QUID fishing, or “eging”, has come
along in leaps and bounds in the
past few years – and it’s easy to see
why. Beginner anglers (especially kids)
can achieve great results, you don't have to
spend a lot of money on tackle and the table
quality of fresh calamari really is top shelf!
By following a few basic guidelines anglers
can relatively easily pin a few squid for use as
either one of the best live baits around or as a
great meal. Squid are also a very accessible land
based target, which again makes them available
to pretty much everyone. Techniques vary but
truth be known you can catch squid by simply
casting and retrieving – it’s that simple! Here’s
how to do it ...Creature feature
Squid are very strange creatures that fall
under the scientific banner of cephalopods.This family encompasses other species
including octopus and cuttlefish. Although
slightly different, they all share a similar
thread in that they are very serious predators
and always on the hunt for food. Don't be
fooled by their appearance – squid are
absolute killing machines. This is a great
thing for anglers as it usually means they can
be easily caught during both the day and
night. Primarily sight feeders, squid use two
extra long tentacles, or “candles”, to shoot out
at fish and other prey and ensnare them on
hook-covered suckers. Seeing a squid attack a
jig is one of the coolest things to watch, in my
opinion. Another interesting fact is that many
of the squid that occur in Australian coastal
waters (particularly the tiger squid common in
my home waters of southern Queensland) only
live for a year so their need to feed and grow
to sexual maturity is paramount. This mayalso add some reason to their voracious
appetite and constant hunt for food.
As previously mentioned, squid make one of
the best live baits you can get. Big kingfish,
mulloway and snapper absolutely adore fresh
or live squid.Prime position
Squid are structure orientated during daylight
hours and hang around reef edges where weed,
kelp or rubbly rock occur together. They are
masters of disguise and camouf lage, blending
with the surroundings and ambushing their
prey. They can mimic just about anything to
the point of totally dematerialising in as little
as a foot of water.
I find very clear water to be a big advantage
when hunting squid as they are primarily sight
hunters and prefer high visibility/ low silt
conditions. Like all fishing, early morningOnce seen as a basic bait gathering exercise, squidding is
now regarded as a highly technical – and hugely enjoyable –
sportfishery. And fresh squid taste great!
KRIS SWERES reports.
of Disguise
Masters
S
SQUIDDING BASICS
52 | fishingworld.com.au | February 2015