Float fishing for squid?

[kiwicraig]

Hey Raiders,

I read today about a technique for squid involving suspending a squid jig ~ 2m below a float. The book said this was especially effective from the rocks, but I was wondering if it would also work leaving a squid jig rigged that way in the rod holder while drifting in a boat for other species? Has anyone tried this? Any tips or advice?

Squid seems to be one of the species I only find when I am not looking for them... Would love to be better at finding and catching them. If this works it could be a good way to find when the squid hang near my current fishing spots.

Cheers,

Craig

[Killer1979]

I am no squid expert Craig but when I was younger and fished off the Lorne pier a lot we used to do exactly that. Float about 2 or 3 metres above the jig and just leave the rod while we actively fished for other species. Always caught heaps of squid! I think it depends on the depth of the water, you probably want the jig about 1 metre above the weeds.

Cheers

Al

[Killer1979]

Yeah the orange and white ones.

[kiwicraig]

Thanks all - will have to give it a try.

[Welster]

I have thought about this too. Possibly even with a baited squid spike. I often pull up a squid on bait only to lose it when it lets go near the boat. If I leave the bait in the water I sometimes can do the switch if I have a rod rigged with a jig.

Oddly it is often in areas I wouldn't target squid. And I haven't had much success throwing in a jig after that, so I guess they are just passing through and take an interest in the bait.

I think for the float to work you would want a reasonably constant water depth with the jig set about a metre above. Would you use a paternoster type set up below the float or just the jig?

The float should keep them under tension when you hook up making it hard for them to get slack line to escape as well.

[Killer1979]

I used to just put a swivel above the float and nothing between float and jig. It means the jig comes up to the float when you wind it in making it more manageable but the swivel stops the squid from being able to just take off with the jig as it gets the resistance from the float. Only problem with this is a set depth. Off a pier it's fine but drifting in a boat would present some challenges.

[Welster]

Kiwicraig what system do you fish in?

So maybe a sliding stopper knot, float and straight through to jig is the go.

[Guest Guest123456789]

What you're saying works from ocean rocks. A baited squid spike has been more effective for me than squid jigs. You need deep water though otherwise the picker fish mangle your pillie. Salting helps too.

I think estuary might not work as you don't have swell to add movement to the jig/bait.

Go as deep as you can cast.

You need to get the wind and tide just right as well as current to be able to set it up and fish with second rod. If the float isn't pulling directly away from you you will need to recast often. Because of this, I often find I can only fish one rod, and because of this I ditched floats and just cast, it's easier.

[kiwicraig]

Kiwicraig what system do you fish in?

So maybe a sliding stopper knot, float and straight through to jig is the go.

Hi welst - I fish mostly in Brisbane Water, sometimes Hawkesbury.

A stopper knot is what I was thinking - I'll give it a go if the rain ever stops!

Craig

[campr]

I have successfully used a float for squid, but found it better when using a squid spike and bait.