Squid Fishing
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Dropped some crab and prawn traps in Saanich inlet yesterday morning. I spoke to the lady at office when launching and she said there were squid caught in front of spectical creek in December but had not heard of any recently. I trolled around the different bays with my sounder and jigged any where I saw bait. Also tried in front of spectical creek. Was ebbing tide so not ideal. Not much bait and no squid today.
RCMP boat was cruising shoreline where accident happened. I avoided that area.
RCMP boat was cruising shoreline where accident happened. I avoided that area.
pescador
Well-Known Member
Can you share depth?
Fixit
Well-Known Member
I head out into 1100ft of water, look for a return on the sounder at around 300-500ft (hake) and then jig below that. I find most of the time im getting them 3/4 to 1/2 of the way down. but start at the bottom and do tiny jigs for some action, 10 sec pause, followed by a "set the hook. jig" if you dont feel like you snagged something then wind up 10 cranks and repeat. If you feel extra drag when you set the hook, keep reeling and dont stop at all. you must keep tension alll the way up. alllllllllll the way up! Often, just before you hook up you might be asking yourself was that a take?, or oh I think I felt something.... its a very ginger take, soft, subtle.... happy hunting!
oh and I should add, slack tides and no winds. lines need to be going straight up and down. sea anchors or buckets help in marginal conditions.
oh and I should add, slack tides and no winds. lines need to be going straight up and down. sea anchors or buckets help in marginal conditions.
kaelc
Crew Member
Mid Island?
When I lived in North Sannich I used to take my kids to the dock where the boat over to Powder wharf used to land. They liked to catch green stripe shrimp that would show up at dusk. We used a dipnet and they did well . The bonus was that there were often schools of squid that would show up. We could usually several dozen squid per night.
It was always a fun night. We would take the squid home , clean them and make calamari.
I haven't tried to catch them for about 10 years, but I would bet they still show up.
It was always a fun night. We would take the squid home , clean them and make calamari.
I haven't tried to catch them for about 10 years, but I would bet they still show up.
RiverBoy
Well-Known Member
The squid have two “feeler” arms that they can shoot out and latch onto their prey. you will feel a subtle poke at your jig.it’s barely anything. if you have mono line just stay home; you’re not feeling this poke .it’s imperative you don’t set the hook yet. using their feelers they pull the jig towards itself. it then hugs or attacks the jig with all its tentacles. you will feel the weight of the squid all of a sudden. this is the time to set the jig and DO NOT stop winding all the way to the surface. your arm will be burning. have a netter ready to scoop the squid. we were getting them in 550-750 fow under the hake.
Sharphooks
Well-Known Member
The industrious jiggers around here create their own squid “bite” by hanging lights over the piers at night. They fill buckets lickety-split of Loligo (Opal) with their jig set-ups and those lights
The squid pic above is probably a Todarodes Pacificus squid. If you order calamari in a restaurant it’s probably going to be that Todarodes species ….Loligo (Opal) is getting very expensive in the commercial markets so seafood traders go down the food chain ladder as far as quality and catch volumes etc. go…however, Todarodes is more chewy then Opal, thus the price differential
The squid pic above is probably a Todarodes Pacificus squid. If you order calamari in a restaurant it’s probably going to be that Todarodes species ….Loligo (Opal) is getting very expensive in the commercial markets so seafood traders go down the food chain ladder as far as quality and catch volumes etc. go…however, Todarodes is more chewy then Opal, thus the price differential
Suspect they are Magister Arm Hook squid, although the guys fishing them out of French Creek like to call them Humboldt.
adanac
Well-Known Member
100 percent magister armhook squid . That weird guy that runs that squid Facebook group has mid identified them constantly as Humboldts .
the squid you are referring to , “ neon flying squid, or Japanese flying squid “ look similar but are found out off the continental shelf, not in the strait . Was an experimental fishery in bc in 1990 - 1991 way offshore , was even a few broadbill swordfish caught as bycatch .
pescador
Well-Known Member
It’s the most sustainable fishery in the world. The meat is amazing. So many ways to prep squid. Why the hell doesn’t the commercial fleet start up this whole new industry in Canada. And why don’t restaurants start thinking about it as an opportunity in our back yard, like prawns in June or Hali in April when those seasons start. In Spain ordering calamari frito o a la plancha is no different than asking for a burger or a steak. Bondigas de calamari, calamari frito, calamari a la plancha, calamari in salads, calamari sandwiches (yes they exist), calamari en su tinta, calamari y aroce. You give it to your 4 year old and no one goes yuk. Such an opportunity and no seems to be jumping on.
Sharphooks
Well-Known Member
That magister armhook is a huge fishery up in Alaska. They call it by-catch squid because it’s commonly caught as by-catch during the summer pollock fishery. I just shipped a container to Rupert and the dungeness guys love it. If it’s in commercial quantities in the Strait it would sell all day long into both blackcod and dungeness pot fisheries….opportunity waiting to happen for both bait and food grade as Pescador mentioned
kaelc
Crew Member
Spent the good part of three days this past weekend looking for squid in Barkley Sound. Reports were they were there but the Springs and Squid both seemed to disappear when they heard I was coming. Went to 5 spots they were reportedly at and saw no sign of them and jigged at each. Filling up the boat and doing a few repairs so I'm ready to on the next report.
Thanks for any tips. Looking for Opal to use for love bait and to do a squid fry
Thanks for any tips. Looking for Opal to use for love bait and to do a squid fry
