Calamari — Matt Sherriff

CALAMARI

GREAT TO CATCH AWESOME TO EAT

Matt Sherriff’s tips on catching and cooking.

Matt Sherriff showing some form.

Apart from having the potential to destroy your favourite fishing attire with a well-directed ink blast, there’s not much to dislike about the humble squid. They’re great fun to catch for all ages, taste absolutely delicious and are one of the best baits going around!

Southern Calamari Squid live for around one year and can reach a tube length of over 50cm although the average size encountered is usually around 30 – 40cm weighing in at roughly 1 – 2kg. Sexual maturity occurs when they are approximately 7 – 8 months of age when the squid are 15 – 20cm in length. Calamari will generally spawn in water depths of 3 – 5 metres during the warmer months of the year.

With the squid season about to fire up again (North Coast closure finishes at midnight on October 31st and East Coast closure finishes at midnight November 14th) it’s time to stock up with some new squid jigs and get amongst the action. This time of year, the squid will be moving into shallower weed beds looking to spawn and it is a great time to target them as they will aggressively attack jigs as they hang around the areas where they lay their eggs. On clear days you will often be able to see clusters of these eggs in shallow areas amongst the weed and this is a great sign that the squid won’t be too far away!

As far as jigs go, it’s a great idea to have a variety of colours and if you’re fishing with friends all start with different jigs. If you find one person is catching more than everyone else, change to the same colour and reap the rewards! If you’re on your own and things are slow, keep changing your jig periodically until you find one they’re interested in. Next time you’re visiting your local tackle store, ask them about Egi clips. These cool little clips save having tying your jigs on, allowing super quick changes and are small enough not to affect the action of the jig. When it comes to purchasing jigs, buy the best you can afford. All jigs will catch on the good days, but the more expensive jigs have much more attractive actions and sink rates and are made of

better materials. We have had a lot of success with the red head Yoshikawa jigs and also the more expensive Hayabusa models. A 2 – 4 or 3 – 5kg rod with a medium taper, coupled up with a 2000 – 3000 sized reel and 6 – 15lb line (braid is preferred but not necessary) is ideal for squid fishing. For many, this will be the same rod that they use for their Bream, Salmon and Trout fishing. For those more dedicated to squid fishing there are specially designed Egi rods available which are designed to impart extra action on the jigs whilst having a parabolic curve designed to absorb the lunges of the squid. Some of these rods are well over $300, but there are now a few available under $100 such as the new Crucis Tempesta which makes them a much more affordable option for those wanting to give them a try. The method to successfully target squid is to get your lure into the zone as quickly and for as long as possible during your retrieve. Your jig must be worked as close to the bottom as practical while trying to www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.

Darren Smith copping the consequences.

avoid snagging up. I’ve started using 12lb leader instead of 8lb as if you’re fishing correctly sooner or later you are bound to get your jig caught up in the weed. This heavier leader will give you a much better chance of getting your jig back and I’ve found it has not affected the catch rate.

Once your jig is in the strike zone, give your rod two or three sharp lifts which will make it dart erratically up away from the weed. This action gets the interest of any nearby squid and they will come over for a closer look. After imparting this action, let your jig sink back slowly to the bottom, keeping slack out of the line to maintain contact with it. Nine times out of ten, this is when the squid will grab the jig and as soon as you feel this, strike home the jags! At times when you can see squid coming up for your jig in clear water, you will see how they respond to this technique and always grab the jig as it sinks back towards them. Keeping in touch with your jig and striking as soon as you feel the hit will also save the cloth on your favourite jigs, as, if the squid get a chance they will pull them in and their beak takes no prisoners!! This is particularly evident if you leave your rod in a rod holder (I suggest a hard body jig with no cloth if you intend to do this).

Once you’ve got the squid to the boat (hopefully minus the ink), dispatch it quickly. This is not only humane but will stop it regenerating more ink and making a mess in the boat. There are specialised tools for doing this (Egi spike), but if you grab them between the head and the hood and squeeze hard it will do the job (they lose their colour immediately if successful). There are also tools available from tackle stores for assisting you in cleaning your catch which are great for the shore anglers but the cleanest and easiest way to do it from a boat is by towing them in a scaler bag on the way back to the ramp. Just beware though, as not all bags are designed to clean squid and many catches have been lost to the depths with basic scaler bags. Bags such as the heavy-duty Gaff-Mann and Hawk models have been designed in Australia specifically for this purpose and for those that haven’t seen them, there are instructional videos on YouTube on how to use them. Note: unless you eat the tentacles, put these and the heads into freezer bags for your own bait supply for future fishing trips!

When I get home, I’ll generally pre prepare the catch into portions and cryo-vac them, using them for side dishes with other meals. There are two ways I’ll cut the squid before bagging them up, the first way is to simply slice the tube open and lay it flat. From here score the tube with a sharp knife on the inner side in a criss-cross pattern and then cut into triangular shaped portions (this will help them curl up when cooking). The second way is as simple as slicing the hood up into rings which is the more traditional way and doesn’t need too much explaining.

Here are two quick and easy recipes to use with your prepared squid:

Ingredients

Squid Rings; 2 x eggs; Flour; Milk; 1 x pkt panko crumbs

Method

Combine two eggs and a splash of milk in a bowl and hand whisk.

Put some flour into a freezer bag and throw in your rings to dust them.

Dip the squid rings into the egg allowing excess to drip off.

Press the rings into the panko crumbs .

Cook the rings in a deep fryer (can be shallow fried) at 190°C for 45 seconds and then drain.

For a twist, add some chilli flakes to the panko crumbs.

Salt and Pepper Squid

Ingredients

Scored Squid triangles; Tandaco Salt and Pepper Squid Coating Mix 75g

Method

Put coating mix into a freezer bag, followed by squid and shake well.

Cook the squid in a deep fryer (can be shallow fried) at 190°C for 45 seconds and then drain.

If you find this mix too strong add a little flour into your freezer bag before shaking up the squid.

You can add a bit of chilli to this recipe as well if desired (yes, I do like chilli).

Matt Sherriff

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