There is squid galore close to shore this month! - The Community Leader and Real Estate New and Views

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There is squid galore close to shore this month!

Fishing

Photos: Spero Kartanos.

BY SPERO KARTANOS

Well, if you’re like me and love the old calamari for dinner, this is the time of year to start catching them, and they’ll be in excellent numbers throughout the bay. You’ll even find them around the rock wall at Manly Harbour. If you go for a walk near the rock wall, you’ll spot the black ink marks everywhere – especially near the lights where fisherman have been catching them – as squid are attracted to bright lights at night. High tide is the best time to try fishing for squid at the wall and around the marinas and jetties.

For those who can get out on a boat, you should find plenty of tiger squid at the southern end of Green Island and in front of the Victoria Point Jetty. In most cases, they’ll be in a metre to a metre-and-a-half of water. The Rous Channel and the Small Boat Channel always have plenty of tiger squid when the turtles and sharks are not eating them, and the Rainbow Channel has lots of small arrow squid, but most squid around the bay are tiger squid at this time of year.

Further out, Moreton Island, at the entrance to the Blue Hole and in the Blue Hole, will also have plenty of squid on offer, so there’s no reason not to get a few this time of year.

The red and orange tiger prawn-coloured jigs work the best; the squid will be very aggressive as it’s mating season, so be ready for two or more to attack the jigs.

So, all you need is a whiting rod, 10 to 12lb line and a couple of good squid jigs, and you can have calamari for dinner.

Whiting and flathead will be around the banks between the Chain Banks and Maroom, and the school mackerel action is starting to heat up with the cooler weather setting in — not that we had a bad summer when it comes to mackerel. Good fishing!

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