queensland ink season

[Simo68]

it’s that time again to beat your compatriots to the tackle store and grab a few jigs before “the colours that really work” are gone.

i’ve started catching them around the Rous in my favorite GPS marked spot “Big Daddy”.

I have invested in a vacuum sealer for this winters snapper baits (my Mrs is complaining the freezer is full of squid already and there is no room to store the loaves of bread)!

Anyway back to the squid. I went out last week and got 27 (between me and my deckhand), although hard to call him a deckie, more of a mate who likes a free charter.

Ive found them biting (cuddling) the jigs in all sorts of tides, and of course having a spare rod dangling a surface jig for the mate who is also hungry to double up on a few catches. I’m still not 100% an angel to keep ink out of the boat, it was like a black slaughter house last week and took a while to clean post-trip (picture the deckie sitting at home with a beer while i’m doing this).

It’s been all tiger action so far, but getting heaps each trip.

Eating-wise, i’ve experimented quite a bit and found chilling them for 6 hours is easier to get the skin off, pineapple great to soften them up overnight soak and although flash frying is great for 20 seconds, the following is the best recipe by far.  So enjoy, please share your tips and orange 3.5 jigs for me out perform anything else during the day.

olive oil, add garlic and chili flakes, then add squid in thin strips, cook 2-4 mins until changes colour, add pasata, cook on low 4 mins, add grated lemon rind and parsley, serve with spaghetti, adding breadcrumbs/olive oil splash/pepper/parsley on top... with cold beer

 

 

[Angry51]

Good report and top pics.

I assume you haven't got my postal address as none have

turned up in the post box in a cold pack.

[Simo68]

that could go wrong with aus post delays

[Angry51]

29 minutes ago, Simo68 said:

that could go wrong with aus post delays

Your'e not wrong there.

What a national disgrace.

Just finished having a blue with them. took 10 days 2 items from Toowoomba

to Ravenswood and 1 item up in Charters Towers and still there since the 19th.

Have to give out some more watches.

[ellicat]

Wow, great session there Simon. Thanks for letting us know. You should tell your decky to read your post. haha

When did you get over to the Rous ? The forecasts have been pretty ordinary of late.

[Simo68]

6 minutes ago, ellicat said:

Wow, great session there Simon. Thanks for letting us know. You should tell your decky to read your post. haha

When did you get over to the Rous ? The forecasts have been pretty ordinary of late.

hey mate nice to hear from you, i’ve been going every sunday for a couple months excluding one bad weekend. usually go out 3.30am and get to mouth of rous set up for snapper for the sunrise, then try for a few other species and hit the squid in the way back.

ive caught two legal squire in the last 2 trips which is first ever legal size apart from deep sea so chuffed with that (attached some more pics)

[Old Scaley]

Good to see you getting amongst them @Simo68. Nice post and some good photos.  

[kmcrosby78]

Some top squid results Simon and looks like you are starting to dial in to the squire too, nice work and good to hear from you mate.

[Kat]

Wow great looking squid there.  The recipe sounds amazing.  When the water clears up I am gonna get my orange squid jig out.  Thanks for the report.

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Hi Simo

Great job on the squid and squire! You have been doing good!

If you don't mind me asking, what type of squid jig have you been using? I have heard mixed opinions that you can get away with cheapies, and others say that the expensive ones are far superior. I plan to try in Winter (which is when the clear water, and squid are supposed to come in closer), around Redcliffe.

Cheers Hamish

[Hweebe]

Nice work @Simo68 I fish Rous regularly but haven’t really given squid a go. I’ll often chuck a floating squid jig out the back while whiting fishing but that’s about it. What sort of depth are u finding the squid holding in?

[Towknee]

On 27/03/2021 at 8:47 AM, Simo68 said:

I’m still not 100% an angel to keep ink out of the boat, it was like a black slaughter house last week and took a while to clean

im scrubbing the boat after just 3 small squid! 
 

Today I took my youngest out (3yo) to get used to the boat. So it was just the two of us. 
I packed the mackerel & whiting gear. 
 

had a short go at the mackerel till the young one carried on, so we moved to the Sandhills for whiting. He fell asleep.

so While I caught a handful of whiting, I threw out a squid jig to just float behind the boat. This is the first time I’ve chased them in Moreton bay.

I caught three, the first one I grabbed by the tube, he then grabbed my hand with all of his tentacles. I then flicked him on the bait board and he squirted ink! 
 

the next one shot ink at me from the water, hit me on the shorts. But what impressed me was he got me through the bottom gap of the bait board! 
 

Promised my eldest I’ll take him in the school holidays to chase squid. 

[Simo68]

8 hours ago, AUS-BNE-FISHO said:

Hi Simo

Great job on the squid and squire! You have been doing good!

If you don't mind me asking, what type of squid jig have you been using? I have heard mixed opinions that you can get away with cheapies, and others say that the expensive ones are far superior. I plan to try in Winter (which is when the clear water, and squid are supposed to come in closer), around Redcliffe.

Cheers Hamish

i go around $18 mate they do seem to work better but try a range perhaps put some pics of my faves i use

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

On 28/03/2021 at 6:10 PM, Simo68 said:

i go around $18 mate they do seem to work better but try a range perhaps put some pics of my faves i use

Thanks Simo. Appreciated. Gives me some idea of what to look for now.

Good job on the squid also Towknee, sounds like a good day on the water.

Cheers Hamish