BY SPERO KARTANOS
June is upon us and apart from the cold nights and early mornings, the days are normally glorious with calm winds and beautiful sunrises and sunsets, and the fishing is very good!
The tiger squid will slow a little in the shallows but the good news is the ugly ones (i.e. cuttlefish) and arrow squid start coming into the bay. These are a little different to catching tiger squid as they tend to be in the deeper water, anywhere from 20 to 35ft wide of Ormiston all the way to St Helena, and I for one love the taste of cuttlefish. Only one problem: they are the messiest of all to bring on the boat as they have the capacity to hold water and are able to squirt the ink forwards and backwards, so your chance of getting inked is very high. A couple of things that will help is a stainless steel pot with a lid to put them in as you catch them, and a round large stainless steel tray to clean them in.
The method I use is the same jigs as we use to catch the tigers, but add a ball sinker above the jig to get to the bottom and then just raise it a foot or two. Drifting is the way I fish for them, and the other thing is cuttlefish grab the jig from the middle and sometimes are hard to hook, so the razor jigs from Jarvis Walker are worth having on the boat as they have prongs on the back as well. Of course the arrow squid are in the same area and depth; they’re tender and sweet, and are great for stuffing, but please don’t remove the skin and if possible clean them in sea water.
The school mackerel will be throughout the bay and once you find them, anchor up and float out pillies but be careful as this is the best way to get stitches or a hook through some part of your body.
Winter whiting will be in full swing, especially around the Amity Banks, Fisherman’s Gutter and around the eastern banks at the Rous Channel.
The squire and snapper started in the bay last month and June is a great month for these beautiful tasting fish around the Bay Islands and artificial reefs.
Good fishing ‘til next time!
Photos: Spero Kartanos.
