Squid Fishing For Beginners

[Memsmullowayhunter]

Hi guys, another quick tutorial for beginners.

Target species: SQUID.

 

As a fisherman this has been one of my fav species to target, tastes absolutely amazing and is in my opinion one of the best baits.

Before I write up my tutorial, I do want to add I am no expert and always learning new things, this is just what has worked for me in the past.

 

Where to find squid?

First and foremost, squid love clean water.

This means that upper reaches of rivers, brackish water etc will not hold any squid.

If there has been a massive down pour of rain, this will definitely shut down squid activity.

They are predatory species who hide amongst kelp beds waiting for prey to move past these kelp beds.

Therefore any areas with clean water, patches of kelp/weed beds on sand is the most ideal location.

Furthermore any areas with well lit up piers/jetties/etc (with clean water) should hold squid at night.

 

What rod, reel and line to use?

This will be determined by where you are fishing however for the most part it remains the same.

Most people tend to use lighter gear, 1000-3000 size reels with a nice graphite rod to suit.

Considering you will be continuously jigging for them, it is not recommended to use heavy rods.

I have been using a 2500 reel with a 7ft graphite rod to match.

You may look at using a longer rod depending on if you need to cast your jig further out to reach target area. (longer rod=further cast distance)

The varying factor for squid fishing is your line class, as squid tend to hold up in kelp/weed beds, you do tend to get snagged a bit.

I generally stick to my 8lb braid directly tied to leader that is a little heavier (anywhere from 10-20lb)

 

What jigs to use and when?

Your squid jig is the most important tool when it comes to catching squid and as such the correct colour and weight needs to be thought out.

Starting with the weight of the jig, on the smaller side we have jigs that are 1.5-1.8 and on the larger side 3-3.5.

The depth of water and the current will determine what weight jig you will use.

For example in shallow waters and water where the current isn't too strong, I stick to smaller jigs.

If the current is strong and/or deep water I use the larger jigs sometimes even multiple jigs (paternoster rig in deeper water).

 

When it comes to what colour jig to select, this is where things get more complicated with a lot more choice.

There are a few things to consider with colour choice, are you fishing day or night? Is it overcast or bright clear skies?

Generally if it is a nice sunny day with clear skies, I tend to lean towards natural looking jigs, such as a blue pilchard yamashita jig or something similar in colour to the bait around the location.

If I am squidding at night I tend to use bright colours like a pink and orange.

Further to this a lot of companies such as yamashita or yozuri make a large number of glow in the dark jigs which are designed for night fishing.

You can use a UV torch or your head lamp to charge up the glow.

 

Please note with squidding if you know the area holds squid and a particular colour is not working, don't continue to use the same colour.

Some sessions I find myself using a multitude of different colours and sizes.

To make my life easier, I use a jig clip at the end of the line and say everyone 10 or so casts I will swap out my jig.

There are many other things to consider when it comes to colour, including cloth colour, foil colour, cloth patterns etc.

 

There are plenty of jig colour charts you can find on the internet!

 

What technique do I use?

First and foremost as squid hold up in kelp/weed beds it is evident that they tend to be at the bottom.

Once you cast out your jig, pay attention to the line making sure it hits the bottom before jigging.

Once you have noticed that it is at the bottom, remove the slack in the line and commence jigging.

From here there is no one correct way, at different times different techniques will work.

To keep it simple for beginners, I generally do 1-3 whips/jigs with my rod, then reeling in the slack and letting it hit the bottom again.

Shallower water = less whips, deeper water you can do up to 4-5 jigs.

After this reel in the slack and let the jig hit the bottom again, rinse and repeat.

Sometimes if the activity is slow, I might do a slow reel in keeping my jig near the bottom.

Sometimes if I am squidding on the boat, I may cast out my jig, keep it near the bottom and let the rocking motion of the boat "jig" for me.

Mix it up and have go of different jigging techniques.

For reference I have included the video below, from the squid king himself.

 

Before I wrap up my guide, there is one thing that I want to address.

Many, MANY times I have heard people saying squid are only active during the night.

THIS IS FALSE! Although more common at night, I have had some bag out sessions during mid day.

 

GOOD LUCK AND TIGHT LINES!

 

 

 

[ellicat]

Thanks for the write-up. Pinned.

[ubnt]

Thanks a lot for a great write up! 

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Awesome write up Mems, I’ll use these tips this winter for sure.

[Sylvathorn]

Great write up, thanks a lot!

[mangajack]

To add to this, here in SEQ when I go chasing winter whiting I have a paternoster of these jigs down. These jigs are neutrally bouyant and are designed for this rigging. Normal prawn shape lures are not as they sink.

Often catch as many as many squid as winter whiting with two guys fishing a rod each for the whiting and sharing 1 rod with the squid jigs.

Far more effective than the prawn style jigs when drifting about for whiting.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004744524656.html?spm=a2g0n.productlist.0.0.312971c1LFOLME&browser_id=81ee368f4b134ae4954a842ad7f15d91&aff_trace_key=99e85c7741fd418abf8ffeaf60cea719-1683376198727-06966-UneMJZVf&aff_platform=msite&m_page_id=uagrhlgnwgcaxyvw18818021f0917374badc216cbb&gclid=&pdp_npi=3%40dis!AUD!45.46!22.15!!!!!%40211bea6216840299722388258d07ea!12000031936484251!sea!AU!0&isseo=y&algo_pvid=5637bc85-43e7-4d11-8923-7c619b1481ba

[ubnt]

20 hours ago, mangajack said:

To add to this, here in SEQ when I go chasing winter whiting I have a paternoster of these jigs down. These jigs are neutrally bouyant and are designed for this rigging. Normal prawn shape lures are not as they sink.

