26-10-2008, 07:50 AM
Hi Guys,
although I have not posted anything for a while I have been following some of the threads with interest. What actually attracts squid to a jig in the first place is something I lose sleep over!!!
Most of us would agree it is obvious that colour does have some effect on the the success of squid jigs, however, I have always thought that contrast, either between jig and background (this will change in different weather conditions, water, light/depth, salinity etc) or colours on the jig is the real answer to selectivity.
Colour is a luxury that is really only experienced in air or shallow water because water is a very good attenuator of the colour spectrums. The deeper one goes the more colours well known to us begin to fade and finally become monochrome. Light has a frequency and each colour a different wavelength the longer the wavelength of the colour the further it penetrates the water. Red at great depth for example becomes invisible (red has a very short wavelength), for this reason many fish dont see in the red spectrum for the same reason many deepwater crustaceans are red in colour. When diving/snorkeling you might notice everything seems greener (green has a much longer wavelength) the deeper you go, this is because many of the other colour wavelengths have been attenuated.
The optic nerve in squid is massive in relation to the size of the animal and the cones at the back of the squids retina suggest that it is adapted to work very well in low light conditions. This, I reckon, helps the squid to recognise and locate contrast, when combined with a particular movement the attack response becomes irresistable and thats what we want every time. Sadly something as everyday as the effect of wind on the surface of the water, time of day or cloud cover will change the way the squid see a jig.
My most succesful jigs have been ones that generally display strong contrasts with one or two exceptions that completely blow any theory out of the water (proof of a higher force, who knows). The most telling times have been in low light conditions, the time of day that soaks up the light of car headlights, just before sunrise and and just after sunset.
Squid heh! Dont ya just love em?
Jon
although I have not posted anything for a while I have been following some of the threads with interest. What actually attracts squid to a jig in the first place is something I lose sleep over!!!
Most of us would agree it is obvious that colour does have some effect on the the success of squid jigs, however, I have always thought that contrast, either between jig and background (this will change in different weather conditions, water, light/depth, salinity etc) or colours on the jig is the real answer to selectivity.
Colour is a luxury that is really only experienced in air or shallow water because water is a very good attenuator of the colour spectrums. The deeper one goes the more colours well known to us begin to fade and finally become monochrome. Light has a frequency and each colour a different wavelength the longer the wavelength of the colour the further it penetrates the water. Red at great depth for example becomes invisible (red has a very short wavelength), for this reason many fish dont see in the red spectrum for the same reason many deepwater crustaceans are red in colour. When diving/snorkeling you might notice everything seems greener (green has a much longer wavelength) the deeper you go, this is because many of the other colour wavelengths have been attenuated.
The optic nerve in squid is massive in relation to the size of the animal and the cones at the back of the squids retina suggest that it is adapted to work very well in low light conditions. This, I reckon, helps the squid to recognise and locate contrast, when combined with a particular movement the attack response becomes irresistable and thats what we want every time. Sadly something as everyday as the effect of wind on the surface of the water, time of day or cloud cover will change the way the squid see a jig.
My most succesful jigs have been ones that generally display strong contrasts with one or two exceptions that completely blow any theory out of the water (proof of a higher force, who knows). The most telling times have been in low light conditions, the time of day that soaks up the light of car headlights, just before sunrise and and just after sunset.
Squid heh! Dont ya just love em?
Jon