Andrew Clark

Towards the middle of the calendar year the fishing begins to slow. We start packing up the rods and reels, waiting for water temperatures to rise again. This is the time of the year, however, that one species, especially large specimens, follow the cold water into the lower reaches of Port Phillip and Western Port. Which species? Big southern calamari squid. TIMING IS EVERYTHING Large southern calamari can be a year round proposition but, as with so many other fishing species, some times of the year are better than others. Whereas snapper and whiting seasons tend to be more dependant on warmer water (although you can catch both during winter), calamari are more of a cold water species. This means that as other fishing seasons are finishing up, the calamari season, particularly for bigger ones, is starting. In the lower reaches of Port Phillip Bay and Western Port, the most productive months for the larger calamari are between June and October. This is the time of year that the big breeders move into these areas to spawn. It seems that each year can be different when trying to work out the best month to hit these squid grounds. A couple of years back, we found July the best. Then, last year, it was October. Like any style of fishing, you need to keep your eyes and ears open for the weekly fishing reports through tackle shops, radio and the Internet to know when things on the squid front are starting to fire up. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION I know it sounds a bit hackneyed, but its no use fishing where the fish aint. Big southern calamari are one of those species that move through the same grounds in Port Phillip Bay and Western Port each year and rarely much beyond these, particularly in any numbers. Because bigger calamari prefer the clear, colder water, theyre generally found at the entrance to bays and estuaries, rather than well up inside them. Therefore, the main holding areas for big calamari are in and around Queenscliff and Portsea in Port Phillip Bay, while in Western Port, Flinders and Cat Bay are the number one locations for catching the big bangers. Now, before you start sending in emails, I know that big squid regularly get caught further up inside both Port Phillip and Western Port, but its about playing the percentages in fishing and sticking to most productive areas. The next thing to consider when chasing large calamari, or any calamari for that matter, is water depth. There are always exceptions to the rule, but generally the best water depth is between 4-12m. If I had to choose my favourite water depth, it would be 7m. What we do when we arrive at the squid grounds down at the bottom end of either bay is check the water clarity. If visibility is good, we will work in deeper water and if the visibility is on the poor side, well work the shallower water. Its a good time to mention that if visibility is very poor, chances are the squid fishing also will be poor. The reason for this is pretty simple. Calamari, with their enormous eyes, are a visual hunter and as a result rely heavily on good water clarity to be able to see prey. When water clarity is poor, they become more difficult to catch because they cant see the jigs. The best days weve had chasing big squid have been when you can look over the side of the boat and make out the sea floor in 10m of water. The good thing is, at the southern end of Port Phillip and Western Port there is generally excellent water clarity because of the proximity of the open ocean (although well have to see what happens to the water clarity over the coming months as a result of the dredging). TIDES, TIME OF DAY and WEATHER Two major influences on saltwater fishing are tide and time of day. Fishing for big calamari is strongly influenced by both of these factors. Firstly, fast running water and catching calamari generally dont mix. Secondly, like many other species, dawn and dusk are the preferred times for calamari to feed and are therefore also the best times to catch them. With regard to tide, I think there is a difference between fishing the high and the low. At low tide the water clarity is normally considerably worse than at high tide. Obviously, at high tide there has been about six hours of nice clean ocean water running in and therefore water clarity will be at its best. Also, at high tide water depth is at its highest, so this is the time the squid move back onto the reefs and broken ground close to shore, which they then abandon for deeper water when the tide is low. As far as weather conditions are concerned, its straightforward. For calamari fishing, whether it be for big or small models, you need a light wind to get some drift (more on that later) and preferably flat seas. Obviously if the wind is light the sea chop should be little if anything, but there still may be some swell moving into areas like Queenscliff and Flinders that are close to the open ocean. I think that the calamari

