Your squid gear.
Hey all squidder's.
Im making this post so that people that are getting into squidding can read this and get an idea of the gear you use and which jigs to choose.
What rods and reels do you guys use for catching squid?
Im currently using a Egi Force Type C with a Diawa E-GEE eging reel with 8lb Sunline Super PE.
What are your top 10 favourite jigs colours and sizes?
Mine are:
1. 3.0 Pink/Brown Harimitsu
2. 3.0 Pink Harimitsu
3. 3.0 Yamashit Glow
4. 2.5 Evergreen Brown with red belly
5. 2.2 Yamashita Naory Pink Glow
6. 3.0/2.5 Shimano White Keimura Egixile
7. 3.25 Yo-Zuri Flashdancers in the Red, Pink and Orange
8. 2.5/3.0 Yo-Zuri Aces most colours Pink/Purple is a stand out for me
9. 3.0 Yamashita Q live Browny Red
10. 3.0 Evergreen Herring sort of colour with a hint of Green
This is a list of what i normaly use first and if nothing ill chose one of my other colours and sizes. My top brands at the moment are Harimitsu and the Yamashita's that glow as i do alot of night squidding.
What technique do you use?
Landbased.
My prefered technique most of the time is to cast the jig out as far as i can into weedbeds then let it sink. I'll count my jig down 10-15seconds and see if it feels like it deep enough if not give it longer. Its all about the feel and how close you think you are to the bottom. If the jig hits the bottom next cast ill take a couple of seconds off and try again untill i have the depth and sink rate right for the area but remeber to change it if you change jigs as they will sink differently to the last. ( if different brand)
After i have given it some sink time i will raise my rod slightly to see if i've got a squid on the drop if not i'll rip the rod up and down whilst winding 3 or 4 times and let it sink for another 5 or so seconds. ( again all about the sink rates and depth). I'll then repeat this untill i have a squid or im back at the rocks/jetty. If nothing ill do the same retireive a few more times casting into different area's then i'll try a slower retrive with 2 flicks then let it sink and so on. If i haven't caught one with in 5-6 cast for each technique i'll change jigs and try again. I give one area on the rocks/ jetty 3-4 jigs changes then move on up or down to find more weedbeds and hopefully squid. I normal give each spot a few hours before moving but if im getting a few squid here and there i'll stay for several 3-4 hours hopefully getting a feed. The most important thing about Landbased squidding behind the good jigs and being able to cast far is letting your jigs sink down low because you will get far more success. I've witnessed on several accounts people winding there jigs near the surface and not getting anything then i'll let it sink down and bang squid.
Also with the jigs its important to get the jig size right. Most of the time i squid with a 3.0 then ill change it around if im getting snagged or if im not getting down low enough. The jigs that i carry landbased are mostly 3.0 and 2.5s and i also have a few ( 10 or so) 3.5s in case its deep.
Boat based.
Boat squididng is easyer then landbased as you get the option to move from spot to spot quickly and your more then likely to find the squid easyer then landbased. For boat squidding i like the depths between 2-10m's with 4-5 my prefered depth. You can get squid deeper but it is harder to fish those depths but not imposible. Yamashita have released a nose weight that allows you to fish deeper areas with your smaller jigs their called Yamashita DD's and come in three different sizes. The only down side is the price, 12 dollars for 2 or 3 but handy if you have deep water spots. I havent used them as yet but in the coming months ill be trying them out and seeing how they go.
Boat squidding in shallower water can be as easy as throwing your jig out behind the boat and putting it in the rod holder waiting for the rod to load up. This technique does work pretty good but i find that if you work one jig and have another rod sitting in the rod holder your more likely to find squid. When fishing in the boat i use my flicky that is very light and use a light drag that sits in the rod holder and around 6'6, i only use this out fit as i havn't got a shorter squidding rod yet but soon i will. I then have my Egi Force to use as a casting out fit as the added length allows me to cover more ground while drifting. I find this rod a pleasure to use both landbased and on the boat exept its a little long to be fishing out of a tinny with.
When im casting around while drifting you use the same technique as you would landbased but you have to allow for more sink time. I cast up wind while drifting as it covers the ground in front of me and if any squid chases my jig in under the boat and i dont see and cast again the jig drifting out the back will normaly catch it. I use 3.0, 3.5s while fishing in the boat and will be trying out the nose weights in deeper water soon. When drifting around and you catch a couple of squid mark it on your GPS or remember where it is and do another drift as the normaly swim in schools and you can sometime get your limit from one spot.
I hope this has helped anyone out that is thinking about giving squidding ago. Its a lot of fun and very rewarding when you get use to it and i'll be bring home a feed in no time.
