The Squid is in.

[KevinM]

If you're looking for fresh bait or calamari for dinner, the lantern fishing has started on the Goat Island Causeway. Just be careful where you park, May 1 is the beginning of the sticker parking only season in a lot of spots on Newport.

[JohnR]

Thanks Kevin... Pretty soon the bass will be puking that squid up...

I wonder what they like better, the live buckys or fresh squid....

[Jaiem]

Any like this:

[img="http://www.artsnflies.com/images2/Photos/bi_squid_anf.jpg"]

[Gus]

How do you catch squid?? and where?

[Patrick]

That is one huge squid!

Gus, the only way I know how to catch squid is with a "squid jig" Yo-Zuri makes a couple types but you can find cheaper ones. Basically what it is, it's a ganglion of hooks. Squid grab them to eat or to mate or something and they "shooters" get hooked on them.

Here is a tip that I've seen on the net and it's the best thing I've ever seen. When you grap a squid, they will shoot ink as a defensive mechanism. This can dirty you up in no time. Take a 2 or 3 liter soda bottle and cut the bottom off. Then, take the cap off. When you get a squid, drop them in the their, let them spray and it will all drain out the bottom and not on you.

[Jaiem]

Squid hit a number of jigs. Yo Zuri's are good but expensive. Tear drop jigs work too, less expensive but aren't always the most effective. That one in the pic hit on a small home made jig that's really deadly in the fall (it's a local RI/BI design).

In other parts of the world, however, big squid hit full size jigs. For example, in the Sea of Cortez the Humbolt squid regularly hit big diamond style jigs!

Gus - Try inside large harbors at night, especially near the mouth of the harbor. Fish around dock lights. Or use your own bright light is you can.

ps- When unhooking the squid be careful of the mouth. They have a very SHARP and POWERFUL beak (like a Parrot) and can really do some damage if given the chance!

[Saltheart]

That is a good squid but I've seen much bigger. Last year or 2 years ago John M caught one we were calling Squidzilla. thing had to be close to 2 feet long. I looked for the thread to post a link to the picture but couldn't find it. It was nightmare size!

[JohnR]

Two feet long and I'd venture to guess that some 18 inch schoolie would still try to whack it (and probably get hurt in the process).

[Jaiem]

BI regulars have told me some very big "baseball bats" come in deep into the night. But by then most guys have thier bucket full for bait and are on the beach.

[Fishpart]

I was up in Attleboro yesterday and swung by the tackle shop while I was waiting for some tools to get sharpened. The owner said a couple of guys came in and cleaned him out of squid jigs. He indicated they really only wanted Yozuris and pink is the hot color.

[Jaiem]

On similar subject, does anyone know a shop or catalog that sells just squid jig hooks?

I saw it once in a catalog but when I called they said they no longer carry it. Did find one importer but he wanted to sell them by the thousand. I don't loose that many jigs.

Thanks.

[KevinM]

Jaiem
The squid in Newport were about the size of the one in your pic. Some bigger, some smaller. Chartreuse seemed to be the hot color the night I was there.

[Jaiem]

Kevin,

Thanks for the info.

I do a lot of my squid fishing in the fall at BI. White is the prime color though red and red/white jigs are very good seconds. And I heard one guy say blue was doing well too. I think size plays more than color though.

[john]

Ok, So I buy a squid jig, wait until dark, use my light tackle pole, stick a light over the water, drop the jig...then what? Let it sink to the bottom and reel up fast or slow? How do squid hit? ok, now assume I hook one, what makes it squirt ink? when does it do it? After it does it, how do I clean it? Tell me more, I am ready to go! thanks.

[Jaiem]

You need to try different things. You can try dropping it down and jigging it at different levels until you find where the squid are in the water column. I jig with a short up stroke (say 10-12") then let the jig settle. Wait a few seconds then jig again. Or you can use a series of quick short jigs followed by a pause. Either way, after the wait make a slow rise. If you feel any weight "set" the jig and reel in the squid. Sometimes the squid will hit as you slowly raise the jig.

Another approach is to cast out to the shadow line, engage as soon as the jig hits water and let the jig angle back to you. Maybe give a little twitch along the way. Watch the line for any slack should could indicate a squid has hit.

There are no set ways to fish for squid. Squid in different locations seem to sometimes want different ways of jigging. Also, jigs like the Yozuri are worked differently than tear drop or "Pen Cap" jigs. Ideally you can fish around others who know the area and you'll see what they're doing.

Unhooking a squid isn't a problem. Squid jig hooks are more like a crown of prongs - no barbs. Just turn the jig upside-down and the squid should just fall off. Typically the squid will "ink you" when it first comes out of the water so don't wear good clothes fishing!

