Newport Ri 2014 Squid Season

[glen]

Hi everyone,

 

Please post about the 2014 season for Newport - Rhode Island in this thread.

 

Thanks and happy squidding!

 

Cheers, Glen

[Matsquidman]

At this rate we will be jigging up frozen squid in July!

[greg ct]

At this rate we will be jigging up frozen squid in July!

[greg ct]

At this rate we will be drilling holes through sea ice and ice fishing for them.

[defiant]

Keep the faith, Global Warming just took a break

[BillG]

Water temp is 37. It's only 13 more degrees before they're here.

[Retired squid]

I hope that the squid read our posts and that they have a reliable thermometer so they'll know when to show up!

[Squiderbruce]

It's been long long winter and I just figure that squidding comes late.

Water temp is way lower than last year.

I hope we will see them soon.

Cheers!

[AT Grimaldi]

I am going downstairs this week and getting all my gear ready.  One of my goals is to have it all on a daypack so I can walk with a rod and bucket in each hand.  I'd like to be more mobile.

 

Now all i need is some more of those soy sauce 5 gal. bucketsd.    anyone?  anyone?

 

 - ATG

[JANZ]

Wishin I was squid fishin

Tired of this cold and wind, can't even get out on a party boat

for some cod.

[Martyf250]

What is the best tide to fish in newport. Incoming, outgoing, slack?

[BillG]

What is the best tide to fish in newport. Incoming, outgoing, slack?

 

I looked into this question last year. Some say high tide. Some say slack tide around high tide. Some say tide doesn't matter. Some say a full moon. Some say a new moon. Some say you can get them in the day when they are in thick. From what I have observed, the "best" time is slack tide around high, fishing over weedy bottom right near a sandy/silty bottom with light positioned so that the area you jig falls right at the edge of the light/shadow line and use a small prawn-type pink or orange jig. That said, the true best time to fish in Newport is the time that you can get out. It is far busier on a Friday/Saturday so parking can be a problem. I have been told that the private/commercial docks are better but you have to know someone to get access.Last Spring, Jamestown seemed to be a better place to catch squid than Newport.

[anthonyl2008]

Any idea when start squid fishing season ? mid April or end of April ?

[CephBirk]

I am a newbie to fishing in this area.  At what water temperature do the squid normally come inshore?  BillG alluded to 50°F?

[Anthony0803]

Anyone check either jamestown or newport??

I'm going to check the canal tonight.

[BillG]

The water temp in Newport is currently 39.9 degrees as of this morning (ref: http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=nwpr1). Last year, it was warmer, earlier. It first hit 50 in mid-April. Then it stalled right around 50. Fishing reports and people seemed to catch handfuls or no squid. People didn't really ever catch much in Newport until the Fall run. Jamestown was catching some in the Spring and the Cape was supposedly great, but I didn't fish either of those areas. As to when squid move in, it is generally accepted that they move in when the water temp gets to 50. As to when the very first squid get here, that's anyone's guess. As an indicator, out on the Cape/Islands, their run usually starts a week or two in advance of Newport. As to how strong the run will be this year, again, that's anybody's guess. The NOAA catch numbers (ref: http://www.nero.noaa.gov/ro/fso/reports/...40329.html) for squid this year are far higher than the catch numbers for squid last year, so maybe this will be a banner year... or, maybe not. Based on the rate of climb of temperature though, the water has been rising a degree every 3-5 days, so roughly guestimating, it should hit 50 in the end of April or the beginning of May. Sunny days and calm seas should help that along though.

[CephBirk]

Great, thanks for the info, BillG!

[Anthony0803]

No squid at canal yet. Saw a few baitfish though.

[JANZ]

Thanks for the report Anthony, was hoping you might of found some, but I think

its way to cold (water) for them to come inshore yet. 

but then again there seems to be 2 or more different types of squid in new england.

The ones you can catch in Salem area and then the ones I've seen at the canal which

seem to be the deep water off shore squid that venture inshore.  Off Block Island in 135

fow caught squid very similar to those in canal.  The inshore squid in the Salem area are

shorter and no where near the diameter of the offshore squid.  Not to mention the smaller

critters taste much better and more tender.  Have not caught a squid from shore in RI or CT

in over 15 yrs so can't say if those are the same type squid as north shore MA.

Hope it wont be to long before they come as I'm out.

[Anthony0803]

Totally agree. The small ones I caught in jamestown were awesome. I also have to say the smaller squid do come into the canal early in the season. They do come in very heavy also. The ones that hang around have to be a different type, as they are just too big. From what I have read the smaller ones only have a lifespan of 1 year. These bigger ones are definitely over a year old as the biggest one I caught last year had over a 16 inch tube. I have about 15#s of big ones I am going to use for fishing bait, I will share with whomever wants some.