The bag limit for squid is 15 per person and a boat limit of 30 if two or more people are on the boat with a fishing licence.
I'm looking foward to what you guys use for squidding and what you think about your set up.
Cheers Danno.
P.s. if you dont think spending all this money on squidding when you can catch then on a handline, or you cant justify having a squidding rod and reel or you think it's all a big marketing scheme dont comment as this thread as this thread is to help people out and find out what the other FW members use and rate.
gt4me
Posts: 7
Date Joined: 09/06/11
about a month ago i was one
about a month ago i was one of those people who thought egi rods and reels etc were just a gimmick. then i went for a squid only session a few weeks ago. and got hooked.
Just purchased a samurai egi rod and a stradic ci4 2500 spooled up with 8lb berkley egi braid. looking forward to breaking it in during the comp on the weekend! but its light as a feather and im sure its going to be a great combo! will double it up as a shore based lure throwing combo aswell.
Jig wise. you cant really go past yamashita. had a session down the south mole a couple of weeks back. 30 odd people around and my mate and i seemed to be the only ones catching.
But some of my faves are the shimano egixile pearl 3.0, yamashita live in a natural prawn colour, a yozuri that has a baby squid pattern, and a naory in the pilchard glow colour.
Skullabunny
Posts: 4
Date Joined: 05/03/11
Ever Green Egi
Hey Danno
Is this the colour you are talking about? The olive sugi on this page.
http://www.mrtojotackle.com.au/index.php?cPath=5_14
TonyT
Posts: 501
Date Joined: 09/07/10
thats alot of good info there
thats alot of good info there Danno, good on you for sharing mate.
LuckyBoy
Posts: 41
Date Joined: 10/11/10
Easy
I have a kids rod and reel that i bought for $29
and a couple of $2 jigs 1 blue 1 pink
Never had a problem catching them.
danno
Posts: 1676
Date Joined: 12/07/09
Have you squidded landbased?
Have you squidded landbased? It's harder to get them on cheap jigs, same in the boat you'll get more out of an expensive one.
Howard George
Posts: 544
Date Joined: 10/03/11
Squidding in a boat
When I'm squidding in the bay i float a couple of fish with a big hook through them out the back of the boat and drift across the weed and when the squid attach themselves to the bait i gently pull them in. when they let go i quickly pull the lines out of the water and throw in a pencil jig with either a mullie or a gardie on it and usually catch what i'm after.I do much the same on the jetty.
miss-jo and co
Posts: 7
Date Joined: 15/06/11
still nothing
i have all kinds of jigs, no squid! i think i was the piston not firing, thanks for all that information! : ) look out squid.
Goodz
Posts: 2332
Date Joined: 20/07/09
Good bit of info there
Good bit of info there danno, I'm sure that will help a few people looking to get into the egi stlyes!
I currently use a Shimano Jewel 2-4kg with a Stradic Ci4 2500 with some purple PE 1 japanese jigging braid for my squidding.
Love any hot pink 3.0 jig in the good brands and rarely will change my jig until I lose it, currently using a Yozuri Aruie-Q which enticed a good 20 squid on Weds arvo. Also like the whites and orange jigs.
My technique is usually just to cast behind the boat if we have a decant drift and let it sink to the bottom before giving it a couple quick lifts and letting it drop back, occasionally winding a little line in. Find that I usually get hit right before doing the next few lifts, as the jig is near the bottom. Also if anyone else hooks a squid I will always wind it quickly and cast out behind theirs as you'll quite often catch another trailing the hooked one. As danno said, mark the spot where you hook up a few as you'll always get more there too, on the day.
I like to squid on the edge of the weed banks, especially when they drop into deep water. Preferred depth to actually squid in is around 4-5m.
Squiding.... great fun!
danno
Posts: 1676
Date Joined: 12/07/09
I was hoping to help a few
I was hoping to help a few people out that are getting into squidding so it looks like i have.
An other question i was going to ask was how many jigs do you guys carry for one outing? and how do you guys store them?
I carry 40-50 and have a bum bag that i wear and also a leg bag. I carry my 3m egi gaff, leader, iki spikes, camera, 3-4 cases for the jigs, and a hat that has lights in it. When i work out how to upload pics in a post ill up load them.
Squidding is awsome fun but its dam expensive lol.
Howard Geogre- The techniques is a great way to attract squid to your boat and your part of the jetty, switch baiting isnt used that much but is pretty affective for the bigger more aggressive squid.
