Downrigging Squid Strips?

[kilp]

Hi all,

Boy its good to be back, inbetween work and family drama's I havent throw a line in for a VVVVVVVery long time. Hopefully now, I get back to my favorite pass time.

As always I turn to my fisho buddies for advise.

I am wanting to know how, do you troll on the downrigger a strip of squid? I have been on a charter with Peter Le blang and I cant recall, him using strips, we always downrigged whole live squid with a two hook sliding snell. which I know how to do, but not the single strip

Do you feed the squid strip thru the hook like you do a prawn or just at the tip of the strip on the narrow (pointy end) ? The reason why I ask is 1 , when your low on squid you can have more runs by cutting it into strips, 2 maybe strips do better than whole live squids at times?

The other thing is that I was wanting to hit Loog reef, The Peak and perhaps Newport Reef. these places are between 50 to 100 meters of water. A friend of mine told me to use my downrigger when I go there and try to find the fish, the only problem I have with this is that its so hard to lower and raise a manual downrigger constantly.

I was thinking to sound them out on my sounder and then drop the line over to the ideal depth.

Does anyone recommend a particular method ? I would be intrested to know who has done what and which one seems to be more effective.

Sorry for the lond spill, like I said its great to be back , I have alot of fishing to make up for.

thanks

kilp

[The Poacher]

Hi Kilp.

You pin the strips once through the end only. Leave a long tail waggling. With the down rigger - its a matter of preference. If its windy you may need to use the rigger as your drift wouldn't allow you to get a live bait down. We often just rubber band an 8 ounce snapper lead to the main line. If the fish are showing at 50 metres or less, I would use the down rigger.

Hope that helps.

Poacher

[Piss'n'Broke]

hehehheh if your like othere raiders I know you use your downrigger at anchor if your a lazy @#$tard or the current is riippping. The kingys inside are taking both strips and whole squiddies alike with absolute gusto. This morning I hear a lovely ZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz over the phone mid-call to greg followed by,,,,sH@#, F@#%,, beep, beep, dial tone,,,, love those double hookups

Dan

PS, trim ur squid strip so it resembes a squid with tentacles, and hook on a 2 hook rig, as you would a whole squid

Edited November 30, 2007 by Dan and Greg

[jewgaffer]

Hi kilp

With squid strips I still use the two hook set up except I add a second strip to the bottom hook so the strip will be longer and will freely trail away.

You can do that as though you are only using one hook but you get a bonus of a second hook and the benefit of a longer bait which can be cut much narrower than usual, which as a long worm like bait, can often be more effective and thin long strips cut in this manner help if your short of squid.

Remember to scrape off the skin with your fingernails to release more panic odour from under the skin which is also a squid's camoflauge and this also make it more attractive and more visible being white.

You can work downriggers to find the depth of the kings and to beat the size limits its often worth a troll in the perimeter well away from the bird activity or in habitual spots where there is no bird activity and no baitfish.

It seems larger kingfish may have a different comfort depth on a particular day or in a particular season and schools may tolerate feeding in the baitfish zone better, remembering that kingfish frequent the deep ocean as well and the young ones feeding first has been said to be a commune thing by commercial fishermen.

Cheers

jewgaffer

[kilp]

thanks for the advise fellas, I really appreciate this. Just out of curiosity, during summer do the kingies still hang around the reefs outside or do the majority come inside the harbour and bays? I know this may be a silly question but just thought I'd ask

Cheers

kilp

[Nolongeramember]

All good info....Ill just add that when using strips, use non offset hooks to stop the bait spinning like a helicopter and looking unnatural. While trolling, test it out in the water first before lowering to make sure it doesnt spin...

[the1murph]

Hey mate with the strips I used to use the double hook rig on the stips like Peter does with the whole squid and I used to get the Kingys that way but lately have been ditching the treble and using one big gun single hook and keeping the reel on free spool and a large belly in the line off the downrigger, this way it gives the strip a more natural apperence and gives the fish a chance to eat the bait before setting the hook

Jack