Monthly Archives: June 2015

Squid can be found in estuarine and inshore habitats from inshore reefs and weed beds to rock walls, jetties and offshore man made or natural structures. Being a predominantly ambush predator these places offer them not only refuge from being attacked but also a place to prey on food such as prawns, baitfish and crabs. This ‘How To’ will focus mainly on the Southern Calamari species.

How to target

There are two options when it comes to squid, they are cast and retrieve with squid jigs or using a squid spike/prong and bait. When casting jigs let them sink to the bottom and add an upward whip of the rod on the retrieve to make the lure dance in the water. Doing this imparts a prawn or wounded baitfish action alerting any squid in the area. Let the lure sink and repeat.

When using bait insert a baitfish onto a squid spike/prong and cast out underneath a float. Wind in any slack line and when the float goes under you on, then gently start winding.

Rod & Reel

If land based fishing for squid a rod in the 9ft range and 3-5kilo line class is ideal. The extra length will aid in not only casting ability but will also give you some leverage around the rocks, jetty, etc. Balance your outfit with a 2000-3000 size reel.

The same setup can be used when fishing from a boat, however leverage isn’t as paramount and a shorter 7ft rod will provide greater maneuverability and ease of use.

Line and leader

• Lure: 10lb braid, 1.5m of 10lb fluorocarbon leader.

• Bait: 10-15lb braid, 15lb fluorocarbon leader.

Terminal Tackle

• Lure: Squid jigs/jags, snap swivels or speed clips.

• Bait: Swivels, weighted float, bait prongs/spikes, glow sticks optional.

Best Lures

All jigs/jags will catch squid, some days certain colors will out-fish others so it pays to have a selection on hand to find the right one on each day. Popular sizes are 2.5, 3.0 and 3.5, this number being the feet/second drop rate.

Yamashita and Yo-Zuri both make exceptional quality jigs in a wide range of colors & styles with exceptionally sharp hooks – this may often be the result in a good day’s squidding or a not. Squid jigs last a long time so don’t skimp when it comes to purchasing.

Best Bait

The best bait for squid is fresh baitfish such as Herring, Sauries, Yellowtail, Whiting and Pilchards.

Hints and tips

Squid can be caught right around Australia year round. However, the southern half of the country arguably offers the best squidding during the cooler months of the year and they are most certainly a fun species to target whether it be land based or from a boat. Looks for those structure such as weed beds, reef areas or rock walls and they shouldn’t be too far away.

• Carry a wide selection of jigs in various colors and sizes. Alternate between them to find what’s working best on the day.

• When targeting from a boat drifting allows you to cover more ground and is more productive than at anchor.

• When fishing from the rocks its always handy to have a landing net at hand.

• Make sure you imply some action in the lure with short fast upward whips of the rod to make the lure dance.

• Make sure you imply some action in the lure with short fast upward whips of the rod to make the lure dance.

Rigging for cast and retrieve

Targeting Squid on jigs is great sport and is a fun alternative to targeting fish. It is also a great option if you are fishing with kids or someone who is new to fishing. Use a 4-10lb braid mainline and join it to a 1-1.5m, 10lb fluorocarbon leader with an Albright knot or similar. At the other end of the leader tie a loop knot such as a Lefty’s Loop directly to the jig to allow the lure more freedom to move during the retrieve. Alternatively tie on a snap swivel or speed clip for ease of changing jigs.

Blue morwong, hereafter referred to as Queen snapper, inhabit deeper offshore reefs and sponge gardens along Australia’s southern coastline from WA to VIC and TAS. They are often found around prominent ledges, lumps, patches of pinnacles, and other areas of structure in 30-60m of water, and as far out as the continental shelf. When targeting Queen snapper, fish the tapering edge of the structure rather than the top.

How to target

When targeting Queen snapper use your charts and sounder to find suitable ground, rather than patches of fish. The ground they’re found in is usually too deep to anchor and berley, so once you’re found an area plot it in your GPS and drift over it. Do a few drifts then move on to the next area, as these fish generally don’t school in large numbers. The rig of choice is a basic Paternoster rig with two droppers, each with a 7/0 octopus style hook. Lead weight will depend on depth and drift speed but 6-8oz is usually suitable.

Rod & Reel

Queen snapper average around 2-3kg but they can grow up to 11kg and any fish over 4-5kg is going to require quite a bit of stopping power. That said, you still want an outfit that is light enough to fish with all day and sporting enough that when you hook a good fish you’re still provided with a challenge.

An appropriate outfit would be a small overhead reel such as the Shimano Torium 16 matched with an 8-12kg overhead rod around 6 foot in length. Choose a rod with sensitivity in the tip but plenty of power down low.

Line and leader

• Line: 50lb braid

• Leader: 80lb mono wind-on leader for shock absorption, running 2-3m above the paternoster rig.

Terminal Tackle

• 7/0 Gamakatsu black Octopus hooks, 6-8oz snapper leads, size 2-4 crane swivel.

Best Lures

• Soft Plastics: 145mm Squidgie Flick Baits with 1oz Jig Heads.
• Demersal jigs 100g-200g depending on water depth.

Cam Trowbridge with a stunning Perth metro ‘Queeny’ on jig.

Best Bait

Squid, pilchards, cockles, and fresh fillets of salmon trout, herring, trevally, mackerel, etc.

Hints and tips

Queen snapper are caught around deep offshore reef systems and sponge gardens in cooler waters between southern WA and VIC/TAS. Anglers use onboard electronics to search for suitable ground, then drift over the area with bottom bouncing rigs.

• Look for prominent ledges and lumps. Mark ground on your GPS then perform a ‘dummy’ drift to work out the drift speed and direction.

• Continually let out line to keep the bait as close to the reef as possible. A sea anchor or heavier sinker will also help.

• Use braid for greater bite sensitivity, and for shock absorption use a 2-3m mono leader.

• Queen snapper are a good eating table fish. Make the most of their eating qualities by bleeding and placing on ice immediately after capture.

Rigging for drifting

This method involves drifting baits over prominent structures such as ledges and pinnacles in about 30-60m of water. Use a basic double Paternoster rig with two droppers each with an octopus style hook, a 6-8oz snapper lead on the bottom, and a size 2-4 crane swivel on the top. Allow 40cm between each hook and the sinker, and 10cm between the top hook and swivel. In deep water braided mainline aids in bite sensitivity. Counteract the low stretch with a 2-3m wind-on leader for shock absorption.

Information courtesy of Jamie Crawford, Port Lincoln [Port Lincoln SA (Get Fishing Tournament Member)] and Department of Fisheries WA. Photos courtesy of Jamie Crawford, Arron Fone, [Albany WA (Get Fishing Tournament Member)] and Cameron Trowbridge [Perth WA (Get Fishing Tournament Member)].