Squid strips

[will_l]

Hi,

So since I don't have a downrigger I don't think I'll be trolling to many baits, thus if I catch some live squid I'll probably cut them up and fish them dead. So my main question is, what is the way you are meant to strip squid? I know the rig for fishing live yakkas when not trolling but I think squid strips would be better then a live squid if you aren't trolling? Any pictures of how to strip squid and the presentation of it would be great.

Thanks a lot,

Will

[Harbour Hauler]

Hope some fishin gurus reply to this question coz i'd like to know.

[DerekD]

When fishing my experience has been that the kings have taken the strips over the larger sections of squid. Even though I think I am pretty good at it I find I work hard enough for my squid to want to get multiple baits out of it rather than put it out as a single bait.

At this time of night I don't feel like getting one of the frozen whole squid out of the fridge for a photo session so I hope what I write makes sense. Same technique for arrow, southern calamari and to a degree cuttlefish.

The underside/belly of the squid is the side where the nozzle for propulsion is.

Lay the squid on its belly. Reach directly behind the top of the head and just into the hood. You will find a piece of flesh which joins the hood to the head and runs at least half the length of the hood. With my index finger I sweep across this piece breaking as far back as I can reach into the hood. Grab the head with one hand and the hood with the other. Pull the head out. The ink sacks should come out with the head. There is at least one bait here and I sometimes split the head lengthways to get two baits.

Look at the wings. There is a little ridge joining the wing to the body. You should be able to dig a thumb nail into this ridge and then pull the wing away from the body. Repeat for the second wing. Cut these lengthwise into strips. There are at least three baits in each wing and maybe more depending on size of the wing.

On the upper half of the hood on the inside (where the hood joined the head) if you dig along the line of flesh and just under the skin you will feel something a little hard. This is the pen. It looks like a clear bit of plastic (see photo below). Dig around till you can grab it and pull it clear of the hood. Throw this bit away.

If you are going to eat the squid then you clean off the remaining skin on the outside and the little bit of gunk left inside the hood. If you are using it as bait then I run the knife along the line where I found the pen. I then open the hood out and lay it flat like a triangle. I can then cut my strips to the size I feel I need for the day.

Edited December 7, 2015 by DerekD

[mrsswordfisherman]

Very nice Derek and thank you for taking the time to post that

Members don't forget there is an articles section also http://www.fishraider.com.au/fishing-articles.php written by fr members

[will_l]

When fishing my experience has been that the kings have taken the strips over the larger sections of squid. Even though I think I am pretty good at it I find I work hard enough for my squid to want to get multiple baits out of it rather than put it out as a single bait.

At this time of night I don't feel like getting one of the frozen whole squid out of the fridge for a photo session so I hope what I write makes sense. Same technique for arrow, southern calamari and to a degree cuttlefish.

The underside/belly of the squid is the side where the nozzle for propulsion is.

Lay the squid on its belly. Reach directly behind the top of the head and just into the hood. You will find a piece of flesh which joins the hood to the head and runs at least half the length of the hood. With my index finger I sweep across this piece breaking as far back as I can reach into the hood. Grab the head with one hand and the hood with the other. Pull the head out. The ink sacks should come out with the head. There is at least one bait here and I sometimes split the head lengthways to get two baits.

Look at the wings. There is a little ridge joining the wing to the body. You should be able to dig a thumb nail into this ridge and then pull the wing away from the body. Repeat for the second wing. Cut these lengthwise into strips. There are at least three baits in each wing and maybe more depending on size of the wing.

On the upper half of the hood on the inside (where the hood joined the head) if you dig along the line of flesh and just under the skin you will feel something a little hard. This is the pen. It looks like a clear bit of plastic (see photo below). Dig around till you can grab it and pull it clear of the hood. Throw this bit away.

If you are going to eat the squid then you clean off the remaining skin on the outside and the little bit of gunk left inside the hood. If you are using it as bait then I run the knife along the line where I found the pen. I then open the hood out and lay it flat like a triangle. I can then cut my strips to the size I feel I need for the day.

Mate, thank you very much. Pretty much summed up everything I need to know. That was extremely helpful!

Will

[DerekD]

Hi Will,

Please let us know how the first attempt goes. It will only get easier with experience. At times I find the hardest thing is getting a good grip on the squid as they can be slippery buggers.

Even though they are dead there can be a bit of left over ink so think about where you prepare them.

[Harbour Hauler]

Thanks alot Derekd, helpfull info. One more question, how would you hook the squid strip?

[DerekD]

The size of the strip depends on which rod I am using at the time. On my snapper rods which I use to chase kings I will use a strip about 3cm wide by about 10cm long give or take. I use Gamakatsu circle hooks usually in a size 4/0 or 5/0 or a 6/0. I put the hook in about 1cm from the top turn it and put it back through the strip a little further down. Essentially I want the strip of squid to wave naturally in the water.

On my bream rod the strip is a little smaller and you'd be surprised at how many times a king has hit that. Unfortunately I lose that argument more often than I win it.

[Stimo1076]

_{Great write up Derek, well done.}

[will_l]

The size of the strip depends on which rod I am using at the time. On my snapper rods which I use to chase kings I will use a strip about 3cm wide by about 10cm long give or take. I use Gamakatsu circle hooks usually in a size 4/0 or 5/0 or a 6/0. I put the hook in about 1cm from the top turn it and put it back through the strip a little further down. Essentially I want the strip of squid to wave naturally in the water.

On my bream rod the strip is a little smaller and you'd be surprised at how many times a king has hit that. Unfortunately I lose that argument more often than I win it.

Derek, haven't been out unfortunately yet (been quite busy) but hoping to go out this Saturday. I heard of some people putting 2-4 strips on one hook at the same time. What are your thoughts on this? Is the extra bait you have to use worth the slight increase in a take?

[DerekD]

The following has had no extended scientific research and is based more on my personal experiences over the years. I fish primarily inside the heads. From Middle Harbour to Balmoral and North Head in my very small runabout and in the main harbour on my kayak. Others fishing off the coast of Sydney at the reefs and peaks may have different experiences.

Personally I don't see any advantage to put extra strips on the hook. I fish circle hooks and the extra mass may actually interfere with the setting of the hook. The extra bait might put a little more scent in the water and the extra dangling strips might get the attention of the kingfish a little better but you'd have to fish both methods side by side to see which is more successful. The rod holders on my boat are set up on the four corners of the boat. When I head out with a fishing mate we have four rods out with strip baits or squid heads on them and are fishing a light rod each with smaller strips. I find the single strips get hit a little more often than the head with tentacles. We have more strips out than heads so that is maybe not a fair test.

Something else I have seen a few times is when fishing for yellowtail with a piece of squid a king has come through and taken a piece of squid smaller than the fingernail on your pinkie. Also when fishing a whole squid there have been enough times when fish have taken just the head and left me with the hood and the hook - for that reason consider a snelled rig with a second hook in the head when fishing a whole squid.

It may be different with the 1m plus kings outside the heads but what I feel is a bigger bait doesn't mean more kings. For that reason I continue to fish single strips plus I get more baits out of a single squid which generally does result in more fish. I picked up 4 kings out of a smallish stripped squid last summer - better than 1 king out of the whole squid (unless it was the 1m plus which I still have to achieve).

[Rock&Beach]

Good info guys Thanks.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

[Twinfisher 4.9]

That is all good advice, I have hooked kings and lost kings whilst catching yakkas. But if you wan't a 1 m plus, you need a big bait. A 3kg bonito is just a snack to a big king.