Hunting Washington Forum

Other Activities => Fishing => Topic started by: DoubleJ on July 30, 2012, 12:20:48 PM

Title: When do the squid show up?
Post by: DoubleJ on July 30, 2012, 12:20:48 PM: My kids can't wait to squid jig. We have been seeing a large school of those thins silver fish (not sure what they are called) that the squid eat swimming just off the end of our dock. Just not sure when the squid come through.
Title: Re: When do the squid show up?
Post by: jackmaster on July 30, 2012, 12:22:26 PM: i know we start in the early part of november, sometimes it is great and sometimes it takes a couple weeks to start hitn them
Title: Re: When do the squid show up?
Post by: Heredoggydoggy on July 30, 2012, 01:00:53 PM: Hey! Whole new pastime--UNDERWATER GAME CAMERAS! :chuckle: :chuckle:
Title: Re: When do the squid show up?
Post by: DoubleJ on July 30, 2012, 01:01:32 PM: Quote from: Heredoggydoggy on July 30, 2012, 01:00:53 PM
Hey! Whole new pastime--UNDERWATER GAME CAMERAS! :chuckle: :chuckle:

You are a genius!!!!!!!!!!!
Title: Re: When do the squid show up?
Post by: seth30 on July 30, 2012, 01:51:06 PM: Put up a sign for free beer, there will be a lot of squids showing up. I recommend any where near Bremerton, Bangor, Everett, and Oak Harbor :chuckle:
Title: Re: When do the squid show up?
Post by: h20hunter on July 30, 2012, 01:55:08 PM: I'm not even military and that is funny.
Title: Re: When do the squid show up?
Post by: MADMAX on July 30, 2012, 01:56:42 PM: :yeah:
Title: Re: When do the squid show up?
Post by: magnanimous_j on July 30, 2012, 02:10:06 PM: The squid are in the Sound all year around. They just school tighter and closer to shore as it gets darker and colder. Halloween to St. Patrick's Day you should be able to get at them from the docks.

Don't bother with the jigs from the major retailers, they don't work. If you don't know anyone that makes their own, SportCo in Fife has good ones.
Title: Re: When do the squid show up?
Post by: DoubleJ on July 30, 2012, 02:49:19 PM: Sportco, check.
Title: Re: When do the squid show up?
Post by: wraithen on July 30, 2012, 02:57:11 PM: There is a summer "run" of squid. They will be in soon actually. As for Jigs, if you are near the tacoma marina any time soon, hit up their store for squid candy. Those jigs work awesome. I have a bunch of coleman's, but I am still pissed at them. I had one separate in half and lost me an 8 dollar squid candy. I will give away my coleman ones now. I hate them forever. Squid is a blast but it's also crazy boring. When the school comes by and the buckets turn black and there's water shooting 10 feet over the dock everyone is happy. When the school is out, everyone is bored. Last year the season sucked. I'm hoping to do much better this year.
Title: Re: When do the squid show up?
Post by: DoubleJ on July 30, 2012, 03:11:57 PM: A light on the dock helps, right? and do you drop the jig down just out of sight?
Title: Re: When do the squid show up?
Post by: DoubleJ on July 30, 2012, 03:12:41 PM: Any color of jig better than another?
Title: Re: When do the squid show up?
Post by: jackmaster on July 30, 2012, 03:24:57 PM: i shouldnt be sayn this but since your all hunters, fishers and huntresses, the abc corner mart in des moines has the best squid jigs money can buy :tup:
Title: Re: When do the squid show up?
Post by: HuntNFish on July 30, 2012, 03:32:01 PM: I have fished for squid now for the last 5 years where I live, south sound area dock, and have the best catch numbers between Nov. - Jan. and as stated, the jigs at the local dept stores/ sports stores don't catch crap. I get my jigs off S. Tac. Way at the Asian grocery store by HWY 512 and they work great. The hooks are sharper and larger and brighter than the ones sold in dept. stores and they make all different sizes so you can fish with multiple jigs at a time. Colors I use and have had luck with are ones that have pink/ red/ green, but if they glow they will work. Also, a work light right off the dock helps to bring them in, but most pier lights will still attract them. When I get home I will post up my setup and the jigs I use to give you an idea of what has worked for me.
Title: Re: When do the squid show up?
Post by: wraithen on July 30, 2012, 03:32:13 PM: I bought a HF generator for just this purpose. I have a halogen work light I hang over the edge of the pier. I put on a corky, then swivel, then first jig, then tie a 1 1/2' leader on another jig with a snap swivel and run 2 at a time. 3 works sometimes but ensures more tangling. 4 is a nightmare. I drop the setup down until I find the bottom and reel in about 3-4 inches. That way I catch the scared ones at the bottom and the aggressive ones have a jig right at eye level. The ones on the top never take my jigs. Just pull up about 3-4 feet, let them go back down, either at natural speed or slower depending on whats working better. Always have a heavier jig under a lighter one. Color doesn't matter much but I have most luck with green and pink. The corkie is just because you need to know where your line is, esp if its combat fishing with the asians that make me feel bad about my skillz. When it's slow I will cast out and jig back in. I've brought in a few schools this way. Beer helps pass the time for the summer run. Nothing helps in the miserable winter run, just enjoy the suck :tup:
Title: Re: When do the squid show up?
Post by: wraithen on July 30, 2012, 03:33:42 PM: Quote from: HuntNFish on July 30, 2012, 03:32:01 PM
I have fished for squid now for the last 5 years where I live, south sound area dock, and have the best catch numbers between Nov. - Jan. and as stated, the jigs at the local dept stores/ sports stores don't catch crap. I get my jigs off S. Tac. Way at the Asian grocery store by HWY 512 and they work great. The hooks are sharper and larger and brighter than the ones sold in dept. stores and they make all different sizes so you can fish with multiple jigs at a time. Colors I use and have had luck with are ones that have pink/ red/ green, but if they glow they will work. Also, a work light right off the dock helps to bring them in, but most pier lights will still attract them. When I get home I will post up my setup and the jigs I use to give you an idea of what has worked for me.

