The cooler months may not suit some anglers, but they signal productive and tasty times ahead for squid (egi) fishers!

One of the interesting things about squid is that they only live for about a year, so their presence follows a predictable cycle each year culminating in death immediately after spawning. 

Growth rates vary with every new season and between individuals, so very big and very small specimens often overlap, but squid generally grow large enough to be worth catching from late May onwards. June through October are the prime months.

Tackle

The rod: Although a standard soft-bait rod may suffice, the more dedicated egi fishers use light-actioned 3-4kg rods around 8-9’ (2.44 – 2.75m) long. The ability to cast squid jigs a decent distance is a big advantage, as is a forgiving action, which helps to prevent the squid jig’s spikes/tines tearing out or ripping off a tentacle. 

The reel: A small compact 2500-size reel loaded with very limp 4-5kg braid to achieve the best possible casting distance and handling will do the job nicely. 

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The trace: Many experienced egi fishers recommend two to three metres of 3-5kg fluorocarbon trace, which is fine if a static light source has brought squid up to the surface at night or the fishing area is reasonably clear of obstacles. 

However, squid tend to hang around weedy structures, both for their own protection and to help them ambush prey, especially during the day. If the jig is not presented close enough to the cover, there will be no hook ups. So I would recommend 15-20lb fluorocarbon instead for this situation (some keen egi fishers even use 30lb when fishing particularly gnarly ground!).

The squid jig: There are so many different squid jigs available at widely different price points related to which qualities are incorporated into the jig. (You’ll only have to stand next to someone else catching squid after squid in the cold darkness of night while your own jig remains unmolested a time or two to forget about the cost and go for the best!)

Japanese brand Yamashita has been the most popular brand for many years, although more recent offerings from Shimano (i.e. Sephia Clench), Daiwa (i.e. Esmeraldas), Yo-Zuri (i.e. Pata Pata) and Black Magic (i.e. Squid Snatcher) have their successful nights too. You can never predict what size, colour or other specific attribute will prove the most attractive to squid at any given time!

As I use Yamashita, it’s the only brand I know really well, especially the ‘Live Search’ model, which boasts lots of features, many of which were incorporated as a result of studies in Japanese universities.

For example, a Yamashita jig has a ‘thermal jacket’, with the specially made woven material converting light – both natural and manmade – into heat, resulting in a slightly higher temperature than the surrounding water, just like a baitfish or crustacean. This encourages squid to grab the jig more aggressively and hang on harder afterwards, making successful hook-ups more likely. 

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Other potential attractants include: specific-frequency internal rattles that imitate feeding fish activity and which travel effectively through the water, attracting squid closer; fluorescent, ultra-violet, flashy and luminous coatings (all well proven); an attractive natural action created by the jig’s shape and chin weight; and having a descent rate that allows time for the squid to spot the lure and grab it.

This last aspect is especially important, particularly when targeting squid over weedy and rocky areas, as anglers will catch more squid if the lure is reasonably close to seafloor cover. But obviously losing a couple of expensive jigs will take the shine off the fishing experience. Fortunately, some brands provide the sink rate in seconds per metre, so if the approximate depth is known, egi fishers can count down and begin their retrieve while still clear of the reef.

Snagged? No worries. Make several fast, hard, upward whips with the rod, repeating if necessary. Either the jig tines will be shocked free of the weed, or they will bend out – they can be bent back into position and used again.

Jig colours and sizes: It definitely pays to experiment with squid jigs in different sizes and colours, as well as swapping between luminous and non-luminous jigs. Changing jigs can make a huge difference to the fishing – in this respect it is very similar to soft-baiting for snapper!

As a huge generalisation, 2.5-inch (6.35cm) jigs attract squid of all worthwhile sizes, closely followed by 3.0-inch (7.6cm, especially later in the season. Pink, orange, red and green jigs are my favourites, but more natural baitfish colours (i.e. pilchard and mackerel) also produce well at times. Bright pearly-white and black can be very effective, too.

The shallows

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The basic egi style involves casting out your jig over shallow reefs in around one- to eight-metres deep, with the best fishing usually found in sheltered bays (although some current nearby is not a bad thing.  Allow the lure to descend to the preferred depth, then whip the rod upwards in two or three firm-to-fast movements. Some anglers achieve this with mechanical-jigging movements (i.e. a speedy wind of the reel handle to accompany each whip of the rod). Others simply make two or three erratic movements upwards and diagonally past their bodies over a longer, single rod lift, while the remainder treat squid jigs as soft-baits, using much less aggressive jigging motions.

Whichever technique is used, the pause that follows the lift sequence, when the angler slowly winds in the slack line created by the uplifted rod, is critical – that’s when the squid grabs the offering.

What follows is important too, because if the rod is a firm one and the reel’s drag has been set too hard, the jig’s crown of sharp tines can easily rip out of the squids soft body or sever a tentacle. It therefore pays to set the reel’s drag very lightly – just enough to retrieve line when retrieving and not much more!

Once hooked, wind squid in slowly and gently, but keep the pressure on, or they will come free. A net helps to secure the catch, but make sure squid have expelled their ink first, or you’ll face a very messy (and funny!) situation.

Deeper water

Sometimes when you’re fishing in deeper waters, squid will follow a bait or lure to the surface, indicating they are in the area. If you want to catch some, try tying one or two squid jigs on droppers above a sinker, ledger-rig style. Sometimes the rod holder will catch a few squid for you while you continue fishing for other species, but it is usually more effective to actively jiggle the weighted rig near the bottom.

Many boat fishers encounter squid while overnighting at sea. Squid are attracted by deck lights, which also attract small baitfish, krill and other potential squid prey. Those squid visible in the lights are often only ‘the tip of the iceberg’, with many others lurking out of sight in deeper water or in the dark on the periphery of the illuminated area. It pays to explore all those areas with a squid jig.

Placing the squid jig under a float can be very productive in this situation, too, especially if there’s some light chop on the water’s surface.

Manmade structure

For land-based squid fishers too, it pays to check out anywhere a light source illuminates a section of water. Wharves, bridges, boat ramps and the like are good candidates. Lights attract a variety of potential squid prey, which in turn attract the squid.

I suggest visiting such areas during the cooler months, at various phases of the tide. Even if you don’t see any sign of squid in the water, check the nearby surroundings for ink patches – a dead giveaway other fishers recently enjoyed squid success!