Spring brings southern calamari to Sydney

A sounder is very handy for finding patches of weed, rock and bait.

by Ben O’Brien •

My favourite season of the year is here. Finally the weather is looking better and it’s far more tempting to get out of bed before sunrise and tackle our waterways. The warmer mornings and longer days mean only one thing: southern calamari will be out and a plethora of predators will be about too, looking for a feed!

The warmer mornings with the hungry predators are a recipe for a spectacular day out on the water, with some of the country’s most sought-after species, the mighty kingfish and mulloway. Both are equally keen on calamari and simply cannot resist when one is dangled in reach, much like myself when a little salt and pepper is added!

With the warmer currents finally starting to push into the shores, this is a great time to chase some squid in the shallow and deeper waters off the coast of Sydney. Throughout winter I have been fishing the 12m+ zone throughout Sydney Harbour and across West Head, targeting the deep waters up to depths of around 20m, sometimes in 30m of water if I found a good reef system. The prominent headlands off the coast such as North and South Head along with Long Reef are great winter spots for these creatures.

During winter, the water in around 10-15m depth was ranging in temperature from 14-16.5°C. However, with the warmer push of currents happening around now and continuing right through to the beginning of next year, they will start to move to the shallows, and the usual bait grounds can really start to fire up.

I love winter for producing the larger specimens, however when I’m after quantity not quality, this time of year is when  I can quickly get a full livewell of baits, with any extras being taken home as a beautiful entree. When spring arrives, we can expect waters to start to exceed 20°C, and soon if we’re lucky, like this year, the waters should get up to the mid 20s around April and May, and we’ll get to experience great pelagic action throughout the Sydney Harbour region.

FINDING SPRINGTIME SQUID

I often go looking for new grounds on the water when I have the time and have spent countless days searching the headlands for little bommies and reefs that hold a good amount of kelp growth. Without the kelp and reefs, they won’t be about, so watching the sounder and looking for any protruding reefs that stick out along the headlands is approach.

Always be thinking of cover, as squid are soft fleshy creatures and easy targets for most marine predators, including the fur seal, and they rely on cover to survive. Kelp beds or weedy sandy floor coverings are where they’ll usually be found, and it’s very rare for them to be away from cover.                 

I usually look for deeper holes with sandy bottoms bordered by kelp reefs either side. This provides the perfect ambush spot for these aggressive cephalopods, which lay stealthily, camouflaged in a protected environment before jetting out to attack. Small fish and invertebrates often take a risk and swim across these open passages of water and find themselves on the menu. A hi-tech sounder makes this hunt a lot easier. I use a Lowrance sounder with Side Scan and High Chirp. I like this technology because it allows me to stalk a reef and know exactly what lies to the port or starboard, what substrate the bottom is, and even if there is a fine layer of sea grass. Quite often when I’m prospecting new grounds in the deep water I come across the cuttlefish, a great bait for the kingfish and a great fighter in their own right! They can really have the drag singing when they take off.

The shallows and the deeper areas are quite productive in September, with deeper areas holding the bigger southern calamari and cuttlefish and the shallows holding the majority of the perfect live bait size. Having said that, I have encountered some absolute monsters in the shallows, so it shows how unpredictable they can be as they will venture to the shallows to catch a feed.

Approximately eight weeks after the females lay their eggs on the kelp during the winter breeding period, they will start to hatch and rapidly start growing and feeding. This is why I’m quite selective about the ones I take in winter. I want to preserve these beautiful creatures for generations ahead and the more they can breed and lay their eggs, the more my family and I will be able to enjoy them.

GEARING UP

Due to their rapid growth, they have a voracious appetite and will hit most styles of squid jigs. I prefer the more expensive ones, as I feel they have a more realistic fall and twitch action. My preferred squid jigs and colours are pink, red and natural in 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0 sizes from Yamashitas. I find the pilchard and whiting imitations to be deadly on calamari as well at times.

For the rod, I have a few sizes ranging from a length of 6’6” with a line weight of 3-5kg, to a 7’6” model rated to 3-5kg and I find these can handle any size squid. Just allow the drag to be set appropriately if a kraken hits and decides your jig will be its last meal!

