Squid Jigging

[Cheech]

Any hints? Got myself a couple of Jigs and plan on chasing some bait on Saturday around dusk. From what I have picked up, from a boat (not a jetty) I should be looking at 2 - 6 metres water with a bit of weed or similar structure.

Cast out and slow retrieve with a few jigs, and then cast out and do a constant retrieve.

Then when you feel a weight, just keep a constant weight so they don't get off.

Is that about it?

I know you need light to attract them but what do I do with it? shine it near the boat? Shine it where the jig is? Where? Is a sharp beam better or is a broad light beam better.

Cheech

[Maria]

Cheech,

I've found in the past that using a really bright light tends to spook them. Using a soft, dull light tends to bring them in a bit more.

Also, at your local tackle shop or servo that sells fishing gear, get yourself a few packets of those little chemical snap lights. They have a wee little piece of plastic tubing that goes over the end of the light stick quite nicely. The aim of the exercise is the thread your line through the tube, then push the light stick into the tube to get a nice snug fit...thus pinching your line in there. Hope that makes sense.

Set that up about 20cm above where your jig is tied on. This also helps to attract them.

Yes, weed beds are the go. I've found best results in places where there is a channel with edges that have weed. Casting along the channel edge worked quite nicely. However, anywhere where there's weed cover should work. I also found just cast and retrieve with a few jigs and twitches in between. Then yes, as you said...keep the pressure on when you feel the weight.

Hope this helps.

Ben

[kingmad]

Cheech,

Squid are not too hard to catch but sometimes you do haveto change your Jig. I had a squid follow 3of my jiggs andnot even touch it as soon as I changed the jig wamoo. It took it straight away. I usaually change them quite often if I am chasing squid. JIgg for 2 min. then change and so on. I don't know if everyone does this and probably some people will call me crazy but it works for me. [smiley=hammer.gif]

[smerl]

I've heard that there are some spots along Moreton near the big sandhills that produce a few squid at this time of year. Hopefully someone can give more details of the best spots. Wouldn't mind chasing a few myself sometime soon. Might be a good option for a day when it's too windy to get outside and the girl wants to go fishing.

[webby]

HI, Dull light is better, just hang over the side of boat, i use a doulbe fluro or a super cheap spottie, little chook pellets to attract the bait.
Just a light rod and line or handline, no weight as the jigs are weighted. yozuri or the big razorbacks are best with more prongs.
Cast to the edge of the light shadows, let it sink and then retreive with a stop go motion.
When you do hook one, and theres a few around, leave the hooked squid in the water, as sometime more will come to investigate, so have another jig ready. and dont be too anxious to get it onboard, or you could find yourself wearing it, use a net and hold them up for a few seconds to let them shoot, then bring them aboard,as they need that water to make them ink guns work.
The nth bays off mud hold squid, the weed bed along moreton, rainbow channel and the weed beds south of dunwich.
Where coming into the best time for squid (winter) better quality.
Have a read of next months B & B.
regards

[vertico]

squid , i caught 14 one night from the Gunn Jetty down at the manly boat harbour at night with a yo zuri razor back jig

[NeilD]

I have found that a brighter light works best for me. I currently use a 240v portaflood and this usually brings in the bait and everything else follows including the squid. A 12v flouro works OK but not as good as the floodlight. Last time I tried in Jan over at Myora I picked up over 40 one evening. I use small pink Razorbacks and Yozuris most of the time but if they are around and not striking change jigs. Don't even think about the cheapies as they do not work anywhere as well as the brand names for some reason. With the bright light you have to finesse the squid as they are quite wary. I normally use no retrieve and use the rod tip to flick the jig. If a squid comes close, I jerk the jig away and they usually hit it as soon as it stops again. Alternatly casting to the edge of the light and retrieving in short bursts works well.
During the day I prefer to use the old fashioned metal spike type jig with a pilly on it.
Squid turn up all year round but I have caught my larger ones in Winter. Any area with clear water and close to structure such as weedbeds or reef should work.
Good Luck.

Cheers Neil

[Fisherman02]

hey mate
i went squid jigging quite a lot a while back at sandgate and met up with a hardened squid jigger and he reckons pink yo-zuris are the way to go. If you would like to fish the lazy way (hey works for me!) then use a paternoser type set up i.e squid jig at the end of the line then go up say 30cm put another one, put about 3-4 jigs on the one line then attach a chemical light stick (the same way as ben said using the tube) about 30cm above that one and free spool it down to where u can just see the light. Obviously it works better in deeper water. You need a really light rod as it is even more critical in this type of fishing to be able to detect when the squid is pulling on the jigs. Make sure the different jigs are different colours! When i get my licence i will be doing a lot more squidding so if you are keen keep in contact
cheers jack

[stark]

My way is the easy way. Just hang a light above the current of a channel edge and use a dip net when thay come in range. Takes a while to spot them, but once in range they are pretty easy to net.

Cheers
John

[stark]

Was out to Green Island overnight and the place was filthy with squid in schools (if school is the right word for it).

Anyway hauled up about 30-40 using a bait fish and lifting streight onto the cleaning board. They dropped off when their tail touched the board. Also many dropped off back into the water before lifting aboard, but grabbed on again as soon as the bait hit the water. Average size was about 140mm for the tube without the head.

The light was four 20 watt floros (warm white colour) which light my aft deck and spill onto the water.

I guess a cast net would have cleaned up-except it would be a bugger to get them out of the net-ink everywhere- My casting is somewhat inept, in fact bloddy awful.

Anyway had fun with feeding the sharks with the squid-including 4 bust-offs, 2 without even lifting the rod and two from the fish using the hull and or anchor to break the line.

Cheers
John

[Dug]

is a school of squid a squadron?