Tackle Tactics » Tackle-Tactics-TV » Ep.5 - Port Phillip Bay Squid

Ep.5 - Port Phillip Bay Squid

On the last episode of Tackle Tactics TV we were battling the wind to get into a few snapper on Port Phillip Bay and once we had four in the boat, we made the call to head in closer to shore and target some squid, with plenty of action and some shenanigans.

We were excited to give the new Fish Inc. Lures Egilicious squid jigs a run as they had smashed it through the R&D process. A long section of weed beds was located, where we set up to drift across the weed and spray some casts around. Luke and I were casting 3.5 size jigs, making long casts simple and then varying our retrieve from a slow lift and pause, to more aggressive lifts and whips, again with plenty of pauses. There was also a drift line set up out the back with a light drag setting and a size 3.0 Egilicious jig that stayed up off the bottom and managed to catch its fair share throughout the session.

In terms of the action we found plenty of numbers sheltering and feeding amongst the weed, unfortunately not finding the big ones that the boys have been getting with squid up to and over 3kg on the Egilicious jigs. Some nice ones were landed though, with 40+ squid landed in the short session, many released and a feed kept to take home.

Lighter coloured jigs were the go initially in the brighter conditions, with Flash Back, Salty Shrimp and Crazy Shrimp colours landing plenty, however when the sky darkened and the bite slowed we switched it up to some darker colours like Blue Reaper, Blue Banana and Leopard Shrimp to switch the bite back on again. The Leopard Shrimp colour has become a go-to for the southern guys, landing both numbers and big squid, with their theory being that it closely resembles the colours of a King George whiting, a popular food source for the squid.

We are pumped about these jigs because they are really affordable for anglers and loads of work has gone into them to ensure that they are quality and also have some unique features. They feature quality tight cloth that stands up better to the squid, a tail design that sits a few degrees higher to minimise snagging and fouling, super-sticky Japanese Owner hooks that stand up to the squid but if you do manage to get snagged the hooks can be straightened out under pressure with a straight pull (provided you're not fishing light gear) and then the hooks returned to position once the jig is retrieved. Overall you get a quality jig for well under half the price you pay for many other jigs.

Throughout the session we had quite a few double and triple hook ups, with Luke suggesting anglers keep an eye out when retrieving a hooked squid as it may have others following it. Cast or drop another jig in behind the hooked squid and often it will be nailed by a following squid. This makes the fishing even more visual and on several occasions we watched the squid rise and attack the jig. Cool fun!

By the end of the session we had caught and filmed plenty, so of course there was some shenanigans... such as talking about some technique stuff to the camera, turning around and finding a squid in my face, along with a few ink shots firing around the boat before quickly being cleaned up with the deck wash to avoid staining anything. Luke finished the session by somehow managing to shoot himself in the face, so it was time to call stumps on what had been a great morning on the water chasing snapper and squid. We hope you enjoyed the episodes we put together while fishing the iconic fishing destination that is Port Phillip Bay, Victoria.

Stay tuned for more Tackle Tactics TV releases via our weekly newsletter - http://tackletactics.com.au/Subscribe and if you're keen to give the squid a go check out the Fish Inc. Egilicious jigs and the Okuma Inked Egi Special rods.

All the best with the fishing!
Cheers, Justin Willmer

Gear List

Fish Inc. Lures Egilicious Squid Jigs - http://tackletactics.com.au/Fish-Inc-Lures/Egilicious-Squid-Jigs
Okuma Inked Egi Special Rods - http://tackletactics.com.au/Okuma/Spinning-Rods/Inked-Egi-Special
Okuma Epixor XT Spinning Reels - http://tackletactics.com.au/Okuma/Spinning-Reels/Epixor-XT
Okuma Helios SX Spinning Reels - http://tackletactics.com.au/Okuma/Spinning-Reels/Helios-SX
Okuma Helios Spin Rods (Drift Rod) - http://tackletactics.com.au/Okuma/Spinning-Rods/Helios-Spinning-Rods