Squid Fishing, Hythe

Jigging Around

Hythe, Kent. UK

Squid attacked live Whiting

Ok if I'm honest, I'm cracking up here! waiting for some Cod to show!!! the winds dropped right off the sea is crystal clear and like last year the Cod haven't showed (yet!) I'm hoping still they will!! but even at times where things aren't going the way you expect, sometimes just sometimes, something gives you a gentle prod and reminds you of something, but in my case it literally was a big bang!!! With the explosion of a loud firework that almost made me drop my coffee, obviously I had fishing on my mind, and a flash back reminded me about a session at Hythe where I took my father fishing, on a very calm, cold and dark night fishing over high tide in clear water, where we watched all the different Guy Falks firework displays along the coast for most the night, we caught nothing of note, but I was having live bait whitings attacked by unknown assailants, at least 4 whiting suffered the same sort of wounds and had a chunk missing out of the back of the head!! it was only later I found out that these were Squid attacks and that was why I frustratingly never hooked up! now that the fireworks had reminded me, or maybe more to the point took my mind off the Cod, I had bought some Squid lures earlier on in the year as I really did fancy catching myself some, so with a calm dark night, clears seas and high tide at 10.30pm the conditions were exactly the same as that session with my father, I had set myself up for a my first Squid fishing trip

The final session, RIP Sea Bass Special

I sent a message to a group of angling friends that I was going Squid fishing, to which no one replied, I have to admit that maybe it did sound a bit far fetched and out of nowhere, or maybe everyone had better things to do on a school night.  I know its not really common knowledge about the Squids or they are very over looked, who knows, and I'm guessing the abnormal silence was warranted. Regardless to say, I wasn't to be deterred. I set off for Hythe and arrived about 8.30pm 2 hours before high water, I had my favourite set up, my Snowbee Sea bass special lure rod, a shimano stradic 5000 loaded with 20lb power pro, a spool of 16lb flourocarbon, 3 x Yamashita Q Live Squid jgs, pliers and a bucket, now that's going light!! At first I opted to tie my braid straight onto the squid jig, but being a total novice at this I will tell you right now don't!!! In 2 casts I must of spent 30 mins untangling the braid from the 2 rows of 20 odd needles at the back of the lure. So I put on a meter of flourocarbon leader on which stopped this happening.

First Squid ever!!!

Getting the jig on is working

Although this was my first Squid session, and I was clearly out of my comfort zone here as it dawned on me, I had done absolutely no research and didn't have a clue about how to actually jig for Squid. So I made it up, trying something different each cast, I probably wasted a good hour and more fishing very badly, but I didn't know better or even care at this stage, I was having fun, jigging about here and there, moving along the beach in search of some Squid. Then bang whist I was doing absolutely nothing with the jig slowly sinking into the sea and getting dragged right to left in the tide, the rod tip pulled quite hard, and again very quickly, I started to reel in, well this I did know, the trick is to keep a steady and constant pressure on when a squid is hooked so it cant free itself, I knew I was on, and I pulled the Squid out the water, at this point my heart sank, as I really then at that moment thought it was a plastic bag!! but as I swung it towards my I went to grab it and realised it was a Squid, just the biggest Squid I've ever seen!!!! not that I've seen any before, but I kind of expected it to be 12cm or smaller like the Squid I buy for bait!! but this thing was huge !! 26cm mantle, let alone the head and tentacles!! It was absolutely stunning!!! luminescent colours pulsating down it's body, it made quite a hard clapping sound as it tried to swim. As much admiration as I had for this Squid, it was eating size, and all I could see was calamari rings!, and in the bucket it went!

Cracking food, natures best!

I was over the moon with my first ever Squid, but one thing bothered me, the fact that I didn't have a clue how to jig, it was a lucky fish! so I spent the next evening watching hours of YouTube videos on how to jig for Squid, not only did I now have a good basic understanding of the Japanese language as they seem to be the experts and pioneers in Squid fishing, I also had a renewed confidence that I would be able to catch more Squid, so I returned a couple of nights later, and set about Jigging properly, or at least with the right technique and practising it. Well my second cast my beloved Snowbee Seabass Special tip snapped clean off!!!! (saying a prayer) for the fallen rod, a true tool, which was worth every penny, and had a long and fruitful innings,which still had a little more to give in its final fish at 3/4 length, and produced 4 Squid!!! not as big as my first, but a nice size 15 to 20cm mantles. I have to say these creatures fascinate me, they are beautiful with there colours, creepy with there movements, one thing I am appreciating is that they are proper predators, and to top them off, easy to prepare and cook, and taste great!!!. One thing I will continue to target Squid when the oppotunity arises, and maybe even try for Cuttle fish one day. Now let hope those Cod get on their toes, and hurry up and come to visit, cos they are still driving me mad!!!