A Couple Newbie Questions

[JimNasium]

Hey, I just started getting interested in squid fishing (damn they taste good), and I'm going to buy a setup soon. I've been looking around the shops, and have a few questions. I'm lucky (unlucky?) enough to live in Japan, so I have a huge selection of squid fishing (egi) gear available. But that's kind of the problem. There's so much that it gets a bit overwhelming for what I need, and what I don't need. I've read the FAQ, and I have a few more questions.



First, about a rod. They have specific "egi" rods here. But I have no idea what the difference is between regular fishing rods and "egi" rods. I remember people talking about how they're longer, and they do have the long ones, but they also have shorter ones. Is it a waste of money to buy specificly an "egi" rod, or should I just go with the cheaper regular rod?



Second, reels. There are a huge selection of reels available, some cheap, some really expensive. I haven't seen any specific "egi" reels, so I assume it doesn't make a difference. Does anyone have a suggestion on a good brand that isn't too expensive? Also I should mention I'll be fishing from shore, so no tangles is a big plus.



Third, line. I've pretty much read through the whole forum, and I'm surprised I haven't found anything about line color. The shop had a huge selection of lines and colors. Pink, green, white, clear, super visible, super visible/super invisible and so on. I'm definitely lost here. What am I looking for?



Fourth, spray. I know there's a big section on all the types of spray they have, but the number they have here is huge! I could probably double the amount you have on there. But anyways, which ones have worked for you? I saw Egi Max there. Does it work pretty well?



And lastly, lures. There are also a huge selection of lures here. But I have to say, I barely see any difference between the brand names. The Yo-Zuri and Yamashita were about $10 each, and there was another one (can't remember the name now) that was about $14. The rest were all lower. And while I was looking for a lure case, they had a case with 6 lures for $10. Great deal, and the lures didn't really look that bad. Is there a big difference between the big names and no names? Are the Yo-Zuri and Yamashita proven to catch more than the no-names? Are the squid more attracted to them?



Sorry for so many questions. Thanks for your help!

[mrzed]

Hi, I'm also in Japan and yes the fishing community is mad about squid. Over here there is apecific gear for any kind of fishing you can think of.



For eging I think you want a light rod but with a good length. It also needs to be flexible but have a reasonably sharp action. I have an egi specific one I picked up for ¥4,000. You can spend 10 times that but...



For reels, don't worry about the price so much but look at the size. That said, the super cheap ones will probably cack themselves after a season and are more likely to have line trouble than the more expensive ones. A lot of eging specific reels will have a double handle and shallow spool. You don't need 100s of meters of line and most people use PE. I'm using a Daiwa Kaldia KIX 3500 but I also use it for Japanese Seabass, Spanish makeral etc. There are cheaper and much more expensive reels out there. Most shops will probably point you toward Shimano or Daiwa.



As for line, most people swear by PE. Its light and floats so you can see if something is messing with your egi. Again there are a lot of brands. I'm just using the 16lb that I have for seabass. The colours are there for line visibility. Almost everyone uses fluro leader. Most of them are clear, but there is one brand that claims it is invisible to squid.



I don't know anyone using sprays.



Start cheap with egis. Most of the places ou will fish are rocky and/or weedy and you will loose them. Get the el-cheepos from the ¥300 bargain bin to start with.



Finally, have fun <img src='http://www.squidfish.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/thumbsup2.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':beer' />

[JimNasium]

Thanks a lot E-Z. Where abouts in Japan are you in? I'm in Kagoshima. Not sure if here is better or worse. I think tons of people egi here, so I might have a hard time finding a free spot. Just one more quick question. You said to check the size. Is smaller or bigger better?

[mrzed]

I'm in Nagoya. Squiding is not too good close by but if you travel a 100k or so you can get to some good points. Kagoshima is almost a squidding mecca <img src='http://www.squidfish.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':beer' />



Most people seem to recomend a 2500 class reel, preferably with a shallow spool. And you want one with good drag because aori are stronger than they look.