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Big Squid - Find the Eggs!

By Philip Dickson

Living on the Bellerine Peninsula here in Victoria, squid fishing would definitely be one of my favourite types of fishing as it is for many others who fish the area down the southern end of Port Phillip Bay. With the southern calamari being readily available year round, they are a great option for the whole family. Not only do they provide hours of entertainment, they are also fantastic eating and make great bait for many different species.

In this article we will be concentrating on the big breeding squid that enter Port Phillip Bay in spring, arriving from Bass Strait to spawn and lay their eggs in shallow weeded areas that are very accessible to all anglers.

When

In spring, as the bay temperatures meet up with the ocean temperatures, we see the influx of large squid with one thing on their mind. As usual, at this time of the year you will pick up your larger squid, when you are just doing your general squid fishing. However, to have the ultimate fun on these big girls you need to find the eggs and when you do, you will likely have non-stop action.

Generally the squid will lay their eggs in 3 to 6 metres of water, which means, providing the water clarity is good, you will be able to see them on the bottom. They will more often than not lay on the thick seagrass, whether it is a small patch or a large area, and will often spawn on the same patch year after year.

The eggs appear as white clusters connected to the sea grass, ranging in different sizes, with there often being dozens of different clusters in a very small area. Once the eggs have been laid the squid will remain in the area to protect them, resulting in large numbers of squid of varying sizes. They will normally congregate in that area for anything up to a week.

If you do intend to look for the eggs, a good time to do this is during slack water as the seagrass is sitting up straight and the eggs are easily visible, whereas when the tide is running the sea grass lays down with the current and covers the eggs. This definitely makes them a lot more difficult to find. Once you have located the eggs the peak times to fish are first and last light, and an hour either side of any tide change.

When fishing during daylight hours, other than the hour either side of the tide change, quite often you will drift over the squid and they will not respond to your jig. This can become quite frustrating, especially when seeing large numbers of squid sitting on the bottom.

Technique

The technique to catch these larger squid really doesn't differ from your normal squid fishing. You obviously need the right conditions so your jig can be down in the strike zone, preferably within three feet of the bottom. Depending on whether it is sunny or overcast conditions you may have to change jig colours a few times to find which jig is most preferable on the day. When fishing for the large squid I always have my drag set as they can pull quite a bit of a line when first hooked and without correct drag pressure you will most likely snap tentacles off, which can also be frustrating.

Tackle / Jigs

Every angler has their favourite squid jig and their favourite colours. Myself, I use the Fish Inc. Egilicious squid jigs in a variety of colours and sizes, with most colours working on any given day. On bright sunny days I tend to go with the more neutral colours, such as Flash Back, Camo Squid and Rainbow Shrimp, while on overcast days the Bleeding Belly, Venom and Bleeding Black I find work very well. Of course there are always exceptions to the rules on any given day.

The Egilicious jigs come in the standard sizes, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0 and 3.5. They also have fast sinking models in 3.0 and 3.5, which I often go to if we have fast drift conditions due to wind or tide, without having the need to add a weight to the jig to obtain the desired depth.

Rod: The Okuma Inked Egi Special is my rod of choice, being an 8'2" medium rod that handles the large squid with ease and has great casting distance when needed. It is also very affordable.

Reel: I have the rod set up with an Okuma Helios SX spin reel, HSX-30, spooled up with 10lb Platypus Platinum Braid and 12lb Platypus Stealth FC Fluorocarbon Leader.

So for something a little bit different, next time you're out have a look around to see if you can find the eggs and I assure you that once you have experienced this type of fishing, it is very addictive and will keep you going back time after time. Good luck.

Cheers, Phil

Gearing Up:
Okuma Inked Egi Special Rod - INK822M 8'2" PE 0.6-1.2 EGI 2.5-3.5
Okuma Helios SX Spin Reel - HSX-30
Platypus Platinum Braid - 10lb
Platypus Stealth FC Fluorocarbon Leader - 12lb
Fish Inc. Egilicious Squid Jigs