[Keith White]

Last night a few of us ended up at Bonne Nuit again. Jamo, Ritchie, Callum, Gary and myself. Dougie Ward turned up for a chat but not alot happening really.

Ritchie and Callum had previously done Rozel and had 5 fish I believe. Bonne Nuit was much quieter.

Jamo was first in...

Quite a nice fish taken on a cut down megabass hazedong.

I was testing one of the new £25 carbo star rods from MrFish and through the evening tried 1g thru various metals. I also tried a small 'spinnerbait' as seen in the picture (below).
This fish was about 1.5lb. The rod was well BENT, right through to the handle and i was using 4lb straight through FC line. Fight was awesome. So, we know it can handle the bonus fish. However, it's a rod for LRF scratching on Pout, smaller Pollack, Gobies etc.. Very sensitive and casts the weight range well. Has little reserve backbone but won this hard fighting Pollack over.

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Ritchie was playing with his new 'tool' the Sakura 'Rookie'. He was next int a fish.

As the evening drew on and the tide continued to drop, the guys drifted away. Gary was the last guy to say goodbye and I'd been playing with my newly learned Japanese Eging techniques using my new Daiwa Eging rod and Egi's. I opened a bottle of drink as Gary left, with the rod leaning against the railings.

Half way through the drink the rod keeled over...JEEEEZ !!

What was that.

I decided to continue with the Eging for 10 minutes.

I used a single stroke and a double (1 long and 1 following short tap). IKA !

Nice one and a first on my new Eging rod, the action of which is 'completely' different to that of a fishing rod imho. It is stiff enough to really JERK the Egi in fast aggressive moves yet leans over into what were Squid of around a 1.5lb to a Kilo in weight.

Yamashita Egi and another lovely Ika (Squid) Call em what you will, this was Eging, not traditional jigging.

They just kept coming but, to the 'double stroke'. Strange but true. After the stroke, within 30 seconds the line would tighten and away we went. Just casting and leaving it didn't get takes within that time frame and single stroke was similar although i did get 2 Squid using it.

Thinking it was purely the Yamashita Egi doing the damage I swapped out to size 4.0 Egi. One of the 'Pheromone Skin' ones Mick sells. Here we go again. Same double stroke result. Hardly any water now and I'm battering Ika's and can see them swimming around.

Nice sized Squid all. Here is a shot with the camera on a self timer. Note the squid 'butt hooked'. In Japanese DVD's, they butt hook the Squid they don't wish to keep and lower them back. Dropping them in kills them. However, a light nick in the tail, lower them back and once in the water, they are away. I kept a few to eat but returned nearly all of the 11 i caught in less than an hour of frantic Eging. Mental sport, seriously mental.

 

[Simon L]

Nice size to those squid. Good busy sessions your having there.

 

[Gary A]

Nice one Keith, I knew you were holding back for something lol. I'd not have thought they'd be hanging around as the water became so shallow, yet another myth busted.

 

[Ritchie Campion]

Heck yeah!! I want some squid!!

 

[Mike Kennard]

You are really rubbing our noses in it now!!!! Another great night by the looks of things.
Those squid look very long, never caught one here but the ones I have seen caught looked shorter. A different species?

How do the eging rods compare to plugging rods? Would they make good lighter line plugging rods?

 

[kevin white]

nice to see jamo kept his rod as a two piece rather than 3,4, or 5 piece lol

well done guy's, that's a good night's fishing.

kev

 

[James Davis]

Wow! Seriously, Keith. I have to be honest and say I thought it all sounded pie in the sky actually purposely catching squid on lures over here. There is no reason why it can't happen as its a big sport in Japan. I just didn't think you'd be that successful. Impressive stuff mate.

Tell me, what is the fight, if any, like?

 

[Dave Watson]

Wow! Seriously, Keith. I have to be honest and say I thought it all sounded pie in the sky actually purposely catching squid on lures over here. There is no reason why it can't happen as its a big sport in Japan. I just didn't think you'd be that successful. Impressive stuff mate.

Tell me, what is the fight, if any, like?

People have been catching squid on lures ( jigs , egi's) for years over here so no pie in the sky!

In a episode of river cottage , Hugh goes out with a squid fisherman off cornwall and after to eat them - couldnt believe that some of the guys had fished for them for yrs an yrs but had never tried to eat them but all thought they really tasty - me too , cant beat chilli squid strips!

We where fishing the same pier from oct - jan for squid + cuttles , I've seen loads caught in single sessions , that many the piers where stained ink black for months.

And on some nights I've seen 4 of our piers and the town harbour packed with people going for them and was hard to find a space to have a go.

The first time I ever went for squid was bonnenuit on lowtide and only a few feet of water and caught 7 so from then on I never went according to tide , just whenever I could as they seemed to be there most states of tides , but most peops head out for the high/dropping tide and normally leave before low , also if its a snaggy/rough bottom you would be loosing more jigs on low tide - and a big Squid can give a good acount for itself fight wise , they like to dive and propell themselves about , and cuttles can put a nice bend in a rod also!


Is good to see they are still about as had heard that they normally dissapear by end of Jan - Just dont let the word out to the squid squad or they will be back there in there numbers for a bit more jigging before they start mackeral bashing with feathers + beachcasters.

Can you explain your technique Keith? - I found with Jigs either leaving them deadstick or extremley slow sink and draw with the odd twitch used to work - never just bounce them up and down as some do

The chameleons in both sizes are very productive.

I was using my shimano beastmaster spinning rod for them - was thinking about getting a better rod for next season just for Squid - any recomendations?

 

[Keith White]

James:

Like has been said, Squid from Jersey shores was always a no brainer. Extending the season, getting the spring and autumn run sorted and finding out what they all are is the challenge.

So, a haul of 11 over low, in late March is a new one to me. I don't know anyone who fishes Squid much later than mid Jan and thats in thick squid years.

Now, we need to catch in daylight, both Squid and cuttles.

Rods:

based upon my recent experience, any serious squidder needs to 'try' an Ika specific Eging rod. They are just, different.

Technique:

You'd need to see it. I'm just 'parrot fashioning' from Jap DVD. I'll post up a link or 2 in the Eging section later today.

 

[James Davis]

I've never seen anyone targeting squid with lures over here. Using it as bait, of course, but going for them with an artificial bait? No. I guess with the warmer water down Jersey/Cornwall its a more effective concept?

Fair play either way.

 

[Keith White]

You get Squid James.

Lots of area's around Britain get them. And Cuttles.
You've just gotta go find em.
Its like anything else, it's not going to fall into your lap.

Get out there m8.

 

[jamo]

LOL Kevin, yes the rod is still in its two designed sections, plenty more time to customise it into a travel rod though. Think I'll have to start buying rods online so Mick doesn't find out how many I go through.