Newport Ri 2015 Squid Season

[BillG]

Hello, I'm new to this forum.  I'm still learn the rope of jigging for squid but hope i can learn more from the fellow member.

 

Thanks,

 

There are a lot of variables to consider, such as water temp., moon, tide, type of jig, color of jig, glow jig or not, size of jig, single slow jig vs. multiple short rapid jigs in succession, single vs. double jigs on droppers, and a bunch of other things. Of course, you don't really need to think about it that much as a beginner. What you need are squid jigs, some kind of rod/reel, and squid in the water directly below or in front of you, preferably with some broad, bright light to attract some bait. If you go to a popular spot for squid (such as the Goat Island Causeway in Newport), you will see hundreds of people doing some variation of the same thing. If you move into an open spot there with a jig on the end of your line and drop it to the bottom, chances are pretty good that you will pull up some squid. Aside from that, there seem to be a few "trends" that get expressed here and there from time to time.

 

The cheap WalMart style jigs will catch squid when they are around in force, but mostly they are great at catching the bottom. The Yozuris are available lots of places (Bennys behind the register, lots of tackle shops, etc.). They're decent but are a little large, compared to our typical bait which the squid are chasing. However, in my opinion, they are easier to use because they are heavier. Last year, on a breezy night, I couldn't get my jig to the water mid-tide before it blew well under the GI causeway before hitting the water. The issue with heavier jigs is that, general consensus is that squid hit on the fall/sink. If you lift the jig up off the bottom, and it slowly sinks back down, you have a bit of time for the squid to hit. The bigger Yozuri jigs drop to the bottom faster, therefore, give less time for the squid to hit. Which brings us to the smaller class of prawn-style jigs which more closely resemble the prominent bait... The Yamashitas, Martinettis, etc. Usually, these aren't available anywhere other than tackle shops near where squid are caught. And usually, a given shop will only have one or two brands in a couple of colors. They are usually available in the 1.0-2.5 size. Typically, they are 3 times the price of the Yozuris ($15 vs. $5). If you go someplace with a bigger selection or go for the mail-order route, you will find every size, color and sinking rate. Then, if you are really serious (or seriously addicted), there is the Japanese/Australian import jigs. These are usually $30 and up and many can only be purchased in-Country (you need a friend in Japan to buy them and send them to you) or purchased from a tackle shop in Australia which buys them and ships them worldwide. In addition to the costs, the time it takes for the company to ship them to you isn't all that fast. So you shouldn't expect to order on a Wed. and take them jigging on a Sat. night.

 

As for color... I'm convinced that this is more about personal preference than anything else. Most will say, if you are only buying a couple jigs and only plan to go out once or twice in a season, you should opt for orange or pink. Many will say, orange and pink are good for night jigging and green and blue are good for daytime jigging. I've seen people catching at night with every color of the rainbow and every color in-between, light-up jigs, glow jigs, metallic, translucent, etc. If you have a choice, I would probably get at least 2 or 3 jigs in at least 2 colors.

 

For a rod/reel combo, there are super-expensive, custom made rods and reels that are designed specifically for squid jigging. I have no experience with them. Just about any sensitive rod/reel combo will work adequately. I, personally, use a freshwater rod and a small spinning reel spooled with 8 lb. fluorocarbon line. It's nice because I can fit it, a bucket, and a small tackle box of jigs in my small trunk all season. Unless you're exclusively a tuna/shark fisherman, I'm sure whatever you have will work well enough, but, if you have a choice, lighter is probably better. BTW, I don't expect to ever catch a squid which will break 8 lb. test. My reason using that is because, in the event of a bottom snag, there is a better chance that I could get the jig free with 8 lb. vs. 2 lb. line.

 

Last, and most importantly, in order to catch squid, you need squid to be in the area or you need a boat to go find them. I have it on good authority that, with a boat, you can put into Newport Harbor with a fish finder, find the squid, turn on your lights, drop your jigs and start pulling them up. Frances Fleet and other charter boats offers squid trips if you want to go that route. That said, I've never gone squid jigging on a boat before. So, if you're limited to shore, the only option is to go to the squiddy places (docks, piers, bridges, etc.) when the squid should be around (primarily May & June, but mid/late Apr. to mid/late Nov.). You can watch the fishing reports and, most importantly, read here. However, there is one "fee" for reading here. If you go to the water and find some squid, post a report. Everyone knows where the traditional squid spots are, so there is no issue with spot burning or any of that nonsense that you find on other fishing boards. Sure, if you have special access to a secret spot where you catch 15 gallons of squid in 3 hours, feel free to keep the spot to yourself. However, if you catch 2 dozen squid on the Goat Island Causeway or over in Jamestown, please share with the rest of us so that we can hit the water.