WHICH STORE?! I was told the boo-han but they looked at me like I was some crazy whitey when I asked last year! If you can find the homemade ones, those are super extra lucky!
Title: Re: When do the squid show up?
Post by: magnanimous_j on July 30, 2012, 03:36:11 PM: Quote from: DoubleJ on July 30, 2012, 03:11:57 PM
A light on the dock helps, right? and do you drop the jig down just out of sight?

Pretty much critical. A 20 dollar shop lite from Home Depot works great. Aim it at the water. I find that putting your line just at the edge of the light works the best. If I'm using 3 jigs, I'll let it down very gently until the bottom one just touches the bottom and them reel in a few times. When you jig, you'll be covering 5 or 6 vertical feet, and when they're running hard, there almost is no wrong way to do it. When it's slow, your mileage may vary but I like to stay closer to the bottom because you can occasionally get octopus that way.

Quote from: DoubleJ on July 30, 2012, 03:12:41 PM
Any color of jig better than another?

Not that I've noticed. I like the sparkly ones.
Title: Re: When do the squid show up?
Post by: HuntNFish on July 30, 2012, 04:44:40 PM: Quote from: wraithen on July 30, 2012, 03:33:42 PM
Quote from: HuntNFish on July 30, 2012, 03:32:01 PM
I have fished for squid now for the last 5 years where I live, south sound area dock, and have the best catch numbers between Nov. - Jan. and as stated, the jigs at the local dept stores/ sports stores don't catch crap. I get my jigs off S. Tac. Way at the Asian grocery store by HWY 512 and they work great. The hooks are sharper and larger and brighter than the ones sold in dept. stores and they make all different sizes so you can fish with multiple jigs at a time. Colors I use and have had luck with are ones that have pink/ red/ green, but if they glow they will work. Also, a work light right off the dock helps to bring them in, but most pier lights will still attract them. When I get home I will post up my setup and the jigs I use to give you an idea of what has worked for me.

WHICH STORE?! I was told the boo-han but they looked at me like I was some crazy whitey when I asked last year! If you can find the homemade ones, those are super extra lucky!

Boo-Han is the store. They are directly to the right when you step inside the far right door. I have also noticed that you need to get them in the beggining of October because they sell out of them fast. And maybe you are some crazy whitey :chuckle:
Title: Re: When do the squid show up?
Post by: highmuley on August 04, 2012, 04:54:55 AM: We squid south sound (les davis pier). We normally start in late october and finish in january. We normally use a generator but, this year I'm using a suspended lantern. Does anyone else use this method? Has anyone noticed a productivity differance between the two?
Title: Re: When do the squid show up?
Post by: wraithen on August 04, 2012, 09:29:05 AM: Suspended lantern wasn't bright enough to get that ring of light the squid hang out next to. We usually have a big lit area lit by work lights. Probably 3-4k watts of lighting going when season gets good. Seems to create a decent sized area the squid feel safe to ambush from. Never had any luck with the lantern, even if it was only 2 inches above the water.
Title: Re: When do the squid show up?
Post by: highmuley on August 04, 2012, 10:21:04 AM: Hmmm...thanks for the insite. Maybe I just stick with my generator. For jigs, I buy the hand made from sportco as well. Packaged, generic brand....no good! Never have caught a squid on BS jigs.....now I want calamari