Newport Ri 2016 Squid Season

[Retired squid]

5/21 late night 2 hr. 10 squids. Season over???????

 

Not yet, be patient and don't give up.

[Retired squid]

One thing I have learned is to watch my line in the water. Sometimes the squid will knock your jig a little before they grab it. You will see your line move from side to side and then straighten out. Lift slowly but firmly and you may have more success especially when the bite is light. Several years ago I caught one after another in the daytime because I had good sunglasses and I used a light jig. I watched the squid knock the jig ever so slightly as it slowly sank. When I saw them touch it I lifted. Otherwise the bite was so light that I may not have felt it. No one else was catching that day but I nearly filled my bucket because I could see them just touch the jig instead of grabbing it. It seemed if they were trying to figure out if the jig was a fish or not! They are smart!!! Other times they just hammer it and it really is a matter of just getting you jig to the bottom. How many times have you put your pole down with your jigs in the water in order to do something else for a minute or two. You then pick up the pole and you have squid on the jigs without even trying!! One thing for sure there are many ways to do it and what works depends on the conditions that day like water temp, current and tide , amount of light, color jig, wind, there urge to spawn, amount of baitfish around, comorants or other birds around looking for a meal and fish who will cause them to scatter like striped bass etc. Just keep trying different things. If no one is catching the squid might not be around but change your tactics and you might find they are!!!!!

 

Very good advice. I also use a light weight, homemade jig on a 6 or 8 lb line. I cast it out and then I watch my line as the jig slowly sinks. If the line stops sinking, or if it gets taut, then I know I have a squid on my line. Unfortunately I now live in SC and I'm not always able to be there (visiting family) when the bite is on, but I will be there at least a couple of weeks starting this Wednesday. I sure hope that I will be able to get a bucket or two (I know I'm being greedy) and enjoy them there plus bring some back home to SC..

[alaskanaturally]

 

Very good advice. I also use a light weight, homemade jig on a 6 or 8 lb line. I cast it out and then I watch my line as the jig slowly sinks. If the line stops sinking, or if it gets taut, then I know I have a squid on my line. Unfortunately I now live in SC and I'm not always able to be there (visiting family) when the bite is on, but I will be there at least a couple of weeks starting this Wednesday. I sure hope that I will be able to get a bucket or two (I know I'm being greedy) and enjoy them there plus bring some back home to SC..

We assume that you use this technique when the current is slack. What do you do when the tide is running?

[Matsquidman]

Very good advice. I also use a light weight, homemade jig on a 6 or 8 lb line. I cast it out and then I watch my line as the jig slowly sinks. If the line stops sinking, or if it gets taut, then I know I have a squid on my line. Unfortunately I now live in SC and I'm not always able to be there (visiting family) when the bite is on, but I will be there at least a couple of weeks starting this Wednesday. I sure hope that I will be able to get a bucket or two (I know I'm being greedy) and enjoy them there plus bring some back home to SC..

I use different weights and let it go with the current as long as it slowly sinks using a small jig. If the current is strong use enough weight to get to the bottom quickly using two or three jigs.

[Gilligan]

Hope you are correct Janz. We'll be up there next week.

 

 I think Janz is correct, they are usually the hottest late may to early june, and then again in the fall. Last couple of years the first week of June was the best on the Vineyard until the fall run.

[angler]

Hey Folks,

For those of you who have responded and shared your theories and techniques to hook the quick-witted mollusk, I say Thank You.

 

I must say I have learned quite a bit from the posts during the past few days. I have tried some of these techniques with limited success but I think it is mostly due to the fact that I didn't exercise enough persistence.

 

On a slightly different topic, I always thought squids would migrate up north along the coast all the way to Maine. But I have heard a few folks in GI sayings they could be hooked all through the summer till fall. Is that true? Even though I have been squid fishing in GI for more than 2 decades, I've never bothered to try summer and fall.

[Retired squid]

We assume that you use this technique when the current is slack. What do you do when the tide is running?

I use it even when the current is running, some of my jigs have a little weight (split shot sinker attached inside), the most difficult time is when the wind is really blowing and when visibility is poor.

[Matsquidman]

I have had some blockbusters days in the months of October and early November. Don't squid fish much in summer. Too busy using spring squid to catch fluke !!!!!!

[BillG]

Squid only live for 6-18 months. They push in from offshore. They don't migrate the way bigger fish like stripers do. They follow water currents and bait, come inshore, breed/lay eggs and die. If the waters warm properly, they will push in as far as Maine (I've even heard of some caught in Canada). I've personally have seen them in April, May, June, July and August. I can never seem to get my act in gear for the fall run, but I know that people catch them through mid-December some years. If you were strong and brave and dedicated and cold-hardy, you could probably catch them Jan.-Mar. too.