I'll leave the cleaning answer to someone more experienced - I use them for bait.

Good luck!

[Jenn]

hmmm.... catch a squid...reel it in....cast it back and hopefully HANG ON!!!!!!!!! yeah!



heh, heh, heh.....

[Patrick]

Do you guys ever see tuna invading those schools of squid? I know thats one of their favorite foods. I'm talking about big tuna like Bluefin or Yellowfins (are they atlantic fish even?) Couldn't imagine hooking a bluefin from shore!

[JohnR]

The heck with chasing squid, I keep rememberin' on WMI when J Powers was talking about several hundred pound Bluefins jumping out of the water at the canal chasing bass and blues like they were nut bunker in a school of harbor blues....

[Canalratt1]

John I have seen the tuna bust into schools of blues many times in the ditch. It is an unbeleivable sight! Some guys have actually hooked into them but none were landed. Some of the breaks you see there scare the s#%t out of you but we always cast on them anyways!

[Patrick]

you guys need to hook a large bluefish, put it on a 14/0 hook, tow it out there on a kayak or surfboard using a boat rod and a Penn 130 International. Worlds first surf caught bluefin record.

[JohnR]

LMAO - You OBVIOUSLY aren't familiar with what the Ditch is are you. Or the fact that you would have zero chance of casting a blue from the shore with that gear.

Note to everyone else, do not use a kayak, surfboard, or float tube (me and Easttide saw the one night) in the Canal - just aint happening - got it?

I realize that you are kidding (at least I hope)

[Jaiem]

There's a famous series of photos of a large bluefin chasing teen-size blues on the surface.

[Jenn]

more like.......

"record size idiot caught by bluefin"

[Patrick]

I would do it man. That would be wild. You know what a fight it would be? I've read similar stories about giant Bluefin tuna getting close up to shore feeding on inshore species. I think it was weakfish. It was some sort of sea trout as I recall. Anyway, guys would be catching these fish and then all of a sudden, they would hook a fish and for no reason, a big hit while the fish was on and snap, broken line.

You guys gotta try it sometime. That would be absolutely wild, plus, all the tunafish you can eat for a decade.

[Jenn]

um...ok...but....

first of all dont you need special tuna permits??? and dont you think that it is a little unrealistic to battle a fish that could be twice your weight from shore?? or kayak???

Then again.....


headline reads..."local missing boy found washed ashore on the opposite side of the globe..." :P

[Slipknot]

Ya, you have to have at least a recreational tuna permit and that has to be in your boats name. So if you're fishing from shore, do you apply for the permit with the name of your bicycle on it? I can just picture someone now standing on the east end jetty Sandwich side snagging a bluefish and rigging him up to a tuna stick and lobbing it out into the feeding frenzy with one of those surgical tube slingshot things. Could work, but how do you back down on a tuna from shore? In 2-3 minutes all your line would be stripped if you haven't been pulled into the ditch yet by momma bluefin, and your line would probably break as she rounds the Scusset jetty. Someone HAS to get that on film.

[JohnR]

Application for North Atlantic Migratory Tuna
For use in sport fishing for Bluefin, Yellow Fin, BigEye and Seawolf Class Attack Subs

Permit Holder: The Jettyman
Vessel Name: HUFFY
Vessel Home Port: Dogwood Tree
Vessel Range: Bike Paths
Propulsion: Shimano 2 Stage 10 Speed Derailer
Optional Safety Equipment: Sissy Bar
Current Record Fish (for informational purposes only): BlueGill

Just kidding, but couldn't resist...

Seriously - CanalRatt??? Do you know where those pictures can be seen? Are they on the web? That would be an awesomne sight, and call me when it's happening so I can play hooky and check that out!!

Later,

John

[Fishguts]

John Its been a few years but I remember seeing a set of photos in a marina just inside of Newbury port. thats not a lot of help but mabe someone else may know the name of it. if my memory serves me right it is next too a restuarant right after the bridge that crosses the merrimac.

[Slipknot]

Canalratt1 (05-08-2001 13:53):
John I have seen the tuna bust into schools of blues many times in the ditch. It is an unbeleivable sight! Some guys have actually hooked into them but none were landed. Some of the breaks you see there scare the s#%t out of you but we always cast on them anyways!

Those breaks may explain why in Frank D's book he mentions something about - who says stripers don't jump? I have been there under the Sagamore bridge and heard what sounded like a horse jumping off the bridge.- Maybe it was a bluefin Frank. Who Knows.

Anyway I have also seen a tuna break the surface there , if not a tuna then it was an ocean sunfish those things actually jump pretty high.