fishing tends to be better when the seas are flat because the squid grounds you fish are generally fairly shallow. If the seas are rough the water gets churned up, visibility goes down and the calamari become less active. So, bearing all of this information in mind, if you had to decide on a time to hit the calamari grounds down around Flinders or Queenscliff, youd pick a day that is calm, had a high tide around dawn or dusk and youd fish an hour and a half either side of the tide change. MOON PHASES Many species are affected by the moon phase. In Victoria, no species is more profoundly affected than southern calamari. What weve found is that the new moon is the most productive, particularly in terms of numbers of calamari caught. I think the reasoning behind this is that when the nights are dark, the calamari must feed more around dawn and dusk (given that they hunt by sight). On the other hand, the full moon produces the opposite. Being a visual hunter, the calamari can feed effectively around the clock, because the full moon (when visible in the sky) provides plenty of light even in the dead of night. This means it becomes difficult to predict the best bite time. The other thing weve noticed during a full moon is that the big calamari are more spread out and move into deeper water. I dont know why this happens, but it does. Ultimately the reasoning makes no difference anyway. Stick to the new moon for more predictable feed times, and also to find them in their most concentrated numbers. TECHNIQUES AND GEAR The first thing is that catching calamari, big or small, isnt rocket science. Even the most inexperienced fisher, provided he or she is in the right spot with a squid jig, should have no problem catching them. One thing that weve found with big calamari is that they are, if anything, actually easier to catch than smaller ones. They seem to hit jigs harder and with much less hesitation than smaller squid and if you go through a school of them, quite often you will get a hook up on every rod you have out. When it comes to fishing outfits, a 2500 to 3000 size threadline reel with 10-15lb braid matched to a suitable 7 rod is capable of handling any size calamari. Sometimes you hear people say you need a snapper outfit to handle big squid, but that really is going over the top. Calamari arent exactly the dirtiest of fighters and certainly arent renowned for their blistering runs. Its all about keeping constant pressure on them and gently working them up towards the surface. The main thing is, just take it easy so you dont rip the jig out of the tentacles. There are a couple of different jig styles that you can use to catch calamari. The first are artificial jigs that resemble a prawn in appearance and the second is a bait spike that accommodates a whole silver whiting or other small fish on it. Both styles of jigs can be used either at anchor or while drifting, with the main point of difference being that a bait spike is normally fished under a float. Artificial jigs, on the other hand, can be worked by the angler while casting and retrieving, or the rod can be left in the rod holder and the natural movement of the boat moving up and down adds the action to the jig suspended in the water column. Artificial jigs are the way to go provided you use good quality ones. Its pretty easy to know if a jig is good quality or not purely by the price tag. The best quality jigs start at around $20 and can go up to as much as $40. This isnt to say you cant catch squid on cheaper jigs, because you can. In my experience though, you wont catch anywhere near as many. Weve had most success on squid of all sizes using jigs of 3-4 in size, but just make sure you have a variety of colours because calamari, regardless of size, can be very fickle at times. The most successful method weve used is to drift, fishing four rods at once. Two of the rods run down deep using a drop shot sinker and the other two are fished unweighted so the jig sits further up in the water column. Of course, you can cast one of the unweighted jigs around and work it through various depths of water to cover more ground. Its not uncommon to get multiple hook ups when the big calamari are out in numbers and if this happens, cool heads need to prevail if you want to land them all. Although squid jigs dont have barbs like regular hooks do, if pressure is maintained the squid should stay attached to the jig. This means that if more than one rod goes off, its normally fine to leave unattended rods in the rod holders until you are able to get to them. Generally, the weight of one of these big calamari, normally between 2-4kg, is enough to keep the rod bent and the prongs of the jig well embedded into its tentacles. Urban Myth? Big southern calamari arent an urban myth. They can be caught, and caught in big numbers. Its like any other style of fishing: be in the right place, at the right time, with the right gear and big calamari rings will be on the menu.

Facts
TOP TIPS FOR BIG SQUID Best month are June to October Target the southern end of Port Phillip and Western Port

Best water depth is 4-12m (7m is ideal) Fish 90 minutes either side of high tide Fish at dawn and dusk Use quality jigs Fish some jigs deep and others unweighted The new moon phase is more productive Fish on calm, flat days

Images
When winding in big squid, keep constant pressure on them but be careful not to rip the jig out of the tentacles.

In many ways big squid can be easier to catch than small ones. For starters, they strike the lure much more ferociously and why not when they have tentacles like this!

There are definite strategies for maximising your chances of catching big squid, like this one displayed by Lisa Miles.

A landing net is the safest option for landing big calamari once you get them to the boat.

Calamari squid often occur in schools, so multiple hook-ups are common.

Anyone need a fanbelt? Andrew Pawsey from PD Marine some seriously big calamari rings.

Winter and early spring is the perfect time for catching big calamari squid so get ready!

Neil Tedesco with two good calamari back at the ramp. Now for the messy bit.

Using good quality squid jigs will see you land more big squid, more often.