Episode 530: Phillip Island Squid With Nev Hayes

Nev’s Phillip Island Squidding Tips

• Squid are catchable at any time of year in the Phillip Island and Westernport areas, but winter is often the time when larger specimens turn up. Land, boat and kayak-based fishing are all good.
• Finding squid in this area is about finding drop-offs and undulations in areas where there is weed with sand patches in one to four metres of clear water.
• Often in winter the water gets dirtied following rainfall, so Nev finds the best squidding occurs towards the end of a big run-in tide when cleaner water has pushed in and the squid start to actively hunt.
• Too much wind can be a nuisance when you’re fishing from a boat or kayak, but Nev finds that tide is the biggest factor, so don’t be offput by wind, time of day or cloud cover and just focus on areas around the entrances of Westernport and Port Phillip during those last few hours of the run-ins. The only exception is the days after a full moon, which Nev finds tend to fish poorly.
• Drifting along with the tide and casting jigs at right angles to the flow so they are moving along with the boat is a good strategy. This allows the jig to get down deep, near the bottom.
• It’s possible to catch Phillip Island squid when the water is dirty, but you’ll need to change technique slightly, anchoring up and using burley to bring the squid from hundreds of metres away to within casting range. Nev prefers a baited jig for this, but the more modern prawn-style jigs can work too – cast them up current and allow them to sink down before working them with the current.
• If the squidding is tough, drop the jig size down and/or try putting a little S-factor on the jig.

Nev’s Phillip Island Squid Tackle

• These days there are plenty of dedicated eging (squidding) rods and reels on the market. However, Nev prefers to use a more versatile light to medium spin combo that he’d use in the estuaries for a range of species. A 2500 to 3000 size reel loaded with 12 lb braid and a 20lb fluorocarbon leader completes the setup. Don’t be put off by the heavier leader, the dense week in this area will claim a lot of jigs if you go too light.
• Eging rods are longer and are more useful for the land-based angler where longer casting is critical.

 Nev’s Phillip Island Squid Jigs

• Nev keeps it really simple and mainly casts white jigs in sizes 3.0 to 4.0. The larger jigs are required due to get them close to bottom in the fast water flow. Squid are aggressive predators and even small squid will grab them.
• Cast your jig out and let it get close to bottom. In this area it’s best not to let the jig hit bottom as the weed and structure will steal your lure. Once down to depth, give the rod two or three aggressive jerks to lift it well off the bottom and attract the squid’s attention, then let it drop back down.
• Squid almost always take the lure as it’s falling, so it’s important to make sure you work the lure both close to bottom and facilitate these drops to encourage the squid to attack.