Squid fishing 101
Up here in the Northeast a common dish at any local seafood restaurant is calamari or squid. Not only are the delicious to us humans but striped bass also love them, so they make a good bait. No matter the end goal with squid, you can catch your own in Northeast waters. There are charters but you can also catch them from specific locations close to or from the shore. Here we will go over how we fish for squid from shore. Here is Squid Fishing 101
What you will need for gear
For gear you are going to want a light action rod. I actually use a cheap fresh water rod for this. A small 2500 or 3000 size spinning reel will work just fine. A light line will be best as well. Line type does not matter too much here. The squid are light so the goal is to be able to feel when they hit. You will then want a leader and squid jigs. You can use a high low with different squid jig colors or sizes to mix it up.
Squid jigs contain a bunch of little hooks in a line. Usually there are two rows of them at the bottom of the jig. They are used to jig for squid because of how the squid attacks the bait. Squid will attack from below and as its mouth is not large, you really are trying to entangle the tentacles into the many hooks on the rig. You can find all types of squid rigs to use. They usually resemble the shape of a small bait fish or shrimp but are bright in colors. Some even have glow in the dark properties.
Fishing Spots
Generally, you want an elevated place such as a dock that can get you over deeper water that is well lit. Squid love light. They are attracted to light like crazy. If you can find a dock or board walk that has bright lights shining into the water, it’s a good place to try. There is a location outside of Boston where it is very common to find people jigging for bass but there is no light source. In this case, anglers will bring a small generator out and power flood lights that they shine into the water. The light is so important that I have seen people using them catching squid on every drop and next to them, just outside the light anglers will go without any. One the other side, a person with a light source and the same thing as the first. You just should be considerate of the location if you intend to use a generator.
How to jig for squid
Once you have the high low rig set up with a smaller sized weight you are ready. If on a dock or fishing pier you simply either want to drop straight down or cast it out just a little bit. The goal is to pop or twitch the bait. You can do this by quickly raising the rod tip and dropping it back down. You will want to slowly reel in every couple pops. Its a little surprising when a squid hits for the first time. When they hit, it doesn’t quite feel like a fish hit. The feeling is almost a slight hit that will almost feel like seaweed is caught on your line when reeling in. After a while, you will get use to how they hit the bait.
Keep in mind that when you reel them up, they will squirt ink shortly after being brought above the surface. Sometimes its right after and others its when taking them off the hook. The ink will stain so its best to wear clothes you don’t care about. This is also why I recommend doing it from shore, instead of on your boat. They also will change color after being brought above the surface. Usually, they go from a more vibrant color to a duller of a color, but it is noticeable.
t83bff
Your comment is awaiting moderation.