Squidding - I need help !
Hey All,
So from reading on these forums & elsewhere, it seems squid are a bit of a bycatch around here, and can be plucked out any time you want.
So I decided to give this a real go, not doing my normal fishing and focussing only on squid, in cockburn sound. I only caught a squid once before, off a jetty many years ago.
I'm normally a lazy fisherman, put the bait in, sit on your arse, contemplate the world ! But I was committed ! I have a light spin rod & a packet of squid jigs.
Anyway, left at 11 am, drifting around Henderson sheds for about about 2 hours, nothing. The went over to garden island, and did a good 4 to 5 hours of casting my jig and trying lots of different grass beds, nothing !
I was casting the lure, then pulling it in by letting it drop, then pulling it up, then winding in the slack while its dropping. Over and Over again and again. Trying different speeds etc.
I was thinking maybe there's just no squid, or bad time of day or something. But, in the last hour or so the sun was coming down, so I could see in the water quite clearly. Every njow and then, the squid & cuttlefish were grabbing the lure I was casting, and then letting it go as they pleased.
The 4 or 5 times I managed to snag one, they fought a bit, and got away.
I also had a rod in a holder with a jig dangling in the water, while I was casting, a few times I seen cuttlefish go up & grab it the dangling lure, then change their mind and just swim away freely.
What am I doing wrong ??
Frustrating day, lots of effort, and nothing to show for it.
avatinni
Posts: 141
Date Joined: 06/06/10
I went out to Cockburn this
I went out to Cockburn this arvo for a squid and managed 9 and 3 cuttlefish in just a couple of hrs but had to change my jigs a few times to I found a colour that works , today it was bright yellow that did the damage.
smidsy
Posts: 35
Date Joined: 09/12/15
Cool ! What jigs are you
Cool ! What jigs are you using ? Just normal ones or expensive ones ? They seemed to like pink & green where I was.
More importantly, what technique do you use ?
little johnny
Posts: 5329
Date Joined: 04/12/11
White exile jigs 2.5
For Cockburn . 10 to 12 feet . Can't miss down the island. Not huge squid but easy pickings
Son of tomcat
Posts: 81
Date Joined: 04/09/12
Hi mate pm sent
Hi mate pm sent
Moist and Salty
Posts: 102
Date Joined: 28/10/14
Are the jigs decent quality?
Are the jigs decent quality? Could be that the barbs aren't penetrating, especially if there's slack in the line. Constant tension is really important on the retrieve.
Also try downsizing the jig to minimise the chance of teh body being grabbed and not the barbs
avatinni
Posts: 141
Date Joined: 06/06/10
Mate I use the better
Mate I use the better quality jigs as I believe they out catch the cheap ones and I use 2.5-3.0 in 5-6 mtrs of water
Sulo
Posts: 256
Date Joined: 13/08/11
When they grab the jig you
When they grab the jig you need to give it a nice short sharp jerk to ensure the barbs are in the squid, a lot of times they will just grab a hold and not be hooked only to let it go at the boat and swim off. Adfusting your drag to allow line to go out with light pressure will also stop the old ripping off the tentacles if you happen to jerk a bit too hard.
Swompa
Posts: 3783
Date Joined: 14/10/12
out of my last 4 trips out I
out of my last 4 trips out I have landed 1 squid which was about the size of the jig. Using the same gear in the same places that we would fill a bucket.
Its not just you.
Jackfrost80
Posts: 8048
Date Joined: 07/05/12
Same here. I can never manage
Same here. I can never manage to get more than a few squid but always seem to get huge ones, maybe I need to dial down the size as all of mine are Harimitsu 3-3.5 which I bought for max casting when I was only landbased.
The best day I've had was just near South Beach with a 16 knot SE blowing and casting ahead of the boat with the sea anchor out.
Officially off the Pies bandwagon
Curndog
Posts: 441
Date Joined: 21/11/16
Yo zuri or yamashita
I believe the quality of squid jig makes a big difference, the same as fresh self caught bait makes a difference for fish. I always use yo zuri or yamashita and 9 times out of 10 a 3.5. Catches plenty of squid in waters between 5-12 metres (from experience) just adjust the amount of line u let out depending on drift. Although i do carry a couple of size 3 just incase there's hard any drift. Often will catch squid when your jig is on the drop. Pull them up every 5-10 mins and re cast/drop. Need to be near the bottom and over broken weed/sand to get them. Which u already know. As another memember commented carry lots of colours because what catches best changes from day to day. Good luck I'm sure you will get plenty
Happy Hooker
Posts: 307
Date Joined: 12/11/08
Cheapo jigs work for me on boat.