[Gilligan]

Squid fishing is huge in Nova Scotia. The song "Squid Jiggin' Grounds" was written about squid jigging there. Ed McCurdy sings (or sang) this song, you can probably find it on youtube. It is hilarious!! "If you get cranky without your silk hanky you'd better steer clear of the squid jiggin' grounds". There was still decent squidding last year into Dec on the Vineyard, and I heard of some being caught around Newport then also. I do not think you'd get them in the northeast in Jan-March, They disappear from the vineyard waters by mid Dec., I have friends who fish them until they leave, and that is usually by mid-Dec.

[1tym]

I havr caught squid in ri every month of the year... the question is how many.

[dabeers54]

They are in! 70 in 2hrs

[alaskanaturally]

They are in! 70 in 2hrs

Do you mind sharing where? Also, day or night?

[dabeers54]

Newport....dark

[K.O.]

I started squid fishing last year and not a master like other guys.

I use a fishing set for beginners bought in walmart and jigs & 20W light bought in Amazon. 

 

I went to GI bridge at 11 p.m. on last Friday. There were about 20 people on the bridge.

It was sunny and full moon.

I caught 17 squids in 3 hrs. Other guys caught much more, but 17 squids are enough to eat with family.

 

My advice for beginners like me;

(1) Carefully observe guys fishing a lot.

(2) Ink spots on the road show the good position

(3) squids are in the bottom and squids bite your jig while jigs are falling, not pulling.

(4) Keep Clean around the sea!

 

Last year, Peak was early in June.

Let's enjoy squidfishing!!

 

 

[Gilligan]

Very nice post K.O.! It is hard to tell how big your jig is in the photo, but it looks a little large to me. I prefer jigs around 3" total length, they usually seem to out fish the larger ones. I also use four pound test flourocarbon line which is almost totally invisible in the water. A small very sensitive rod also helps you feel the light touch of the loligo squid. When they are hungry and aggressive any jig will do, but when they are finicky you will find the smaller jigs and thin line work better. You don't need to put all thin line on your reel, you can put just 50' or so on to do the trick. The thinner line is also less wind and current resistant. I agree that the peak was and often is in early June for the spring run. I'd like to see "sunny and full moon at 11PM" sounds like fishing around the arctic circle in the land of the midnight sun!! Tight lines and an inky bucket!!

[alaskanaturally]

Very nice post K.O.! It is hard to tell how big your jig is in the photo, but it looks a little large to me. I prefer jigs around 3" total length, they usually seem to out fish the larger ones. I also use four pound test flourocarbon line which is almost totally invisible in the water. A small very sensitive rod also helps you feel the light touch of the loligo squid. When they are hungry and aggressive any jig will do, but when they are finicky you will find the smaller jigs and thin line work better. You don't need to put all thin line on your reel, you can put just 50' or so on to do the trick. The thinner line is also less wind and current resistant. I agree that the peak was and often is in early June for the spring run. I'd like to see "sunny and full moon at 11PM" sounds like fishing around the arctic circle in the land of the midnight sun!! Tight lines and an inky bucket!!

This doesn't have anything to do with squid fishing but Gilligan mentioned fishing "around the Arctic Circle in the land of the midnight sun." This is what we catch in the middle of night in the midnight sun:    

[SquidFox]

Squid are in at The Vineyard.

A little over 200 pounds by two of us. Usually we only need one trip for the squid we would have enough.

[K.O.]

Thank you for your advice, Gilligan!

1. It is too big jig
   
   
2. “Sunny” is not appropriate word for expressing a clear night.
   
   

I always use 2, 2.5, and 3-inch jigs. It is most effective for squids in Rhode Island.


Last winter, I asked my Japanese friend to bring a “size 3 squid jig of Yamashita”. She brought this big jig. Japanese standard is different!


I might as well use this jig on last Friday and found that this big jig prevented small squids from approaching. Anyway, I will use small jigs next time.


And I want a sensitive rod! My Walmart rod is very tough, but I can’t feel the squids. Other masters use very thin and delicate rods. Most important thing, I think, in squid fishing is how to feel squid. I will buy a new rod this weekend.


You must be a great and smart fisherman, since you correctly guessed my situation from only two pictures.


 

To Alaskanaturally,


That huge trout (Salmon?) is excellent! Since I’m Japanese, I’ve only seen such a huge trout on TV. Thanks to you, I’ll never forget the word “midnight sun” and “clear night”.


   

 

 

[fatso]

Try search on ebay or amazon about egi rods. Most models are exl, el, m, mh.