Squid fishing can be rather volatile. Some nights there will be squid left, right, and center with a whole armada ravaging the coastlines, while other nights might be lifeless. Now is a good time to reflect on the previous year: what worked well and what didn’t. Adjusting your game plan accordingly should improve this year’s harvest. The Eging for Squid boys (Jun Park, Rudee Lim, Adam King and Ben Tupaea) share some advice gleaned from previous early-season experience…

Before anything, we want to emphasize the importance of thoroughly checking your gear. The constant whipping action of eging can be very taxing on the likes of reel drags, as well as the wear and tear on braid. We like to start off by checking that our reel is in good working condition with a smooth drag to cushion the shock on the squid’s tender tentacles.

Good quality gear is worth the investment as it enhances your experience and catch-rate. Small, light reels put less strain on the wrist to help you fish longer.

Next is the condition of the braid. Look for any chaffing or nicks as they are weak points in the line which can snap in time from the force of casting or whipping. There is nothing worse than hearing a sharp crack as the line breaks and seeing your brand-new jig fly off towards the horizon. Make sure to cut damaged sections out, or even better, replace the line (if you can afford to).

A good cost-saving practice is to reverse the line on your reel, the bottom half of the spool being in brand-new condition. This is fine for squid fishing as you will never reach the end of your capacity with a standard 120m-150m spool of braid. We generally use PE 1 braid and 15-20lbs fluorocarbon leaders. You can go lighter in less snaggy areas and heavier for more unforgiving territory.

For those who are thinking of upgrading their gear or getting into the sport itself for the first time, we highly recommend investing in quality gear, especially braid such as Tasline, Varivas or the high-end Daiwa and Shimano options. Entry-level braid may be tempting due to it’s low price, but it is more prone to wind knots. Trying to untangle wind knots in pitch darkness with the light from your torch reflecting in your eyes is not an ideal way to spend a cold winter night. The extra money invested in good line is well worth it. It will last longer, and you will avoid losing jigs unnecessarily. Given that eging is largely a night time sport in New Zealand, a rechargeable head light is well worth the investment as they save a fortune on batteries over time. We use the rechargeable LED Lenser head torches and they have lasted for many years.

We highly recommend clips and jigs in a variety of colours and sizes. We are big fans of using bright colours such as pink/orange/green in the early season. In areas that have a lot of natural ambient lighting such as at wharves or boat ramps, shiny metallic colours like in silver/gold are fantastic. Squid have excellent vision, so lumo is not always needed, particularly in these well-lit areas.

In NZ it’s common to see jigs ranging in size from 1.8/2.0/2.2 up to 2.5. The 1.8 and 2.2 are our go-to sizes and the colour pink is our favourite in the early season. Yamashita and Yozuri are the better-known brands that offer jigs in these sizes. There are also a lot of other Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) jigs becoming more widely available nowadays such as Breaden, Keystone and Gancraft. These 1.8 and 2.2 sized jigs generally tend to sink slower, giving more hang time and providing more opportunity for them to be seen and nailed. This is especially advantageous in shallow areas.

At the other end of the spectrum, the fast-sinking types of jigs are also available in these small sizes, which is beneficial for fishing deeper areas or where there is strong current. This allows you to get your lure to the bottom, while being attractive to the smaller squid down there. Young squid are very curious creatures and will get excited over bright and shiny colours. We also love having a fine scoop net to help us land the critters. To carry your tackle, we highly recommend getting an egi bag, similar to a fanny pack or a shoulder bag. You can wear it while you fish, and conveniently and quickly change your jigs.

The gear typically taken on squid fishing missions - butterfly net, eging rod paired with a size 2000 reel, a small chilly bin and egi bag with all of the accessories. 

Broad squid are a huge delicacy and if you love eating them as much as we do, then keeping your catch in prime condition should be a priority. Iki spikes for squid are now readily available and they are a great tool for dispatching them humanely and offering better quality meat. We use the Yamashita spikes as the kit is also fitted with a hook straightener to bend jig prongs back into place. We are big fans of using small handheld chilly bins with some chilly packs inside. If you’re fishing during the day, a good chilly bin is essential to keep your catch out of the sun and prevent it from drying up. If you want to go more compact, don’t forget small plastic bags, especially ones without holes; the last thing you want is ink leaking out.

Using ice packs in your chilly bin is a great way of keeping the catch fresh and in prime condition, especially during the heat of the day. 

Wharves and jetties are hotspots and in the Auckland region, Okahu and Murrays Bay wharves are known for producing a good amount of squid early in the season. Mission Bay, along Tamaki Drive, Takapuna boat ramp, Ti Point are popular as well, in Auckland. We find that well-lit areas are usually where the squid activity is during the early season. They are great and safe family-friendly places to get the little ones involved early in the season. Murrays Bay wharf has a very warm presence with regulars who will more than be happy to provide advice. Ink stains are a sure indication that squid were caught there recently.

Our favourite time to fish is definitely during the few days leading up to and after the full moon, which we generally find most productive. Dependent on the spots, tide is a big factor, especially as it affects accessibility at low tide in some areas. It’s good to revisit old spots that may have not worked last year. Try them again during different conditions and tides. You may be surprised…