SQUIDDING A NEW LOCATION

Oliver Wood passes on some vital information about catching calamari in unfamiliar surroundings.

One of the most common questions I am asked concerns catching squid in an area I haven’t visited before. In this article I will put you in my shoes to see what I look for when squidding any location, and give you all my tips and tricks I have picked up over my many years of targeting the humble, yet exciting southern calamari.

Targeting this species has taken me to almost every jetty on the Fleurieu and Yorke Peninsulas, which has built a fantastic foundation of knowledge that I hope to share with all you squidding fanatics and newbies alike.

WHAT I LOOK FOR AT A NEW LOCATION

Before I really knew the ‘wheres’, ‘whens’ and ‘hows’ of squid fishing, I was a creature of habit, targeting squid at the same locations that I knew best.

While I reaped the rewards of gaining loads of knowledge and familiarising myself with the same location and thus having lots of success, I found the process repetitive and quite unfulfilling. This is where I found myself longing for improvement in skills and knowledge of the species. In that moment I decided that I was going to challenge myself, targeting squid at many different locations I haven’t fished much or on completely virgin grounds. This had me thinking about what squid like. Do they prefer one seagrass compared to another? Where do they often congregate and feed? In an instant my mind was racing with the experiences from past fishing sessions. This is what I have discovered so far in my squidding journey and how to pick the best spots when fishing in a new location.

Big calamari from anew location are always satisfying

The easiest way to find the best spot on your local or any regional jetties is to look for the call sign of any squid —ink. When caught, squid will release ink in the water, and when placed on the jetty, they will shoot a decent amount of ink, staining the concrete or wooden jetty planks. When walking down the jetty for the first time, my head usually doesn’t even turn to the water. I look down at the jetty looking for large congregations of fresh squid ink. This is a dead giveaway for me when targeting squid at a new location and an indicator that you should apply when fishing a new area.

On the topic of bottom, the grounds on which you target squid are key and have an influential and direct impact on your overall success rates. Like many species of fish, squid enjoy structure. Structure ensures that they feel safe from predators. Not only this, but bait species often congregate around structure, almost acting like a fresh buffet for any hungry cephalopods. Structure goes by many different names and faces in the aquatic world, and I have worked out what structures squid love here in South Australia. My perfect bottom consists of these key elements — a dense bed of ribbon weed, mixed in with intermittent sand patches, and tall cork weed structure that stands tall over the ribbon weed beds. You may also find calamari congregating along drop offs mixed in with the all the other key points stated above.

An habitual trap that I often see amateur anglers falling into is making the journey all the way to the end parts of any particular jetty. There seems to be the assumption that all the biggest fish sit in the deepest waters and that the shallows are a baron and pointless spot to fish. This, however, cannot be further from the truth. In many instances my favourite spots are close in, near the edge of the solid seagrass beds and the solid sand. I find that the ideal depth range to target these fella’s effectively can be anywhere between 2-4m of water.

TIME OF DAY AND CONDITIONS

Just as important as where you fish, when you fish is a crucial element to squidding. With a little bit of know how about when the southern calamari likes to hunt, you will soon be onto more squid.

Squid generally hunt in low light conditions. Sunrise and sunset generally are hot times when squid hunt in packs and can be very productive periods to target this species. My personal favourite time to target squid at a new location is just before first light, through to an hour or so after first light. This gives me the best possible odds of catching a decent feed of squid, as well as giving me a great idea of when the squid fire for future expeditions to that area.

Another hot time to target squid is before, during and after a decent tide change. Like most species of predatory fish in the ocean, squid tend to enjoy a tide change. This factor could mean the difference between a decent session and an amazing session. If I can fish a tide change at the rough time of first or last light, I can almost guarantee a great session.

The final piece of the conditional factor puzzle for me is clear water. The southern calamari is a sight predator, using its big eyes to hunt unsuspecting prey. Clear water allows for their hunting to be a lot easier, and thus increases your chance of catching. These big eyes also allow for squid to actively and successfully hunt in low to no light!

RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH

One of the most enjoyable parts of fishing for me is finding a new location and having immediate success. There is only one way to find new locations and that is through research. What does that research look like? Well, before I embark on a mission to a new location, I Google search quite a broad topic, such as ‘Squidding in (rough location)’. For example, for me it was ‘Squidding in Port Victoria.’ More often than not, you will find videos, blogs and websites talking about the best spot, what colour jig to use and the best time of year to fish your particular zone.

After consulting the ever-knowledgeable Mr Google, I then look to Google Earth to get a rough snapshot of what the grounds look like, even before setting foot at this location. I then memorise or jot down what areas look best that display broken bottom, drop-offs and dense weed beds. Once you have established your rough guide, you can either make your way to that location or consult your local tackle store. These stores can be a wealth of knowledge to any new or experienced fisho’s who wish to learn more about this fantastic hobby.

