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I quick report and a few techniques. Nothing fancy but thought I'd just get this comp rolling.......

 

 

Had a call from my chief fishing buddy yesterday that he'd just bagged out squiding his local metro wading spot. Same as this time last year, where he recons they must have been spawning, were there 2 days and then gone. With conditions still favorable and hoping that '2nd day' was today,  I decided to check out his home grounds.

 

Water was lovely and clear and warm enough to leave the wetsuit behind. I was expecting wind to drop as it changed direction. Things were looking pretty good. A short wade out to the appropriate structure with a little 1.8 Yozuri. After a half dozen or so casts I hooked and bagged a little bait sized squid and took this for a good omen, with the session just commencing. Alas it was not to be. Walking all over the rocks and flicking everywhere yielded nothing.

 

Whilst deciding that it was time to give up and head in, i spotted a school well within casting range, of course with my jig way out in the opposite direction! In the short time i was able to re-cast the school had gone out of visual range so i worked the area around where i last saw them. Gone! Finally i hooked a decent sized one, pulling line with each surge. Quickly worked into the net, dispatched & bagged.

 

Unfortunately that was it so i called it a session. Not quite enough for Xmas stuffed squid :( ! http://www.strikehook.com/index.php/topic/26369-grilled-stuffed-squid/

 

 

squiddies.jpg

 

 

 

Wading is my favorite style of fishing and can readily apply to squid. Clear waters and low current/tidal movements work really well and enable a real visual element to fishing, one of the major joys of wading!. I prefer around the low tide and immediately after, also when one can readily wade to more suitable areas. Basically anywhere there is seagrass or weedy reef works: Just past the 'blue line' around Yorkes, reefy stuff around Marino and further south........pretty well all over the place!

 

I don't usually specifically target squid whilst wading, instead wait until i see them following a SP or HB intended for something else. Being inquisitive creatures, they regularly oblige. Then its a quick changeover to a suitable jig, flick over and thru the area where the squid was last seen with fairly standard lift & drop retrieve. If they are still around they can be pretty quick and easy to find.

 

With the super light tackle and skinny waters, I opt for small 1.8 & 2 sized jigs with nothing too lairy. Anything bigger sinks too quicky and can easily spook your target. You often need to let squid run for a while with this style of squidding so back the drag off a little, this way potential squid can 'take' the jig rather than drop it straight away. If they do drop the jig you may not get another shot :( .

 

lil jigs.jpg

 

Once hooked, retrieve slow & steadily, letting the rod take the squid's surges, slip a net in behind while still in the water and hopefully aim that inky goo elsewhere :blink: ! I like to humanly kill straight away by squeezing the head prior to placing in the catch bag. Careful though, squid can bite quite well so hold from the tube and squeeze the head from behind with thumb & index finger. You will know you have done it correctly when there is an instant loss of the squid colours, to white.

 

Its worth while getting straight back out in the same area where the last one was caught as squid generally occur in schools. Sometimes it may be 1 or 3, other times i have had 4 in the net before dispatching the first :headbang: !

 

I love eating squid but it's a can be a tedious pain to prepare. I adore salt & pepper squid, with a double coating of egg white/seasoned corn flour prior to deep frying :wub: . Otherwise stuffed squid (above link) is a fave. If im being 'lazy'  a simply crosshatching, light flouring and onto the BBQ grill with sweet chilli sauce & :d/ .

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[i love eating squid but it's a can be a tedious pain to prepare.]

 

Have you tried a SquidEzy tool?

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMwDwON0pTA

 

Cheers

af

 

I've used a SquidEzy tool twice now and find them to be 'awkward'. The separating of membrane is easy, but from there I find it is not so easy - probably just need to catch more squid and get more practice.

 

 I like to humanly kill straight away by squeezing the head prior to placing in the catch bag. Careful though, squid can bite quite well so hold from the tube and squeeze the head from behind with thumb & index finger. You will know you have done it correctly when there is an instant loss of the squid colours, to white.

 

 

What I find to humanly kill them is to slide your fingers inside hood to separate the first part of the membrane and they turn white - you might that a little easier.

 

But great report mate and a good one to get the comp going :)

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Its not so much a drama to clean squid than it is to prep for cooking, particularly S&P style, where all the small pieces need to be dried on paper towel and then double dipped (fingers get caked with gloop) and all laid out separately for frying. Haven't used the SquidEzy but have seen it used a few times.

 

I find cleaning pretty easy other than skinning which is a pain, although easier if a chux cloth is used to help rub it off. Easier still if if tubes have been frozen and then defrosted, I just like putting stuff in the freezer as 'ready to cook'.

 

Also like my tubes frozen and defrosted before use as it tenderises them a bit. Plus if you only catch 1 now and then, you can build up a stash before a cook up!

 

I clean my squid as such:

  • Fore & index fingers down the inside of the tube, behind the 'backbone'.
  • Roughly holding the head in the palm, up near your wrist and gripping with thumb & little finger, you can pretty well pull most of the guts out with backbone & head attached.
  • Wings off and tube skin rubbed off and then turned inside out. The can be a bit easier if the tube is filled with water.
  • Remaining guts and membrane wiped off, drained & vac-packed for freezing.
  • I usually clean the wings and save, mincing for stuffed squid tubes.
  • Head packed for bait with long grabber tentacles removed and packed separately.
  • Guts saved for burley or green waste.
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What I find to humanly kill them is to slide your fingers inside hood to separate the first part of the membrane and they turn white - you might that a little easier.

 

But great report mate and a good one to get the comp going :)

 

 

Used to try it that way but seemed to have lost the knack?

 

Hard part is I'm usually doing all of this in at least thigh deep water,  squid is in the net above the water with handle jammed up one armpit. The wading tub is your best friend!

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