Appreciate totally that some people use high end gear / jigs for squidding, I get weird looks when I tell people I just spent $800 on 14ft custom LB assassin rod purely for DHI cliffs...So I am not knocking anyone around what they spend !!
I never pay more than $5 for a jig , generally use the Jarvis Walker cheapos or whatever and bulk buy when I can get on special ( ie 5 jigs for $10).Rods around 6ft ( again el cheapo 2-4kg Jarvis Walker or whatever get on sale at boat/camping/fishing shows for $20 ) together with reel and that's nothing special either,generally I go with something like 5 ball bearing . Line around 4lb.
Technique...paternoster rig with small 1oz sinker on bottom and around 400mm long line,jig tied with 300mm 10lb line.
Follow Curndog advice... I put Sea anchor out depending on wind and drift speed , drop over side of boat, put in rod holder, make sure its on bottom as you drift, sit back and listen to radio as party pies and sausage rolls cook.Usually in around 4 to 8 m depths over weedbank and broken sandy ground..
When hook up , slow wind in so they don't come off.Amazing how many squid chase the one you have on your line up too. If it drops off , drop down straight away , catch plently like that. I also find that if I rub any ink on jig, seems to attract them to jig, not sure why ....but hey works for me . I always come home with a dozen or so after a morning session.
Change colours if nothing is happening as this can make a difference pending if cloudy , sunny , clarity of water.. one day pink cleans up another it may be blue or orange. For me size isn't issue , I use 3.5 mostly and the small squid aren't afraid of them.
Ush
Posts: 196
Date Joined: 04/04/14
regarding retrieve - don't be
regarding retrieve - don't be too hasty trying to retrieve the jig back to the boat. After 2 to 3 fast jigs of the rod tip let the jig suspend further for another 5-15 seconds depending on the speed of the drift. Its normally as you begin to jig the rod tip after the pause where you'll find a nice bend in the rod. Cheers
Got keen?
andym
Posts: 80
Date Joined: 28/09/06
Im the lazy type , put out 3
Im the lazy type , put out 3 rods in rod holders,let the rocking drifting boat do the work ,different colours and weights as long as they don't snag too often , best most productive jigs are a large tiger pattern in white with brown stripes ,must just have a good sink rate as it outfishes all my others .
Set a light drag and wait for the ratchet god fun for the kids .
Will have to invest in a few more as im down to 1 of my favourite pattern .
Cheers Andy
straith
Posts: 396
Date Joined: 25/11/13
Checkout youtube
Search squid in cockburn sound.
Should find a few vids.
One i liked was a steve correia one and they all use handlines.
Actually try searching "local legends" too. Some really good tips for lots of different types of fishing. All wa based.
Oh btw ive had the same big bastard old pink tiger stripe jig for literally a decade or more and it always outfishes the newer yo zuri bla bla rigs.
Couldnt tell you why. Dont really care coz it works.
Good luck.
smidsy
Posts: 35
Date Joined: 09/12/15
Hey All,I havent had net
Hey All,
I havent had net access for a couple of days.
Some really good advice here ! Thanks everyone !
I'm really starting to think that its my squid jig, I was using these ones www.ebay.com.au/p/
Its the razorback type, with the spikes on the back. Maybe I should give it another go this weekend with a proper jig.
Busted Arse
Posts: 253
Date Joined: 02/07/10
Caught more squid on
Caught more squid on razorbacks then the more exxi $$$ ones.
Sam57
Posts: 104
Date Joined: 17/08/14
Just to add to others great
Just to add to others great comments, I usually put a float with a different color out the back when drifting set to be close to bottom or if catching whiting put small one on spike type jig.
smidsy
Posts: 35
Date Joined: 09/12/15
My new weapons !Pity I missed
My new weapons !
Pity I missed the 2 for 1 special in BCF this week
smidsy
Posts: 35
Date Joined: 09/12/15
By the way, do people cast a
By the way, do people cast a squid lure, and work it back to the boat, like a normal lure, or simple drop over the side and wait & watch?
Anyfishwilldo (not verified)
Posts: 23
Date Joined: 01/01/70
I have some dropped over the
I have some dropped over the side on hand line while I cast and retrieve one to the boat.
Squid also react well to burley, when they are a bit slow throw over a onion/scaling bag with a few handfuls of cut up mulie. The squid will literally come up to the surface! You then simply drop your jig infront of them and hey presto...
Dale
Posts: 7930
Date Joined: 13/09/05
I cast them
"Just because you are a Character, Doesn't mean you have Character."
