2019 Massachusetts Squid Report

[angler]

My wife and I fished in Beverly pier last night. Got 13 in 4 hours. Could not say it was good at all. Extremely spotty and literately fingers size...

Not sure if the run has been in the area already or gone...

[SalemScott]

It's always been my understanding squid don't like water temps below 60.  Checking the local water temps, they are showing up at 61, which would explain you're luck last night.  Last week they were still in the 50's.  It's pretty typical for the squid to start showing up in the Salem/Beverly area right around the beginning of July.  One of the reasons I enjoy taking pictures of my catches is so I can go back to previous years and figure out when I was catching them.  Good luck out there.

[foxfai]

It's always been my understanding squid don't like water temps below 60.  Checking the local water temps, they are showing up at 61, which would explain you're luck last night.  Last week they were still in the 50's.  It's pretty typical for the squid to start showing up in the Salem/Beverly area right around the beginning of July.  One of the reasons I enjoy taking pictures of my catches is so I can go back to previous years and figure out when I was catching them.  Good luck out there.

Are you sure about that? Resource? 

 

I mean people in RI start to jig for them around mother's day. I don't believe the water is much about 60 by then. Boston harbor catches them beginning of June. Few years ago it was nuts, but past 2 year has been crap shoot everywhere.

[angler]

From temp perspective, low to mid 50 is the kickoff temp.

Time in the season also comes in play. Unlike in RI, say Newport, early season has less presence of predators like strippers and blues, squids are more readily to feed whereas later of the season, starting mid June or so, temp may be perfect but they are usually more weary due to the presence of predators. Dont forget, squids migrate too. A lot of variables besides temp.

[North-shore fisha]

Im thinking the squid just arent coming to the same spots en masse like they did a few years ago.

[SalemScott]

Are you sure about that? Resource? 

 

I mean people in RI start to jig for them around mother's day. I don't believe the water is much about 60 by then. Boston harbor catches them beginning of June. Few years ago it was nuts, but past 2 year has been crap shoot everywhere.

Doing a google search, I found some websites mention 50 to 55 degrees.  I can't find the original article from years ago that mentioned 60 being the temperature where they start coming in.  I'll give Beverly a try over the next few days and see if I can jig any up.  Good luck out there.

[foxfai]

Doing a google search, I found some websites mention 50 to 55 degrees.  I can't find the original article from years ago that mentioned 60 being the temperature where they start coming in.  I'll give Beverly a try over the next few days and see if I can jig any up.  Good luck out there.

Oh they were there. We saw pods on the surface in the dim light from time to time while we were there, but they were literally finger size....

[foxfai]

Found where they gather past weekend but most of them are small sized. They stayed until sun up around 8 or so....

 

Where are the big ones?

[angler]

Saw an Asian old timer caught a big one last weekend. Perhaps over 15 or so with a pair of long tentacles. Different species from the small ones though.

[angler]

A lot of people at Beverly pier on Friday night fishing for squid, outcome was miserable and disappointing. Squid size was slightly better though.

[IAMFISH]

Been boat squidding the last 2 weeks during the new moon off Ptown, singles or doubles on almost every drop.

Full moon this week, might be a different story.

Sorry for the late post, should have shared earlier.

[skikid00]

Fished Gloucester from shore last night on the incoming tide.  mostly big tubes, about 50 in 3.5 hours.

[IAMFISH]

Fished Gloucester from shore last night on the incoming tide.  mostly big tubes, about 50 in 3.5 hours.

I saw a few boats squidding in the Harbor Sunday night on our way in from Tuna fishing. Looks like a good spot.

[angler]

Mind sharing the whereabouts in Gloucester from shore?

[salp]

try the state pier or the light house jetty

[salp]

Mind sharing the whereabouts in Gloucester from shore?

try the state pier or the light house jetty

[angler]

Awesome! I might give a try.

[angler]

Fished in Gloucester state pier Friday night for the incoming tide. Got one squid 😫

[BillHoo]

Fished in Gloucester state pier Friday night for the incoming tide. Got one squid

 

How big?

 

Are spots that you fish from, also places where you can drop a crab trap - multi-tasking squid fishing and crabbing at the same time?

[angler]

No, BillHoo. I did set trap for crab and neither did I see a soil did so. Only 2 more fishermen fishing for strippers, I supposed.

The only squid I caught 1 hr before the tofe was medium size.