Often catch as many as many squid as winter whiting with two guys fishing a rod each for the whiting and sharing 1 rod with the squid jigs.

Far more effective than the prawn style jigs when drifting about for whiting.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004744524656.html?spm=a2g0n.productlist.0.0.312971c1LFOLME&browser_id=81ee368f4b134ae4954a842ad7f15d91&aff_trace_key=99e85c7741fd418abf8ffeaf60cea719-1683376198727-06966-UneMJZVf&aff_platform=msite&m_page_id=uagrhlgnwgcaxyvw18818021f0917374badc216cbb&gclid=&pdp_npi=3%40dis!AUD!45.46!22.15!!!!!%40211bea6216840299722388258d07ea!12000031936484251!sea!AU!0&isseo=y&algo_pvid=5637bc85-43e7-4d11-8923-7c619b1481ba

Is this paternoster setup more suitable for fishing on boat? Do it work effectively on land based as well? Cheers!

[Rebel]

Top story.

Thank you.

[mangajack]

On 15/05/2023 at 9:10 AM, ubnt said:

Is this paternoster setup more suitable for fishing on boat? Do it work effectively on land based as well? Cheers!

it will work from a pier as well, but I use them in the boat drifting for whiting and covering lots of ground.

[Memsmullowayhunter]

On 14/05/2023 at 12:14 PM, mangajack said:

To add to this, here in SEQ when I go chasing winter whiting I have a paternoster of these jigs down. These jigs are neutrally bouyant and are designed for this rigging. Normal prawn shape lures are not as they sink.

Often catch as many as many squid as winter whiting with two guys fishing a rod each for the whiting and sharing 1 rod with the squid jigs.

Far more effective than the prawn style jigs when drifting about for whiting.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004744524656.html?spm=a2g0n.productlist.0.0.312971c1LFOLME&browser_id=81ee368f4b134ae4954a842ad7f15d91&aff_trace_key=99e85c7741fd418abf8ffeaf60cea719-1683376198727-06966-UneMJZVf&aff_platform=msite&m_page_id=uagrhlgnwgcaxyvw18818021f0917374badc216cbb&gclid=&pdp_npi=3%40dis!AUD!45.46!22.15!!!!!%40211bea6216840299722388258d07ea!12000031936484251!sea!AU!0&isseo=y&algo_pvid=5637bc85-43e7-4d11-8923-7c619b1481ba

As in using squid jigs for whiting?

[Bretto77]

4 hours ago, Memsmullowayhunter said:

As in using squid jigs for whiting?

Pretty sure he just leaves them unattended and picks up squid while fishing for whiting.

I used to leave a normal weighted jig bobbing in the swell under the back of the boat whilst fishing at night. 

Pretty often I would get squid on that while the stern lights were on.

[mangajack]

7 hours ago, Memsmullowayhunter said:

As in using squid jigs for whiting?

Sorry for the confusion i created.

Std squid jigs everyone uses are weighted to sink.....on a paternoster rig they hang down or drag across the bottom. The jigs in the link are neutrally weighted so they sit horizontal and natural on the paternoster. I drift about fishing for whiting and have the one paternoster squid rod sitting in the rod holder.

[Memsmullowayhunter]

11 hours ago, mangajack said:

Sorry for the confusion i created.

Std squid jigs everyone uses are weighted to sink.....on a paternoster rig they hang down or drag across the bottom. The jigs in the link are neutrally weighted so they sit horizontal and natural on the paternoster. I drift about fishing for whiting and have the one paternoster squid rod sitting in the rod holder.

Thanks for clearing that up

[Memsmullowayhunter]

14 hours ago, Bretto77 said:

Pretty sure he just leaves them unattended and picks up squid while fishing for whiting.

I used to leave a normal weighted jig bobbing in the swell under the back of the boat whilst fishing at night. 

Pretty often I would get squid on that while the stern lights were on.

Yeah we would do that too and sometimes worked better than jigging ahaha

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Hey guys,

How do the Shimano Sephia jigs go opposed to Yamashitas or other more expensive jigs?

Cheers Hamish

[mangajack]

Yamashita Egi Oh K 2.5 or 3.0 are the best catchers I have found for cast and retrieve. 

Yamashita Egi Live are a close second.

I have two Shimano Sephia jigs that have seen a fair amount of use and they do not work as well for me.

You do need to fine tune some jigs to suit locations....less current or depth might see your jig being too heavy and sink too fast.

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Thanks manga, I'll get some Yamashitas in different sizes and hope they work alright.  

[Memsmullowayhunter]

On 20/05/2023 at 6:14 PM, AUS-BNE-FISHO said:

Hey guys,

How do the Shimano Sephia jigs go opposed to Yamashitas or other more expensive jigs?

Cheers Hamish

I've used plenty of different squid jigs from different brands, yamashita and yozuri have always worked the best for me.

[sweresy]

nice post