Mr Wolf
smidsy
Posts: 35
Date Joined: 09/12/15
Turns out it was the jigs !
Turns out it was the jigs ! :)
Mostly caught on this..., (which was a last minute purchase on my way home Friday)
Thanks everyone for the advice ! I think the difference was a combination of squid lure, and technique ! The lure helped me hook up, and technique thought me how not to lose it !
crasny1
Posts: 6986
Date Joined: 16/10/08
How the hell did you do that??
I mostly use the jig that's inside the packet!!!!!
:-)!
"I would like to die on Mars. Just not on impact!!" _ Elon Musk
daze out
Posts: 75
Date Joined: 07/09/11
Well done!
This is what makes this site so great.
Questions freely answered and the results posted with thanks.
Congrats Smidsy on cracking the code and well done to everyone who helped him on his way
Auslobster
Posts: 1901
Date Joined: 03/05/08
Empty packet?
Well I'VE been doing it wrong, then!
crasny1
Posts: 6986
Date Joined: 16/10/08
Sorry Aus
I posted my humour before reading down. LOL
"I would like to die on Mars. Just not on impact!!" _ Elon Musk
Curndog
Posts: 441
Date Joined: 21/11/16
Good work smidsy
Good work smidsy
I believe that was a yamashita jig that did most the catching
smidsy
Posts: 35
Date Joined: 09/12/15
Yep, the Egixile & Krakenegi
Yep, the Egixile & Krakenegi caught one each. But the yamashita seemed irrestible to the squid. It was dangling off the side and out fishing the casted Egixile.
It was also out fishing in both daylight & dark.
My mate was using a krakenegi, and only got 1 of the above, that was in daylight.
This was the jig.....
Dale
Posts: 7930
Date Joined: 13/09/05
$22 for a squid jig? You gotta be joking.
"Just because you are a Character, Doesn't mean you have Character."
Mr Wolf
Curndog
Posts: 441
Date Joined: 21/11/16
$22 haha
What's wrong with $22 for a squid jig? Oh wait I already know.... u buy $5 squid jigs and there just as good because you still catch squid. Just like my mate who always comes out with me and I outcatch him every time because he's a tight arse!hahahaha
Dale
Posts: 7930
Date Joined: 13/09/05
I've had my jigs for nearly 20 years, different colours, different sizes and weights. It depends on what time of day, whether it's cloudy or clear, whether the squids are hungry or if their are sitting back and a little bit frightened. I have lures that cover all of that. But I don't go out and try for as many as I can, I just catch what I need. And I didn't pay much for them.
"Just because you are a Character, Doesn't mean you have Character."
Mr Wolf
avatinni
Posts: 141
Date Joined: 06/06/10
Great work on the squid
Great work on the squid Also I put a small dob of araldite on the jig coating that the squid damaged.
ranmar850
Posts: 2702
Date Joined: 12/08/12
Funny as
Squid are a funny subject. The greatest laugh is to be had with expensive "egi" rods and such. Any light rod and little threadline will do exactly the same job. My favorite is a 2-4kg 9 footer which I bought for garfish, remaindered on special at a tackle show. Because it can chuck a jig a mile from the boat. We are fishing in very clear, shallow water, and they do keep their distance. If you look back only a couple of years ago, on this forum, all the squid whisperers were using dark lures. The wisdom was dark lures. The Lumo UV ones became available. Were going well over east. I tried them when the squid whisperers were saying they didn't work here. ( this up north, not Perth metro) Cleaned up. Then I see the same squid whisperers saying they were the goods. The only reason they weren't catching over here was that they weren't using them.
. We've got all colours in our tackle box for when we stuff around inside the reef at Ningaloo catching them, they all work, everything from the biggest horrible pink/green thing down to a 2.5 lumo, or dark red. They just seem to work on different days, and there is no pattern to it I can discern. Our biggest problem is longtom biting them off.
smidsy
Posts: 35
Date Joined: 09/12/15
On rod costs, I paid
On rod costs, I paid $2.50(was a clearing out) in kmart for the rod & reel I was using, its mainly a bait rod, feathers and the like.
I have other rods, but on my 3 rods I had going, it just happend that this jig was on my Kmart special, and was sitting in the rod holder, out catching my casted jig.
I dont think the rod matters, as long as it can flick the jig a bit. Land based though I'd say it would help a bit.
stumpie
Posts: 155
Date Joined: 22/07/15
We were out around the
We were out around the woodmans point area chasing some squid early Sunday morning and managed to get only 1 squid. We were using a variety of jigs (yamashitas & the cheapos) and colours in 2-5m of water but it was hard going.
Any body had better luck on Sunday?