught my first seven squid today. All on the Shimano egixile red head keimura 2.5. Tried about six colours for three hours, moved spots, straight away caught one every cast on this jig, went home. Now for some deep frying and flat cola.

There are MASSIVE blackfish that live at the Gunnamatta Bay baths jetty. On the northern most point you can find, right at your feet, there are three that live there, each longer than your forearm. They're not a school and they are kind of like pets, but if you're hungry you're hungry.

Just went and had a quick flick near Bass and Flinders Point, working north to south along the rocks casting over weed beds. Only gave it an hour before I gave up, but no follows or strikes. Hope to give it a better go another day. Maybe around dusk or dawn or after dark. Had no issues casting to apogee/loss of momentum so I'm wondering about what I'm going to get out of that new rod. I'm thinking of putting an Okuma Epixor reel on it. The price is right, and it will match the rod. I've bought those expensive Shimano reels before, back when soft plastics were taking off for Bream, maybe 15 years ago, and really, I don't know what the difference is supposed to be between that an a mid range rig. I don't notice anything, maybe a bit smoother and the infinite anti reverse feels fancy. But performance wise I'm not getting anything out of it.

Sydney ferries are a really hard industry to crack. I did end up working as a deckie for a little while but not on a fishing boat.

Thanks guys. Yeah I'm using a cheap shimano spin combo with braid and fluro leader down to a small ball bearing snap swivel. I think the drag is set at 2kg and the braid is rated at I forget but maybe 12lb? It's just a little whippy bream rod. I did go a bit nuts and buy a Okuma Epixor egi rod yesterday and will give it a go when I get a reel to suit it. Might go for a walk today and see how I go.

When I first left school I tried to get a job as a deckhand on a fishing boat. There used to be two or three ads a week on the jobsearch.gov.au website, but that website doesn't exist anymore. Most of the ones I went for were departing the Wollongong area for two or three weeks at sea one week shore leave. Occasionally you would see jobs departing Darwin or Broome. I never ended up getting a start and I got one call back. Maybe I applied for ten jobs? The same ones would reappear every week.

Alright thanks for the help I'm heading out next week daily until I get sick of it or classes start, whichever comes first.

I've got every day free until classes resume in March. I'm gonna give it a go myself if no one comes through but if I'm not catching anything it would be good to know if I was doing it wrong or if it was bad luck on the day. Might try off the Esplanade too.

I don't know about trapping them, but when I see puffers and want to catch some for a giggle, I always have success using a small bit of prawn on a tiny hook under a float. I find the puffers swim only a metre or two below the surface and so you don't need to set the float very low. You can even keep recatching the same puffer as they don't seem to get shy. Hope this helps.

Thanks Ron.

Sounds like you'll have no problems planing at speed.

Hey guys. I semi recently moved to Cronulla. I've hit most of the local spots.... except Salmon Haul Bay. All the squidders, including the Yamashita guy on YouTube when he did his Australian visit, look to be hitting Salmon Haul Reserve / Bass and Flinders Point when they have their Port Hacking / Hacking River squid adventures at secret spots. I thought if it was good enough for the advertising company to hit up when they visit Australia from Japan, it must be a good spot. I remember some locals telling me it was a gun spot for squid, and at the time thinking, I can just buy bait it's easier. In the last week I've spent $160 on Yamashitas and Egixile jigs and about $30 on some cheap glow in the dark ones. If anyone wants to show me how to get a feed of Southern Calamari let me know and I'll tag along. I want to buy the Egi stick and whatever but first I want to see if I struggle with a cheap spinning combo. I think I've used a squid jig once in my life for five minutes. I've also gone off and got a spotlight for night time, as a few weeks ago I saw some guys draw in some calamari off a weed bed. You could see them swim right up and sit off the side in the weed bed. Laters.