Winter Squid

[mushtaka]

Hey everyone, over summer and Autumn i was catching heaps of squid. Lately i have found it very hard to find them at all. Do squid go off the bite in winter? Do squid go off the bite after a lot of rain? I hope they come back soon.

I fish mostly Pitt Water if that helps with some detail. Has anyone else been catching them there?

Mushtaka

[zephi]

winter is when the squid are big and aggressive! You're just looking at the wrong spots at the wrong time. Oh they're sometimes deeper too

[mushtaka]

winter is when the squid are big and aggressive! You're just looking at the wrong spots at the wrong time. Oh they're sometimes deeper too

Ive been down once a week for the last 2 months but not luck.

I have visited all the usual spots that have held them in the past.

I wonder with all the rain we have had they have gone out to deeper water??????

[slinkymalinky]

G'day Mushtaka,

Definitely fish in deeper water in winter mate. Use a bigger jig too.

Cheers, Slinky

[framedtrash]

deep water is the key

lure them in with live baits once they attack your live bait

do the old switch a roo to a big squid jig

we had some monsters attacking our livies last weekend off broken bay

some of the biggest squid i have ever seen pulling 2-3kg of drag off my reel

[Mercer007]

The squid there and they are monsters.

I'll probably go this afternoon for a flick.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, salt n pepper squid....

[FishCQ]

Couple of guys pulling a few up at Kiama blowhole off the exposed side when i was there on sunday afternoon. Good size as well.

[zephi]

The rain does tend to push the squid away from the shores and shallows. Which is why they congregate in deeper waters. Squids are also harder to find when the water is murky.

When fishing in unfamiliar territory I always will use livebait first. If it gets hit by a squid then start using squid jigs.

[stylo]

The water needs to be clear and not be a windy day. Can't remember ever catching a squid on a windy day or when the water was murky.

I also use scent on jigs. Day or night has not really and neither has the tide, suprisingly. Was always told that high tide was the time - I can confidently say that's rubbish. As long as the area is kelpy squid will be there.

I have found that the squid in colder weather are bigger and more aggressive - so much so that they are chasing and ruining my plastics (hint - fishing heaving jg heads on the bottom). I agree with the suggestions above to use slightly bigger jigs - but mix it up.

The fact there there are no squid where you are squidding for the past few weeks could mean that other people may have been squidding at your spot and taken most of the squid from the area .. well, that's what I tell myself when I go home empty handed lol. But don't despair, the squid will return. Also try other spots that are nearby that look like good spots for squidding. Try spotting these areas during low tide.

[mushtaka]

Thanks for all your help everyone!

I think they have headed out because of all the fresh water/rain. The water is clear though?????

There is heaps of kelp and im casting in to about 4m of water in some spots.

I fish land base along Pitt Water so i can't get out to the deeper water.

Hopefully they will head back soon.

I might give some of that scent a try and use bigger jigs.

Thanks again!

Mushtaka

Edited June 23, 2010 by mushtaka

[zephi]

Thanks for all your help everyone!

I think they have headed out because of all the fresh water/rain. The water is clear though?????

There is heaps of kelp and im casting in to about 4m of water in some spots.

I fish land base along Pitt Water so i can't get out to the deeper water.

Hopefully they will head back soon.

I might give some of that scent a try and use bigger jigs.

Thanks again!

Mushtaka

I find that when the water is too crystal clear, the squid are more timid and tend to avoid hitting jigs. Even using livebaits, when you bring them close, they tend to let go even before you see them.

We've had luck catching squid in murky water during bright days. As for clear water, probably best to have overcast, and/or fish dawn/dusk.

Do you see any livebaits around that area? They wouldn't want to be around where there's no food around.

Landbased wise stick with the smaller jigs (1.8-2.5) and probably get some squid attractant spray. I'm assuming that spot would get quite popular at times. Same thing applies though, just throw a livebait out weightless on a hook and hope a squid comes and grabs it, and if you're lucky you might even hook up to a nice fish as a by-catch.

