Building a squid light

[boyzie]

hey guys can anyone help me build a squid light i'm keen to start using live squi for bait but have no idea how to build a squid light can you's post a pic or give me some kinda idea of how to make one....thanks !!!

[Duyz72]

Never done it myself but there have been a few mentions of them here before, try a search.

[staddie_local]

sorry mate i looked, and looked on google but no squid light.
les

[Chimo]

How big a boat ya gunna use?

http://www.fao.org/docrep/003/t0511e/T0511E02.htm

Cheers

Chimo

6. LIGHT ATTRACTION FOR SQUID JIGGING
Sometimes squid can be caught by jigging during the daytime, especially in areas where they come in large schools for spawning, but more often they are caught at night with the help of lights.

Another booklet in the FAO Training Series is entitled Attracting fish with light. You should read this booklet, as it tells a lot about light attraction fishing, how it works, how to prepare your own lights, etc.

Figure 76. Lights on a small canoe


On a small canoe, for example (Figure 76), you can fix one or two lamps above or even outside the bulwark on one side (see Figure 68) and still create a shaded zone under the boat. On larger boats with stronger lights the lamps should always be positioned well above and inside the boat (see Figure 77).

Sometimes underwater lights are used on large boats. They are sunk as deep as possible and then slowly hauled back to the boat (Figure 78). This is done to try to lure the squid from deep water into the light or shade from the above deck lights.

Figure 77. A larger boat with the lights well above the deck


Figure 78. Underwater lamp hauled from deep water to lure the squid to the surface


FAO Training Series is entitled Attracting fish with light.
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[nonibbles]

Boy-Z,
get a franklin sping water bottle, a piece of conduit that will fit into the neckand long enough to run from the gunwale of the boat to the water, a small 12v bulb (car interior or tralier light is good)and suitable socket, some flexible hose (I used electrical ribbed pipe - have no idea whot its called), an old power cord or similar heavier duty insulated wire (need 2 wires although you could snip excess ones off low. pass your wires down through the hose then into the conduit when it comes out the end of the conduit, fix the wires to your light socket. put your globe into the light socket and then wrap insultion tape around the socket until it is bulked out enough to fit snuggly into the end of the conduit. push this end into the bottle and seal with silicone or a few more layers of insulating tape. cover/paint the top end of the bottle to restrict the light escaping upward - I used more insulation tape as this also helped tosecure the pipe to the bottle. At the other end fix a lighter socket/alligator clips/ rings or whatever to attach to the battery.

The water bottle will stop the light from breaking as soon as it hits the water (cooling too rapidly). It will also bob nicely on the water while you tie off the conduit/hose on the boat (the hose serves more to protect the wire from rubbing on the gunwale).

This light wont shine in under the boat (the light is actually sitting about 10cm above the water, only the bottle sits in the water) so the squid won't have an opportuity to just sit under the boat in the light (cos there won't be any light there) and you won't see them all.

then just sit and wait and gently scoop them up with a prawn net (trust me, a landing net is a waste of time)

I made mine from plans that were in fish and boat a couple of years back. I'll see if I can find it. Otherwise, I'll attach a pic once I get of my arsk and take one. Also, tackle world used to stock some already made (and a lot more shmicko looking too) for about $50 or so, they may still have some.

[fishsmith]

mmm...I can fell some fingermark comming on........

[finga64]

How would a powerfull LED work instead of a bulb?? You can dunk it straight in the water and not worry about the bulb blowing.
Is it better to have the light on the surface or below the water, near the boat or away from the boat??
Is it better to have the light shining straight down or is light showing up OK??
How much light do you need for this??
Anybody want to try a LED to see if it works if I make something up to their specs??
Sorry fellas but curiosity has got me on this one
I love squid on the BBQ [smiley=chef.gif]
Cheers Scott

[nonibbles]

I couldn't imagine it being a bad thing. Leds certainly are bright. I have some of those coleman squid jigs that have a light in the body that is actually a clear container with facets cut into it to send the light out at different angles. It looks really great casting it out at night and I've had a few grab on it. unfortuanately their designed for larger (humbolt) squid and the pins are too long and spaced too wide apart. If anyone has these and has successfully modified one to take the smaller pins please let me know. I have brought some in on these jigs but I think I'd get a hell of a lot more with the more regular pins. Still it does a good job at the bottom of a string of the traditional jigs (x 2 or three on a paternoster steup) acting as a weight and attractant.

[Kendall249]

I've been using a 12v fluro attached to a broomhandle to get it away from the boat.

[Haji-Baba]

Fishing for jew we had a light set up in the top of a plastic coke bottle.

12- 15 watt car bulb and hung over the side of the boat 4 feet above the water. Throws a circle of light on the water in the center of which we suspend a small hardyhead from a light rod hooked live through the top or bottom lip. The light is also set up on the rod.

Keep the hardy just below the surface and have a longhandled net close to hand. When the squid grabs the hardy wait until he is swimming away from you and then net him like serving a tennis ball. Twist the net at the same time. If you try to scoop him up he will most likely get away.

You will hear the squid taking the bait so you don't have to keep looking for them. Don't bring them aboard the boat until they have inked out.

Gar and pike will also come to the light so take your pick.

Have fun Haji-Baba

[Haji-Baba]

Paint the plastic bottle so the light shines down and not into your eyes.

Have fun Haji-Baba