I have been asked recently, how big do southern calamary actually get?
I have been told by squid researchers in tasmania, that the biggest sample they have encountered so far was 515mm in mantle length and 3.6kg body weight.
If you have any proven and first-hand proof of larger squid please let us know!
And photos would also be welcome. You can post them in this chat board too using the "file attachments" function. Or you can provide a link to a photo on another website using the IMG button.
Ive heard of recent reports that suggest a ripper squid of 7 kilos was caught off Rosebud pier recently
I have heard Rex hunt report of squid up to 5 kilos and these seem to happen around Queescliff at the start of the season
I know my best was around the 2 kilo mark and that was a big squid so Im not fully convinced on the report of the 7 kilo one but as we all know squid come in all sizes like the big ones off new zealand <img src='http://www.squidfish.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blueboxbullet.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':angry:' /> <img src='http://www.squidfish.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/unsure.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':angry:' />
This is my first post on this site and i have included a hyperlink of some photos of a couple of big squid I caught last season. I have plenty more photos but this is the only way i can post them on here because they are bigger than the max upload limit.
I also found it hard to believe that a 7 kg squid coulb be caught in PPB and i doubt that southern calamari grow that big. That's why i asked Glen if this was possible.
I also find it hard to believe though, that the biggest recorded have been 3.6kg.
Anyways, this makes for an interesting discussion.
Here is a picture of the second largest squid I have caught, about 3.5kg (estimated). The pictured squid to the left must've been on steroids as I have never seen a squid fight so hard, hitting the bait up to 10 times before finally getting lifted. I have caught another one which I think had a good .5kg on this one but have no photo.(both in May this year). I have not seen any of the really huge ones that I have been told about so I am keen to see photos of 6-7kg monsters.
Crikey! They are some monsters....nice work Snapperman. Did you catch them on baited jigs? And if so what bait? I have been told that silver whiting and pilchards are good baits. I am currently making the (slow) transition from fishing with jigs to fishing with baits, after being told by numerous people on piers that bait fishing is the only way to catch really big squid.
All the squid pictured were caught on silver whiting jigs. All the bigger squid that I have ever caught were on baited jigs. I only use yozuri type jigs spinning and they will outfish baited jigs when smaller squid are around (1kg and smaller) but you cannot go past silver whiting for the bigies. Of the 5 squid pictured all the squid with the exception of the largest 'let go' of the jig one or two times and the second largest letting go around ten times as she had virtually destroyed the whiting as it was only hanging on by the head. I ended up throwing another jig in eventually to catch her. With artificial jigs the squid will hit them once or maybe twice before losing interest so your chances of a strike are greatly reduced. The best approach is to have a couple of baited jigs out and spin or jig with an artificial (3.0 - 3.5) with a very light spinning outfit, 6 - 9 lbs is best. Some people do well at times with artificial jigs suspended under a float so this may be worth a try as well.
So have i understood you correctly, the decoy KGwhiting is meant to act as a "teaser" to get the squid close to the boat at which point you switch decoy for real thing with jig in it and snare the squid? :blink:
this is starting to sound like game fishing where they switch hookless bait with the a bait WITH a hook once the marlin is really pissed off and ready to engulf the bait <img src='http://www.squidfish.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':angry:' />
"Back up on the squid, its going to spool me!"
i could only wish......i'm getting carried away,.... <img src='http://www.squidfish.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':angry:' />
AK <img src='http://www.squidfish.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blueboxbullet.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':angry:' />
Thanks for the good oil on how to fish baited jigs, and also for your strategy advice. I'm going to the market to buy some silver whiting tomorrow morning, and maybe some salmon as well, so look out squid on sat night. Will let you know how I go.
I agree that squid will only hit an artificial usually 1-2 times before giving up, this is frustrating, and I look forward to having multiple hits on a baited jig. 10 times though, you must have been pulling your hair out!
i have fished with just about every bait and found nothing beats Salted pilchards I have out fished all others 10 to 1. the next best bait is garfish.
I find that all the other baits and lures just dont cut it when it comes to Pilchards but SALTED ones Ive used these for years and so had my Dad and there has been too many times to count that we bagged out while other anglers could manage only a few using lures whiting and tommy rough.
I have had the old die hards on the peir at Queenscliff ask what I use for bait and I tell them and most tell me they are using whiting or roughies.
The problem with using whiting is they dont stand out and almost look the same color as the sand. If you want to increase you squid catch get rid of tommies and whiting and use Salted pillies or gars.you will thank me
Salted pillies also last along time on jigs and can be frozen over and over again with out falling apart but most of all squid go nuts over them and if you want a bigger surprise rig two jigs on the one line and get two at a time
something Ive only seen done by my good self and I fish a lot for squid
K.G. Whiting, in my opinion is the "eye fillet" of fish bait, whether it is snapper, gummies or squid. The only thing is I would rather throw a piece of eye fillet on the barbie than on a jig. Squid have attacked live KG many times and I when I have used them I have done well.
Garfish, probably a very good bait because of colour and that it is squids favourite food but sometimes soft, expensive, messy and hard to place on a jig (can someone tell me the best way?)
Tommys, never used them.......
Yackas, excellent tough bait, the only bait you can use where allot of pickers are around. (I have done allot of fishing off Stanwell Park rocks)
Pillies, dont bother
Salted Pillies, have seen some people catching on them.
Silver Whiting, Cheap, fairly firm, Easy to get (all year round), not messy. Basically I know if I head down to Victoria St Richmond one of the three fishmongers will have something decent and you can select your own fish! And very cheap.
I am of the opinion that a hungry squid is likely to attak any fresh fish jig that it will come across. Some factors like depth, location and presentation of fish are probably more important than the type of fish.
About 20 years ago I came across a guy at the end of portsea pier with a bucket full of squid. What was he using on his jig? - Peeled potatoes!!
Anyway thats my 2 cents worth.... Keen to hear your opinions.
I use Tommies only. Would love to use garfish but am finding them hard to buy - small tommies are a good substitute - have also seen them caught to 2kgs on Pillies............
20-08-2003, 02:00 AM (This post was last modified: 20-08-2003, 02:02 AM by supersquid.)
'Hooks'- A gang of four hooks (i.e. linked together by the eye), a treble hook or a single hook are each classed as one hook. Lures and jigs are also classed as one hook
That clears up the argument of having two jigs on one line ITS ALLOWED.
Yes I agree with supersquid. You can fish with 2 squid jigs in Victoria if you wish. No problem.
Its worth trying a large jig and a small jig at the same time. then you cover all your bases! However if you get snagged you will be in tears! <img src='http://www.squidfish.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':angry:' /> <img src='http://www.squidfish.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':angry:' />
