Frozen Squid Jewfish

[M_o_o_s_e]

Hey folks, I'm very new to the world of jewfish fishing (and being Canadian, surf/tide based fishing is a bit foreign to me) and have a few questions and would greatly appreciate some help with:

1) I've read people saying they catch squid and put them in ziplock bags and freeze them, then use at a later date. Would there not be little difference between that and using the Fiesta del mar or Angel's gate frozen squid? I mean, there's nutritional information on the box so I would assume technically they are fit for human consumption, so, still good for the fish. Or is there a detail I'm not aware of that makes these baits less attractive? The one and only jewfish I've caught (tiny btw) was on a half angel's gate squid on the Hawkesbury 🤷‍♂️

2) Still, I'm trying to learn how to catch squid (have tried Malabar and Yarra Bay) with still a goose egg on the board, but once I do, how long would I be able to keep them 'fresh' and usable as bait without freezing them? I'd like to get an aerator for my bucket and would try and keep them alive for next day, but on the chance they don't make it through the day/night would you still use? Or good enough to dispatch them and pop in the fridge overnight as long as they don't touch fresh water?

3) How long would you recommend keeping squid on the line before changing? Is there a good indicator the squid has had it and it would be time to put on a new one?

4) I've been hitting Maroubra a few times in the past few weeks (20min drive for me, lots of room on the beach) and fishing the gutters on the run in tide. Do you guys fish the gutters that run parallel to the beach or the rip that runs straight out to the open ocean?

Thanks in advance for any help!!

[kingie chaser]

Welcome to the forum moose,

Ive seen a few moose up close in Canada & the Usa in my travels! 

This forum is just like a resource library, just use the search bar or just have a look around.

Some things that might interest you-

 

 

 

 

And these recent reports-

 

 

Good luck.

[Rebel]

Welcome aboard.

You have come to the right place for fishing.

[campr]

You see sqid in shops that have a thin point on the end of tube.  Do not use these for bait (wouldn't eat either ) as they have a preservative and I think they come from China.   Never had any luck with these and when I had a saltwater fish tank my fish would run away from it and hide and visibly shake with fear of it until I took it out of the tank.  I know of heaps of jew that was caught on Californian squid.  I freeze small squid whole and all my heads in vac bags and am carefull not to let them make contact with fresh water.   Ron 

[Couta]

Hi Moose,

I have fished Maroubra Beach a lot over the years. It's generally not a very productive beach. I find that if there is any sort of swell, there is a strong rip. Bigger the swell, stronger the rip. If the swell is dead, so is the beach. I would fish in the gutters, there's usually a couple. You will do best if the gutters are deep, deeper the better. Main species are the usual beach species - tailor, salmon, sometimes bream and flathead. Jewfish are unlikely. I have caught whiting in the early mornings this time of year. Good luck but like I said, it's not a very productive beach. I think the gutters don't get developed enough and the constant rip is a real pain.

[M_o_o_s_e]

20 minutes ago, Couta said:

Hi Moose,

I have fished Maroubra Beach a lot over the years. It's generally not a very productive beach. I find that if there is any sort of swell, there is a strong rip. Bigger the swell, stronger the rip. If the swell is dead, so is the beach. I would fish in the gutters, there's usually a couple. You will do best if the gutters are deep, deeper the better. Main species are the usual beach species - tailor, salmon, sometimes bream and flathead. Jewfish are unlikely. I have caught whiting in the early mornings this time of year. Good luck but like I said, it's not a very productive beach. I think the gutters don't get developed enough and the constant rip is a real pain.

Thanks Couta - I've caught some salmon and flathead there as well as a shovel nose last night, so at least I'm not getting skunked. Is there another beach in the vicinity you think fishes better? 

[Restyle]

6 hours ago, M_o_o_s_e said:

Hey folks, I'm very new to the world of jewfish fishing (and being Canadian, surf/tide based fishing is a bit foreign to me) and have a few questions and would greatly appreciate some help with:

1) I've read people saying they catch squid and put them in ziplock bags and freeze them, then use at a later date. Would there not be little difference between that and using the Fiesta del mar or Angel's gate frozen squid? I mean, there's nutritional information on the box so I would assume technically they are fit for human consumption, so, still good for the fish. Or is there a detail I'm not aware of that makes these baits less attractive? The one and only jewfish I've caught (tiny btw) was on a half angel's gate squid on the Hawkesbury 🤷‍♂️

2) Still, I'm trying to learn how to catch squid (have tried Malabar and Yarra Bay) with still a goose egg on the board, but once I do, how long would I be able to keep them 'fresh' and usable as bait without freezing them? I'd like to get an aerator for my bucket and would try and keep them alive for next day, but on the chance they don't make it through the day/night would you still use? Or good enough to dispatch them and pop in the fridge overnight as long as they don't touch fresh water?