[mushtaka]

I find that when the water is too crystal clear, the squid are more timid and tend to avoid hitting jigs. Even using livebaits, when you bring them close, they tend to let go even before you see them.

We've had luck catching squid in murky water during bright days. As for clear water, probably best to have overcast, and/or fish dawn/dusk.

Do you see any livebaits around that area? They wouldn't want to be around where there's no food around.

Landbased wise stick with the smaller jigs (1.8-2.5) and probably get some squid attractant spray. I'm assuming that spot would get quite popular at times. Same thing applies though, just throw a livebait out weightless on a hook and hope a squid comes and grabs it, and if you're lucky you might even hook up to a nice fish as a by-catch.

Hey Zephi, yeah there are heaps of live bait around, mostly mullet and Yackas are at one spot. I fish with 2.5gm Jig Yozuri, mostly orange or green. I Might throw out a Poddy mullet on another line while i use the Jig. It just seems really strange that they were there all through out summer (even when most people are out fishing for them) and now when winter hits they are all gone. I fish for them after dark about 8pm onwards.

I will keep you posted on how i go next week mate.

[zephi]

Hey Zephi, yeah there are heaps of live bait around, mostly mullet and Yackas are at one spot. I fish with 2.5gm Jig Yozuri, mostly orange or green. I Might throw out a Poddy mullet on another line while i use the Jig. It just seems really strange that they were there all through out summer (even when most people are out fishing for them) and now when winter hits they are all gone. I fish for them after dark about 8pm onwards.

I will keep you posted on how i go next week mate.

Don't use mullets, I find yakkas one of the best baits for enticing squid. Both squid and yakkas live down deep, so it's like a natural food for them.. whereas mullets are more pelagic and squid hardly target them. You will find that livebaited mullet will swim on the surface, and yakkas go deep. (very important for squid).

I'm not too sure mate as to why they're not there. But definitely the smaller ones don't hang around like they do in summer. Try one day fishing there at about 6am, and fish as the sun rises. In one of my spots, it fires during that time, from sunrise to when the sun hits the water (from about 6:30 - 8:30am).

Don't take the info I'm going to say next seriously as it could be incorrect, these are just my hypothesis. The larger ones prefer to live down deep, possibly to avoid strong currents?? (not sure about this one), to avoid runoff and for safety. Also they are breeding so they would want to find a nice safe area to lay their eggs. Squid are also territorial when breeding, so some squid should move into that area you're fishing in sooner or later... Could be other people have fished it out already. They will pretty much hit anything that goes past them (this is true from what I've seen).

[mushtaka]

Don't use mullets, I find yakkas one of the best baits for enticing squid. Both squid and yakkas live down deep, so it's like a natural food for them.. whereas mullets are more pelagic and squid hardly target them. You will find that livebaited mullet will swim on the surface, and yakkas go deep. (very important for squid).

I'm not too sure mate as to why they're not there. But definitely the smaller ones don't hang around like they do in summer. Try one day fishing there at about 6am, and fish as the sun rises. In one of my spots, it fires during that time, from sunrise to when the sun hits the water (from about 6:30 - 8:30am).

Don't take the info I'm going to say next seriously as it could be incorrect, these are just my hypothesis. The larger ones prefer to live down deep, possibly to avoid strong currents?? (not sure about this one), to avoid runoff and for safety. Also they are breeding so they would want to find a nice safe area to lay their eggs. Squid are also territorial when breeding, so some squid should move into that area you're fishing in sooner or later... Could be other people have fished it out already. They will pretty much hit anything that goes past them (this is true from what I've seen).

Thanks Zephi, sounds good. Thanks for all your help!

I don't think it's over fished as i haven't seen many people out being winter. There are usually heaps of people out on Pitt Water when it's summer.

I will let you know how i go.

Mushtaka

[bharris]

Been getting them down in the hacking on 2.5 pink yozuris nice size ones to some small arorrows mixed in an plenty of cuttelys 2 but they are down deep.try around near bass and flinders or around the pool near shelly beach.

Ben