How does NZ squid fishing stack up against others?
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Saltwater Fishing
Forum Name: Calamari Capers! Squid Jigging
Forum Description: Anything to do with squid fishing here
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=134477
Printed Date: 28 Jan 2026 at 7:54am
Topic: How does NZ squid fishing stack up against others?
Posted By: jack.worthington
Subject: How does NZ squid fishing stack up against others?
Date Posted: 26 Oct 2020 at 9:55pm
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As far as I can tell Port Phillips Bay and Westernport in Australia have the best southern broad squid fishing in the world. Squid fishing there is hugely popular, from boats and landbased whereas here most eging is done from land. Squid there get up to 60cm in hood length which blows my mind. Do squid like this exist in NZ? The biggest I have caught and seen was a 37cm hood which I thought was huge. Squid fishing from a boat is a mystery to me and seems like it is to most New Zealanders. I can catch them from the rocks no trouble but off the boat seems to be much harder. What are our squid numbers like compared to the rest of the world? Is our squid fishery actually high quality and can it stack up to southern Australia at all?
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Replies:
Posted By: OuttaHere
Date Posted: 27 Oct 2020 at 1:45pm
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I remember years back coming across a huge school of squid in the middle of the day about 14km off New Plymouth. Big suckers too, 40cm+ hood easily. They would hit just about anything that you threw in the water. I've also seen huge schools of something hanging around in midwater in 100m+ depths that wouldn't take a bait, reliably told they're squid too. I think it's just not something people target that much? |
Posted By: Reel Deal
Date Posted: 27 Oct 2020 at 3:09pm
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good question there? I just spent a year traveling the coast of Australia and fished for squid often for dinner. I didn’t get a 40cm hood but got a number of goodies. I’d just fish till I got two then went home and cooked them. A couple of times two casts was all that was needed other times two hours. I learnt a lot from the people I met fishing. At times some wharfs were amazing. Shoulder to shoulder with old and young aussies drinking rum beer wine frankly a piss up with everyone getting squid. Most after they got dinner put rods down and partied on...great memories. You are right about it being harder from boat well for me anyway. I dedicated a morning to get one with some mates floating between 3 and 8m of water in perfect weedy rocky sand patch squid habitat and zero... I have caught the odd one on softbait in 20-30m. I think with my knew learnt squid skill set I’m primed to give it a go again in nz. ------------- The gods do not subtract from the allotted span of men's lives the hours spent on fishing - Assyrian Proverb |
Posted By: jack.worthington
Date Posted: 27 Oct 2020 at 8:23pm
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The squid in deeper waters are arrow squid correct? I think the squid are easily spooked by the boat noise or something. Maybe more so than in AU. Ive heard the squid over there are more aggressive and fight harder so maybe they are less skittish too. |
Posted By: Reel Deal
Date Posted: 27 Oct 2020 at 11:09pm
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I had a roof topper tinnie with a 15 hp in Aussie and the most squid I caught in one session was at tin can bay. The wind was light and about 10m deep and me and the wha drifted with sinker on bottom and squid jig about a foot up over a channel with sea grass. Took home ten and thought it was a great day till finding all my mud crab pots were stolen....sucked. ------------- The gods do not subtract from the allotted span of men's lives the hours spent on fishing - Assyrian Proverb |
Posted By: laidbackdood
Date Posted: 28 Oct 2020 at 6:05am
I catch squid in Western Australia and they are southern calamari...we do get arrow squid as well but they are thin and not that big.....biggest ive caught has been a 35cm hood but ive had plenty in the 25 to 30cm hood range.....This one was my 35cm hood ...we also get plenty of cuttlefish too......All the squid i catch have been off jetties both day and night....A mate has caught a 45cm hood and they can go to 50cm no probs.....Its easier from a boat here.........plenty of people squid fish local in Perth but also down south out and around weed beds........There is one lady we call "The squid Queen" ...she just hammers them every time she goes out...huge squid and huge cuttlefish !
------------- Once the idiots turn up..Im outta here...No time for Drama Queens. |
Posted By: MB
Date Posted: 28 Oct 2020 at 10:11am
| Good thread. I'd love to get in to some squid, but no (deliberate) success so far. Caught one on a slow jig though. |
Posted By: Reel Deal
Date Posted: 28 Oct 2020 at 10:33am
 Dinner time prep In caravan on west coast of Aussie. Today the missus requested squid.
------------- The gods do not subtract from the allotted span of men's lives the hours spent on fishing - Assyrian Proverb |
Posted By: laidbackdood
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2021 at 9:14am
My Latest PB 38cm hood but havent been squid fishing since Dec...waiting for the school hols to finish !  ------------- Once the idiots turn up..Im outta here...No time for Drama Queens. |
Posted By: laidbackdood
Date Posted: 24 Apr 2021 at 4:14am
plenty of thieves in aussie mate.  ------------- Once the idiots turn up..Im outta here...No time for Drama Queens. |
Reel Deal wrote:Posted By: Structfab
Date Posted: 24 Apr 2021 at 9:54am
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Arrows can get massive. 3 Kings is an awesome place to get em. As far as Broadfin, I almost always catch on my boat. I do maybe 20% landbased, but def prefer the boat to access the area I catch them (coro). I actually find it way easier. I lose a lot less gear on boat too, you can motor over and pull out of weed ......landbased is just tug and hope when snagged |