3) How long would you recommend keeping squid on the line before changing? Is there a good indicator the squid has had it and it would be time to put on a new one?

4) I've been hitting Maroubra a few times in the past few weeks (20min drive for me, lots of room on the beach) and fishing the gutters on the run in tide. Do you guys fish the gutters that run parallel to the beach or the rip that runs straight out to the open ocean?

Thanks in advance for any help!!

A good way to spot fresh squid is their colour, pinkish squid have gone off. I prefer using whole smaller squid known as lollipops and I catch them myself, although most bait shops sell them for around 35-40$/kg. if the squid not too pink looking is  generally fine

putting fresh squid in a ziplock bag and rolling the bag up to let their air out helps abit too & I usually put 2 per bag to keep it consistent as ill usually use 4 squid a trip. Keeping squid alive in a bucket overnight is basically impossible.

as for squid on the line, leave it on till its gone or badly chewed up 

If you'd like to have a read from my quest of catching jewies ill link the post below as I've had good success using the methods I've listed in it 

 

[SaltyGreek]

I’ve personally have had more success with squid that’s been kept cool in a fridge after it’s been caught. I don’t do this for long though I’ve only kept them in a fridge for maximum 10 hours. But couple day old frozen squid will still work as long as the squid is still white and not pinkish. 

Edited January 20, 2022 by SaltyGreek

[DerekD]

On 1/20/2022 at 11:59 AM, M_o_o_s_e said:

1) I've read people saying they catch squid and put them in ziplock bags and freeze them, then use at a later date. Would there not be little difference between that and using the Fiesta del mar or Angel's gate frozen squid?

2) How long would I be able to keep them 'fresh' and usable as bait without freezing them? 

3) How long would you recommend keeping squid on the line before changing? Is there a good indicator the squid has had it and it would be time to put on a new one?

Thanks in advance for any help!!

Hi Moose.

1. Nothing stopping you from using shop bought squid if it looks fresh. I see stuff in the store which is either very pinkish (think pale English tourist cooked in the sun) or slightly purple. If it is this colour you would have to pay me to take it and I'd only use it for my witches hats to chase blue swimmer crabs (they seem to luv it). I haven't had an issue to date freezing squid I've caught myself and then using it weeks or even several months later if the colour looks right. Why pay money for something I can usually catch for myself plus I enjoy the process of catching squid. As a bonus I know how it has been handled.

2. The challenge with keeping them fresh is ensuring they don't cook in the sun. Keep them in a bucket with a lid and change out the water during the day. This works for both live and dead squid. I find the squid are hard to keep live without proper aeration and change out of water. I usually catch squid in the morning during a fishing session and then at the end of the day they are still in good enough condition for me to freeze them for the next session. If I catch squid for a fishing session the next day or two I will still ziplock them but put them in the fridge rather than the freezer.

3. Leave them on the line till something happens (taken by a big fish) or they get eaten by the pickers. In depth of water you are probably fishing they won't be cooking in the sun which is your biggest obstacle to keeping them fresh.

[Couta]

22 hours ago, M_o_o_s_e said:

Thanks Couta - I've caught some salmon and flathead there as well as a shovel nose last night, so at least I'm not getting skunked. Is there another beach in the vicinity you think fishes better? 

As a general rule, the bigger the beach the better your chances. Bigger beaches tend to have more space for gutters to develop. I haven't fished any other beaches in Sydney, but I would recommend Cronulla or one of the larger northern beaches like Narrabeen (bit of a drive though). By the way, you will catch lots of shovel nose and the odd ray. 

[Dan1979]

Fresh is best as the golden rule.

Have caught jew on "bought" squid, however most of both mine and my brother Greg's jew's come on live yakka's or slimies.

If the squid is pink, dont touch it. Otherwise look at the eyes, thats a tell tale sign of how fresh the squid is.

 

Dan

[M_o_o_s_e]

On 1/22/2022 at 3:26 PM, Dan1979 said:

If the squid is pink, dont touch it. Otherwise look at the eyes, thats a tell tale sign of how fresh the squid is.

Thanks! Out of curiosity, what about the eyes is a dead giveaway they're not fresh?

[Restyle]

3 hours ago, M_o_o_s_e said:

Thanks! Out of curiosity, what about the eyes is a dead giveaway they're not fresh?

fresh calamari still have colour in their eyes and they are clear, older squid have more cloudy and sometimes colourless eyes. Its generally easier to tell by looking if the squid has a pinkish hue to it though

[M_o_o_s_e]

3 hours ago, Restyle said:

fresh calamari still have colour in their eyes and they are clear, older squid have more cloudy and sometimes colourless eyes. Its generally easier to tell by looking if the squid has a pinkish hue to it though

This is mega helpful! Thanks everyone, this all clears up so many of my questions

[Dan1979]

If they are southern calamari they dont call them green eyes for nothing 😉

 

Dan