Squid aka Southern Calamari, are without a doubt one of the most sort after and most accessible species for southern anglers. They can be caught in as little as 0.5 mtrs of water right through to much deeper offshore waters.
Whether you’re a land based angler, you own a kayak or you’re lucky enough to own a boat (maybe even better if your mate owns it) , Squid are accessible to everyone who lives close to salt water. These awesome looking and great eating Cephalopods are great fun to catch and with a bit of practice, they can be relatively easy to catch (most of the time.)
Let’s look at some of the options.
Land Based:
Most Piers and Jetties will hold squid as they offer shelter and plenty of smaller bait fish for them to feast on. If you can see darker patches indicating weed beds, cast around them and work your jigs in that area and if fishing at night, concentrate around any lights that are on the jetty. The squid will often be sitting back in the shadows , waiting to grab a baitfish that comes too close to them, so cast into the shadows and slowly work your jig back. Tell tale signs of where to start will often be ink stains on the jetty from others who have been successful there so this will be a great spot to start.
Another great option for many areas is casting from the beach towards small reef areas and weed beds that are often close to the shore. The use of longer 8-10ft specialised squid rods are perfect for this task.
Kayak owners:
Squid are a perfect target for owners of these smaller crafts as they can be found very close to shore in 0.5 to 5mtr of water and a kayak can be easily launched straight off the sand and be amongst the weed beds within a few paddles. Often kayak owners will actively cast one jig around whilst having another 1-2 just drifting behind them as a “sleeper” jig which can often work quite well.
Boat Owners:
You don’t need an expensive large boat to catch squid, a simple tinny or small runabout can catch multiple bags of squid any day especially as many squid grounds are very close to most boat ramps and often as close as 300-500 mtr from the ramp. Spending a few hours on a nice calm day with your kids will make for a most memorable day for the whole family with lots of smiles and laughs all round plus a great feed for the family. 2mtrs to 5 mtrs of water are usually a great start point. Once again, casting and actively working 1 rod whilst having 1-2 rods drifting behind the boat as “Sleepers” is a great method.
The required gear:
Squid outfits don’t need to break the bank balance at all. For boats , I find a light graphite 2-5kg rod about 7ft long with a reel in the 1000-3000 size spooled with 6-10lb braid is perfect . A short length of 12-15lb fluorocarbon leader is a good addition to the braid. This outfit can also double up as a whiting and soft plastics outfit or if your budget allows for it there is some excellent specialised squid rods available such as the Atomic Arrowz Egi range which are excellent value for money and also very good for much longer casts for shore based anglers.
Jigs:
Jigs alone could be a 3000 word article but my best advice is always buy the very best quality jigs your budget allows as the better quality cloth and a properly weighted jig can be the difference between a good feed and catching nothing. The extensive range of Majorcraft Egizo jigs is excellent value and quality. The range covers 2.5, 3.0 and 3.5 sized jigs and approx 20 different colours so all your needs are covered.
Colours:
Everyone has a favourite colour but a great start point is on brighter clear days , use a lighter, bright coloured jig and when fishing on darker days and dirtier water use a darker colour jig as it will stand out better in darker conditions.
I hope this quick guide helps you catch more squid.
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Tight Lines
Peter Ferguson
