the lure fall back down close to the bottom
this technique can be deadly. The strike from
a squid is a bit of an non affair to be honest
and feels more like a chunk of weed with dull
pulsing weight, however, the larger models
can take line, believe it or not. As long as you
maintain constant pressure on the squid you
can easily guide them towards the awaiting
net. A good tip at this point is to just let them
sit for 10-20 seconds in the net as squid have
an uncanny knack of shooting a jet of black
ink onto clothing, boats, sunnies and pretty
much everything else. Try and encourage the
“shot” in the water before bringing them on
board or onto land.
Now if you thought normal lure colour
choice could be confusing get ready to be even
more confused! Squid jigs take the cake for
colour combinations. They come in pretty
much every colour you can imagine but the
basic shape of every jig is that of a big prawn.
This would have to be the most desirable food
source for a squid, you would have to think.Some bear unbelievable likenesses to real
prawn patterns where other colours are just in
your face like f luoro pink and orange. Each
colour pattern will work on different days so
having a basic colour chart in your tackle box
is a good idea to see what one is working most
effectively. As far as brands go I truly believe
that the more expensive Japanese lures far
outweigh their cheaper counterparts. We
almost exclusively use Yamashita jigs. As far as
a well priced, great quality and very effective
product goes, these jigs are at the top of the
tree, in my view. They come in a massive
range of colour combinations and are
constantly innovating new designs. The latest
Yamashita offering is a technology known as
“Warm Jacket”. In a nutshell, this is a thermal
cloth that covers the jig. It slightly raises the
ambient temperature of the lure which is then
said to give off a different UV light in the
water. As many experts claim that squid also
see in UV spectrums, this can be a major
advantage. Yamashita jigs also have glow in
the dark options for night fishing and of
course come fitted out with stainless and
super sharp rear prongs. Don’t be fooled into
thinking that you need big jigs to catch big
squid either as the XOS models will
commonly take smaller sizes like 1.8, 2.0 and
2.5s. The important thing is to have a
selection of colours and to keep rotating
through them until one produces the goods.
So next time you're wanting a quick,
trouble free session, complete with some of the
best seafood to show at the end of it, go have a
crack at your local squid population and enjoy
these cool little creatures; just watch that ink!
See you out there.54 | fishingworld.com.au | February 2015
ACT BOX
KRIS’S SALT & PEPPER
SQUID RECIPE
1 x squid approx 300-500grms
(cut into rings or criss cross cut)
1/4 cup of plain flour
1/4 cup corn flour or rice flour
1 x tablespoon Chinese 5 spice powder
1 x tablespoon ground szechuan pepper
½ teaspoon chili flakes
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
Coriander for garnishing
1 lemon
Oil for frying
METHOD: Add enough oil to a small pot to
deep fry and heat to medium/ high heat
(about 160-180 degrees). Combine both flours
and spices and lightly dust the squid in the
mix, shaking off excess. Gently lower small
batches of squid into hot oil and cook for
about 1-1.5 minutes. Drain onto kitchen paper
towel and quickly toss in a bowl with the sea
salt and white pepper. Serve immediately
with fresh lemon, coriander and aïoli.F
RIGHT: Watch out, Kris! Luckily this squid
spurted out a stream of water, not ink!
BELOW: Many novice squidders regard
squid with a mix of horror and fascination!Piping hot salt & pepper squid is hard to beat!SQUIDDING BASICS