It’s always wise to pack jigs of different size and colour

Usually, I like giving the location a fish to see how I go, taking note of what time I caught the squid and in what part of the jetty. If you wish to gain more info on the location you are fishing, there is no better place to start than the local tackle or bait store.

TECHNIQUES

I tend to use the same or very similar techniques at every land-based location I fish, sometimes only varying the time I allow my jig to sink. However, there is one method that I always use that allows me to sometimes double the number of squid I catch. It is called the teaser method, and it involves casting a whole fish of your choice out on a basic float rig with no hooks or barbs. My favourite teaser fish are tommies and weedy whiting, but make sure that the teaser fish you are using are endemic to the area you fish.

The calamari will usually grab the fish and start feeding. This is often where you will see your float submerge or act differently. Once I have any suspicions that a squid is on my float, I put my jig in the water in front of where the float is. I then reel the float in slowly, feeling for pulses or weight, which will tell you if you have a squid holding your teaser. If there is no weight, simply leave your teaser out there. If the squid lets go of the fish, stop reeling until you feel weight again, or see the squid grab onto your teaser.

Once the squid is close to the jetty and you have put the jig in the water, try pulling the teaser out of its mouth and out of the water. At this point, the squid will seem to act a little confused, but will most likely have its eye on your jig and will swiftly swim over to attack it. Just like that, you are onto a beautiful southern calamari.

JIG SELECTION

The water depth you will most commonly be fishing in will be between 1-6m. In this range you will be using jigs from size 2.5 to size 4.0. There are smaller and larger sizes on the market, but I find that these sizes don’t offer the same versatility in different water depths as the sizes listed above.

There are a few select times when I use a 2.5 size jig, but they are definitely a ‘must have’ size in any squid fisho’s tackle box. The instance where I would use this type of jig is in shallower waters — anywhere from 1-3.5m — letting it sink for longer in the deeper waters. I also like using the smaller profile of jigs when the squid that are around are smaller in size or a bit timid. This can entice the squid to bite.

The most versatile size of the lot is 3.0, which offers an appealing profile to both larger and smaller model squid, as well as boasting a manageable sink rate in both shallow and deeper waters. I use this universal size in waters from 1-5m without modifying the sink rate of the jig by adding weight. The one downside to using the smaller size of jigs is that in less ideal fishing conditions, such as high water flow, swell or wind, they tend to sit closer to the surface and are affected too much by the current, meaning that the time they are in the ‘strike zone’ is decreased by a significant amount.

The size 3.5 jig is the largest I use. It is also a versatile size that can be used in a wide range of depths and conditions. The general depth in which I fish the larger profiles is anywhere from 3m and up. If I use these jigs in shallow water, I find that a am snagging the bottom, as my jig is sinking too quickly to be effective. The lager profile jigs can also be more appealing for the larger, more aggressive squid you quite often see in their breeding season in late winter through to mid spring. When the conditions are less favourable, I use larger, heavier jigs, as they boast a steadier, quicker sink rate. This means your jig spends more time in the ‘strike zone’.

A SESSION AT PORT VICTORIA

The challenge of fishing a new location recently took me to the beautiful town of Port Victoria, a location that I have often drove past heading to some of my favourite spots like Point Turton or Marion Bay. The start of my fishing trip was like every other, with an early morning start and plenty of coffee while watching the sun rise over the horizon. But my preparation for this trip started days prior.

By using my research methods,I was able to find three rough locations where I believed the squid would be hunting. These where at the beginning of the jetty and two deeper spots I thought may hold squid as the tide ran out. I arrived right on sunrise, when I promptly sorted out all the fishing gear I needed and made the short walk onto the jetty. My head on a swivel, I was looking in the water and on the jetty, searching for large congregations of fresh ink stains on the planks.

My previous predictions were proved correct when the first congregation of fresh ink was within meters of where I thought to be productive in my planning phase. With that in mind, I stopped and rigged up my teaser rod, then launched it out over a patch of broken bottom. On my squid rod I attached my favourite jig, the Red Dawn by Gan Craft. It didn’t take me long to hook onto my first squid, a decent size to start off the trip. The tide was at its highest point, and the slack water brought a quiet patch of around 40 minutes, which was followed by absolute chaos. I could not keep a jig or bait in the water, with eight squid joining me on the planks in around ten minutes.

Over the next few hours, after switching squid jig colours a handful of times, I managed to finish my bag limit of squid. In three days of fishing, I managed a grand total of 41 squid — not a bad haul for a new spot.

By following the steps above you can easily improve your catch rates on this amazing species. If at first you find no success, I strongly encourage your persistence because once it pays off, it is a fantastic form of fishing for all.

As always, if you have any questions or queries about anything squidding or kayaking, be sure to message me on my Instagram oli_squidding_page.