The line is usually 10lb braid with a leader of around 10-20lb, depending on the terrain I’m fishing. I am conscious that these creatures have exceptional vision (just have a look at the size of their eyes!) and with this comes a degree of suspicion when the line in clear water is too thick. They can be quite wary, so I’ll always rather go lighter than heavier and sometimes losing a jig with a full livewell is better than ending the day with only one squid from fishing heavier line. I also find the lighter the leader and line, the better the jig action, which makes it appear far more natural and doesn’t add to pulling the jig deeper in an unnatural motion.

TECHNIQUES

Deep water

For the deeper water I use a few methods when on a steady drift across water depths from 10-20m. Often I will position the stern of the boat correctly to allow two rods out the back to freely drift while I work a third.

The rods out the back are usually two different sizes. One is armed with a 3.0 pink Yamashita and I fish that on the deeper stretch out the back, and the other rod has a 2.5 size jig fished over the shallower side of the boat.

With the usual ups and downs of the swell this adds action to the jig and creates the lifts and pauses that a normal retrieve would provide. With the third rod, this normally has a 2.5 size squid jig, and I like to cast ahead of the drift and allow it to sink to an appropriate depth. Once I’ve counted out the depth I wish to fish, I will start to work it back. I tend to not work it too aggressively. I prefer to use a moderate ‘whip-whip’ action then let it sink, but sometimes a simple lift and drop is all that is needed to tempt a squid.

Quite often I find it’s actually the rods set out the back that start to load up before the worked jig gets hit. The natural fall of the jigs really does resemble a prawn, and the more expensive jigs are miles ahead, however, the cheaper jigs will still catch you squid.

Finding rocky and weedy points on a map like these ones is a great way to start your search for southern calamari.
These five tasty squid on the deck will make a great meal once cleaned and cooked.
Both calamari and cuttlefish can be found around some of the deeper reef, and make great tucker and bait!
Fishing the deep headlands from a boat is very productive during the winter, or when the shallows are stirred up by rain in spring.
Fishing around jetties and rock groynes from the shore is an effective and hassle free way to get into the squid during spring.
Double ups are common once a school is located.
Having a good selection of jigs will ensure you can find out exactly what they want on the day.
The end result of a good day squidding. They are absolutely delicious with a bit of salt and pepper.
Spring usually sees good numbers of bait sized squid coming aboard.
Pink is always a good colour for calamari of any size.
Southern calamari are a much sought-after species, both as a bait and as a tasty entreé!

Shallows

For the shallower water, I’ll anchor up or freely drift and be far more active. Due to the dangers of getting snagged in the shallows, I rarely leave a rod unattended, as without the proper currents and drift they sink quickly and foul themselves quite a bit. I will do a long cast over some ground I feel should hold calamari and count the sink rate before starting to work it. A similar retrieve to the one mentioned above will suffice, however a slow and straight retrieve can also work, and you can never wind too slowly.

Land-based

One of my other favourite methods to target these critters is by trekking our beautiful coastline by foot. Not only is this great exercise, it’s also a great experience. Watching the sunrise while perched on a headland with nothing but a rod and a backpack is fantastic. With this approach, I will use Google maps to plan an attack. Turn on ‘satellite’ so you can see the structure below.

Aim for rocky points and kelp beds – you’ll be able to see these on the maps. This method is all about preparation. As most people know, southern calamari and arrow squid like structure, whether it’s a jetty or a rock reef, so target these areas as well. Clifton Gardens and many harbour jetties when the lights are on at night are also great attractions for these predators, as they hide on the edges of the light beam waiting for bait to venture within reach.

When walking the rocky shore during the day, a good pair of polarised sunglasses are a must, along with a life jacket and good rock fishing shoes. I find the polarised sunglasses are like a sounder for your eyes, giving you great visibility across the water so you can see kelp and sand beds. Try to find an elevated position and use this to plan an attack. In these conditions I like to use a slightly heavier rod with 10-15lb braid, and a slightly heavier leader just in case you do foul on a bit of weed, as this will make it easier to retrieve, not to mention land these critters.

SPRING HAS SPRUNG

If you’re fishing iun spring you should focus on the kelp beds, shallow rocky reefs and anywhere that has good current flow and constant clean water.

If it rains then head out a bit deeper, as the squid don’t like dirty water and can go off the bite very quickly after some rain. If it rains, I always go back to winter fishing techniques and fish the deep headlands.

Bring on the warmer conditions and good luck out there!