Goodz
Posts: 2332
Date Joined: 20/07/09
Since I only squid from my
Since I only squid from my boat, usually bring 2 jigs per person.... so maybe 4-6... lol. stored in my tackle box! You have to show us a photo of you all suited up.
danno
Posts: 1676
Date Joined: 12/07/09
Haha 6 in a boat thats when
Haha 6 in a boat thats when i would carry more because of the room ahaha. I carry like 5kgs of extra weight while squidding haha.
Do you know how to upload pics in posts? if not ill suit up now and put a picture in my gallery haha.
MattMiller
Posts: 4171
Date Joined: 15/06/09
Not sure
your assesment of the popularity of switchbaiting.
It's probably the most common and effective way of targeting them from the Busso jetty
But i'm sure you already know that.
danno
Posts: 1676
Date Joined: 12/07/09
I've heard about it but i
I've heard about it but i preffer to use just the artifical jigs, baits are cheating right? lol
MattMiller
Posts: 4171
Date Joined: 15/06/09
Well put it this way
yeah jigs are good but they seem to attract the small to mid sized squid in the area.
The day I see that you've beat your pb and put up a pic up of a nice 55cm Hood on here you'll convince me otherwise
danno
Posts: 1676
Date Joined: 12/07/09
I'll get there one day mate,
I'll get there one day mate, i have confidence in the jigs to get big squid. But you prefer the baits each to their own right? Im planning on a week long trip down there after bali and going squidding every morning and every night to get some of those big ones. Have they moved in yer mate?
MattMiller
Posts: 4171
Date Joined: 15/06/09
Not sure
being layed up for a few weeks has me out of the loops in regards to the jetty.
Judging by what i saw this arvo and the rain/wind we're getting now (30kn NW) the bay will look like a giant choc milk for a while.
Perfect Mulloway weather
danno
Posts: 1676
Date Joined: 12/07/09
Hopefully in a few weeks it
Hopefully in a few weeks it there should be some clear weather and some big squid cruisen around. Then when im down have a friendly comp? baits vs jigs? i should have my other gaff by then as well a 5m on so i dont loss any more big ones due to bad hook ups and people trying to steal my squid of my jigs lol.
MattMiller
Posts: 4171
Date Joined: 15/06/09
Honestly mate,
in a few weeks HOPEFULLY i'll be back at work and/or doing something good with my time like fishing for Dhuies or getting barrelled
danno
Posts: 1676
Date Joined: 12/07/09
Ok fair enough what ever you
Ok fair enough what ever you like catching/doing with your time and money right.
MattMiller
Posts: 4171
Date Joined: 15/06/09
Yeah mate,
enjoy your squidding while you can mate. Life has a habit of getting in the way of the things we enjoy
Shorty
Posts: 1549
Date Joined: 10/05/08
I have an old handline and a
I have an old handline and a $2 jig and i am going to kill the other yakkers at the Calamri Classic
What pees me off tho people saying its squidding,,those folks are a couple tentalces short of a cuttlefish,it Eging and have been for over 400 years in Japan,,it sound fancier as well
Great informtive thread i will give a few thoughts after the classic as i am doing a 360 and changing totally the way i squid and trying out some new jigs as well,so i will have a better idea of the direction of my Eging then but Harmitsus,youzuris and Shimano kieura in white size 2.5 have put a few rings on the dinner plate for me,,Pink, orange and green are handy colours,,
Dicey
Posts: 912
Date Joined: 23/07/10
Squid with similar
Squid with similar techniques but mix it up alot, have a really fast paced aggressive style and 90% of the time only using yamashita and in the pink colour lost 2 jigs so far but each jig has caught at least 50 squid my 3rd one is batter and torn but caught over 80-100 squid, not so much a collector of jigs am more brand loyal.
eziliving
Posts: 880
Date Joined: 30/12/09
top post danno. i do all my
top post danno. i do all my squiding from a boat and pretty much fish the around the same depth as most that have commented and use the same technic as yourself. the other guys i go with generally do the slow retrive all the time and we get mix results with who gets the most. if the going gets a bit slow we troll for them to try and find where they are. this some time works sometimes doesnt.
Get busy living, or get busy dying!
beau
Posts: 4107
Date Joined: 24/01/10
40-50 jigs flamin' heck! I
40-50 jigs flamin' heck! I use 2 jigs, 3.0 Harimitsu in Pink and 2.5 YoZuri in Orange. I generally like the shallower spots, around 2-5m and if i have a decent drift speed i just cast out, let it sink for around 5 secs then one or two slow pulls and then let sink until the slack line goes tight then do it all over again. I usually dont have to wind the reel at all until im onto a squid.
Thinking abuot getting one of those Live jigs tho..