Squid help

[BDbrooker]

Hi everyone, long time reader of the forum but first time posting.

I'm a fairly average fisho, although I've been fishing most of my life. I moved to the sutherland shire 2 years ago and only fish out of the Port Hacking these days.

I regularly read Yowies posts in awe. The fish he consistently catches amazes me. 

I've never cracked the hacking code, however last summer landed some cracking whiting. I have a 4.2m tinny I fish out of and launch at Grays Point. 

I'm looking for some advice regarding squid. I've never caught one and have recently been putting in the hours trying, but have not been successful. 

The places I've tried are, out near jibbon, salmon haul, lilli Pilli baths.

I'm not after people's secret spots, Just more of a general how to from someone with a bit of experience. E.g. what size, colour jig works best, are time of day, tides important? Slow retrieve, fast retrieve? Lots of jigging ect? 

Any help would be greatly appreciated. 

Many thanks, 

BD

 

[DerekD]

Head to the articles section in the Library of the Forum.

Here is one to get you started:

 

[onearmedfisho]

mate the tides dont matter for squid but they are easier to getearly morning or late arvo but you can still definitely catch them all throughout the day. I prefer 3.5 size jigs in the natural colours. I use the Yamashita Live jigs and my favourite colours are blue, purple, silver and gold. You can get them all the way along from the point near the marker at the nth end of jibbon beach all the way along towards the bommie. Salmon haul bay used to produce bit its a bit hit and miss these days. 

Hope this helps.

[campr]

Ive found the top half of tide best for Salmon haul.  Any reasonable fresh seams to chase the calamari out of the Port but doesn't affect the river (arrow) squid.  If you set up a posternoster rig with 2 small 1.8 to 2.5 jiggs and set this down near the bottom whenever your drifting, you will be surprised where you catch arrow squid and the occasional calamari. Ron 

[BDbrooker]

Thanks for all the info. I'll be heading out one day next week to try my luck again. Cheers

[Welster]

I mostly use 2.5 to 3.5 jig size but occasionally go smaller.    Jibbon is as good a starting point as any.  
 

One method would be to work around the fringes casting mostly towards the headlands and maybe leave another rod drifting a jig in the rod holder.   Make sure you are getting down near the weed and kelp if you aren’t getting snagged occasionally your jig isn’t in the zone.  For this reason I tend to up the leader size to at least 12lb sometimes 20.  It doesn’t seem to phase them at all.   I have caught squid using 50lb brightly coloured braid straight to the jig.  
 

The other method I use is drifting using two or three rods and just alternating each one giving a lift.   You need to keep an idea of depth and sink rates or you will get more snags.   Using this method I’d work my favourite jig more often so that it is less likely to get snagged and maybe a cheap one on the other ( they work too).   You can also drift with one rod and use the other to cast ahead of the drift. 
 

As I said earlier it’s important to get into the zone.  If the boat is drifting to fast I use a sea anchor ( I haven’t got an electric), in deeper water I use a small running sinker running down to the jig.  Or sometimes a combination of the two.  
 

I don’t target them much further inside the Hacking very often but you do see the arrows swimming around on the surface at night.  I have netted them sometimes.    I often squid outside as well.  If you are over patchy ground or get snagged on kelp it’s as good as spot as any other. 
 

My favourite jigs are Harimitsu brand but I have plenty of the others and cheapies too.   I don’t worry about the colour choice to much I just get a few out there and if something works for a few I might switch some others to something similar.   I just keep changing things until I find them then target that spot.

It pays to have a rod or a mate if your not solo with a jig ready in case there are followers.  Keep your eyes open with good sunnies and if you see one following  you can hold the other  there for a bit and cast to his mate. 
 

When one takes the jig don’t strike hard but do lift the rod in a short firm fashion.  I am usually thinking the squid has hold of my jig but I need to get the barbs into its tentacles so it doesn’t just let go.  If the squid has any size to it you will feel the pulsing motion.  Don’t pump and wind but just wind in steady.  The idea is to not give it any slack line so that it can release itself, the flex in the rod tip helps here as well. 

It pays to dedicate a day to squid fishing when learning so that you have to persist. I hope that helps shoot me a pm if I can help any more. 

A couple of more things don’t worry about time of day, or tides.  A very slow retrieve with a few small rod lifts is more likely to keep the jig in the zone.  If I have the heavier set up for deep water ( I have squid fished to about 30 many deeper I’d probably use a paternoster) and move back into the shallower water I am more active on the jig so it doesn’t get snagged and as I drift deeper I slow down to make sure it’s getting down.  I’m trying to imagine where my jig is in the water column to get in the zone.  Squid mostly seem to take it in the drop so pauses are important. 

They are there...
 

Edited November 21, 2020 by Welster

[BDbrooker]

Thanks so much mate. Heaps of good info @Welster

Edited November 21, 2020 by BDbrooker