2020 MA/RI Squid Thread

[IAMFISH]

Thanks for sharing.

[IAMFISH]

A friend fished the Ptown Jetty last week and it was dead.

Thats too bad, I was fixing to give it a shot Friday night but probably going to stick to bass and fluke fishing.

[Madizins]

Anyone catching squid near Jamestown these days (or nights...)?

[algreenjr]

Went on the frances fleet combo trip caught fluke and 27 squid in different sizes. Windy night and the current was somewhat tough. But a good night anyway.

[greg ct]

Went on the frances fleet combo trip caught fluke and 27 squid in different sizes. Windy night and the current was somewhat tough. But a good night anyway.

 

What kind of trip was it?  Day/night?  They don't fish for fluke at night afaik.  Just curious.

[Squidder Al]

The trip was 7 to midnight they start drifting and when it gets dark they anchor up I've seen fluke caught at night along with seabass and the squid show up. Not like spring or fall run but you can put together a couple of dozen on the trip

[Squidder Al]

The trip ran 7 to midnight they start by drifting until it gets dark. Then they anchor up to squid fish

[Squidder Al]

The trip was 7pm to midnight. They drift for fluke and seabass and later anchor up and fish for squid I have seen fluke caught at night it does help to use glow jigs but have seen fluke caught on eels at night while bass fishing

[Gilligan]

Well, I'm back on the Vineyard and happy to report that there is sporadic good sqidding in Edgartown. Tonight my buddy and I got a fast thirty, then they died out, went to another dock, got a fast six, moved to another spot where seven others showed up and we got another couple dozen before it died down there too. Everybody at the last stop were pros and I'd say over a hundred were caught in total. I have not yet found them in Menemsha, too windy to jig there tonight especially since we got a couple day's bait earlier.

[Gilligan]

For the last couple of days they have been scarce but a couple of guys have been in the right place at the right time and caught some, but it has not yet been steady and heavy squidding. Hopefully they come in soon thick and hungry! Got a few small ones in Menemsha last night after getting some huge ones in Edgartown. Has anybody had good action down by Newport or on the Cape?

[Benzzino]

I figured the water was still to warm for squid. Thanks for the update!


Hey has anyone ever try using a cast net to catch them? Just wondering how that would work out.

[Gilligan]

Sure, people use cast nets for them. Works best when you can see hordes of them near the surface and in shallow (less than 15') water. Water not too warm, my buddy and I got 40 tonight just under an hour, and a couple other guys got 50 at another dock. Not really thick here yet, but we have had enough for three guys to fish the surf a few hours every night and keep enough in a floating keeper to liveline for the albies from the docks. Better action this early than last year, not as good as 4-5 years ago. If you use a cast net please don't leave the crud (shells, rocks, seaweed) on the docks like some folks do. Also best to do it where nobody is jigging since it spooks them and makes the jiggers mad.

[Gilligan]

A funny squid story. I've been squidding and fishing in or near Edgartown for a couple of weeks, the squidding has been sporadic but most of the sharper guys are getting enough bait and a few for the table. The Edgartown albie hunters love live lining squid in the harbor and all have keepers for their live squid. The guys who put more into it use lobster cars which float at surface level and have folding tops on them. Those who can't spring for a lobster car use round laundry baskets with a foam noodle around the top to float it. All around the docks you will see lobster cars and laundry baskets floating tied to the docks and people are generally respectful and leave each other's keepers alone. Well, a couple of days ago squid began disappearing from the laundry baskets but not the covered lobster cars. People were getting edgy on the town dock wondering who was stealing their precious bait. (I mean we're getting them but it may take a couple hours for twenty baits.) So my buddy the harbormaster is hearing all these complaints when another fisherman tells him he pulled up his keeper of peanut bunker and an otter popped out!! Otters had found the topless keepers and have been gorging themselves with little effort. By the way, live lining squid is great fun!!

[Benzzino]

Wow thats funny! I am sure people were looking to blame one of the townies for stealing them.


I wonder when the squid will be around colliers ledge. I am guessing a few more weeks looking at the water temp.

[Gilligan]

Actually all the keepers belong to locals and townies, they were all eying each other suspiciously and thinking either one or two of them or maybe the Brazilians were stealing the squid.

[Benzzino]

Thats funny! Maybe I will see you over to Edgartown in the next few nights. Probably go over on my boat and try to catch some squid! Been bored sitting around at night.

[Gilligan]

I haven't seen anybody boat fishing for them other than an occasional boat tied to a dock. Blowing too hard today, may ease up tomorrow, rain for Mon. Come on over if you like or can, they have been here. Three of us got 80 in an hour and a half tonight from the dock at the Reading Room, the next pier with a building on it south of the yacht club. Some guys got into them pretty good late last night at the marina docks. You might do well just drifting the harbor, they are obviously moving around a lot and still not here in large enough numbers that all areas are hot at once like usually happens around this time of year. I still have not found a thick school of them in Menemsha and it is usually hot there too by now. Of course since I have been mostly squidding Edgartown and fishing the south shore near Edgartown so I have been only trying Menemsha late at night about the same time so I could just not be there when the squid are.

[Gilligan]

Hammered the squid in Edgartown tonight, they were in thick and aggressive. Three of us did over a squid a minute, I left 'em biting because I was freezing. Maybe they are finally getting in the harbor thick. Best squidding I've had this year.

[angler]

Anyone knows if it is still allowed to fish in GI bridge? I fished the fall run there about 10 years ago towards the end of Oct, it was ok.

[Benzzino]

Any new squid reports?