Known to most fisherman to produce the results when the fish are not interested in other lives baits such as Yellow Tail (Yakkas) or Slimies. They also make for a great meal to take back home and prepare up salt n peppered, crumbed or grilled on the BBQ. 

Where to find them

Almost every jetty around Sydney will provide the opportunity to catch squid, personally I have seen arrow squid as far up as Rydalmere (Parramatta River) go for my squidgy whilst fishing one night. 

Look for shallow areas between 0.5 - 6 metres in depth and keep an eye out for good seabeds with a sandy bottom ribbon weed (seagrass) and a mixture of kelp and mixed reef such as rocks, etc. 

A good set of sunnies will help you easily identify this in certain weather conditions, whether you're fishing from your boat or land. 

Tip: I personally use Google Maps in 'Satellite' mode to find new spots. It's a great tool to help you navigate your way around the shoreline and see where you can situate yourself in a good position with a good seabed.

When to fish - Tides & Times

Usually around the run-in tide is best, however, squid is more active during the sunrise and sunset hours of the day as they tend to prey during this time. Clear waters are always great and if you're after chasing them throughout the day, the peak of the tide always seems to produce some results. 

If it has been raining, you tend to collect them running with the tide and on top of the surface. However, you need to be in luck to pick some up as I don't usually fish after a big rain for them. 

What jigs to use?

My overall favourite jigs to use are none the less are Yamashitas!

Their design and durability are second to nothing when it comes to squid fishing. They also stock a lot of cool little tools to assist you in maintaining fresh baits or even taking home a feed. 

Check out the Yamashita range here to find out where they stock their products. Almost every tackle store will shelve their product, don't get ripped off with purchasing these from your local big retailers.

Yamashita have a range of jigs whether you're fishing deep waters or the more shallow areas, they also cater for slow and fast sink rates to give you a better outcome. My personal favourite is a quicker sink rate, which allows me to get to the bottom quicker and retrieve most with each cast.

The Facebook platform will produce some amazing results this day and age to find your smaller tackle shops who do big deals and discounts on these products. 

What Tackle Outfit is best?

When it comes to rod outfits, there are hundreds of designs and different prices in catering for squid fishing. The market has boomed over the last few years with social media platforms marketing their products focused on squidding. 

A light outfit is always best, something within the 6 - 8ft range works well and offers you a better casting distance. Those rock fisherman will go a touch larger in rod sizing only due to the nature of the environment they fish in. 

A reel size of between 2500 - 4000 is plenty, in my opinion, anything beyond that is overkill, but each to their own I guess.

Use a good braided line of up to 15lb and a decent fluorocarbon leader which we find works best. To make your life a little more simple, Yamashita also sell a decent snap swivel used for their jigs and makes like a breeze to interchange them around. 

Techniques

Finally, the technique on luring the squid in an enticing them to smash those jigs on their way up. 

Squid are funny and if you ever get to witness one attempt to grab hold of your jig on the surface, then you know what I am talking about. 

My best advice and the technique I use is, a long cast and let the jig sink to the bottom (approx 30 - 60 seconds). Once I feel the line tension is loose, I begin to wind up until it has tightened again. 

From here, you can either slowly retrieve the jigs if you're not in the mood for whipping or jerking. Otherwise, a good 3 to 1 technique works best - that is the wind-ups and whips to one with settling the jig back in place and allowing it to sink back down. 

Squid is known from my experience to smash a jig on its way down after it has settled. They will always approach from the side or behind, and once that whip comes back up - hooked on baby!

Sydney Harbour has been on fire lately, with the warmer days approaching the harbour has been alive with a lot of surface action from species like Kingfish, Aussie Salmon, Bonito and Tailor chasing up bait schools to the surface.

The weather hasn't been playing nice lately with all the bush fires covering the city in smoke and the high winds we have experienced lately. Don't let this put you off when there's a will - there's a way! 

Bait Fishing

Live is always best, otherwise, get them fresh if you have no time. However, if you spend at least the first hour dedicated to catching live bait, it will always put you in the best seat to producing the results you're after. 

Live Yakkas or Yellowtail have been smashing it out there with species like Kingfish, Jewfish, Salmon and Bonito. Once these die out, don't throw to waste - cut them into fillets and drop them on a lighter outfit and find some flats for the good old Flattie. 

You can access Yellowtail almost anywhere throughout the harbour, places such as Milsons Point Wharf, Watsons Bay, or just look out for bait balls on your sounder. Burley up with some bread crumbs and a can of cat food, we recommend a small shank hook and small pieces of beef mince or chicken on the end of it with light mono line (unweighted). Otherwise, the good old Sabiki Live Jigs work a treat.  

Squid have been scarce lately but the obvious places with a good seabed of kelp and grass are a hot spot for these prime predators waiting for a jig to come bouncing above their heads. 

Jewfish can almost be found anywhere around the harbour right now and some good fresh squid can always put you in a good position to scoring one. If you're chasing smaller species such as Whiting, Bream, Snapper, then the good old Pilchards can work a treat. 

Lure Fishing 

Lure fishing at the moment is a big thing, with anglers stocking up their tackle bags to cast a line and save themselves the hassle of the messy fishing involved in using bait. On the other hand, Lure fishing can be quite rewarding - the feeling of adrenaline you get when you feel that fish smash the end whilst you're jerking and whipping to entice them up!

Vibe lures are almost the best to use and can help produce several species when used correctly. A lost of anglers are successful on these and have caught a range of species including Jewfish, Bream, Flathead and more. 

Fishing Hot Spots - Boat

For anglers that have access to a boat, the best locations to look for these fish would be on your sounder. Having a good sounder which is tuned with your services always help to identify the best action below the surface. 

Look for big traces of bait fish and dark markings below them. Find the bait - find the fish. Sturctures usually produce well, you will see around the harbour there are the usual markers you will come across floating. They usually stock some good fish around them, be careful not to venture off into restricted areas such as Navy zones. 

Fishing Hot Spots - Land Based

We are so lucky to have access to the best wharves around Sydney in general, most of the harbour and river systems accomodate for a comfortable fishing experience. Some of our favoured spots are Clifton Gardens, Milsons Point, Greenwich, Abbotsford, Balmain Wharf, The Piers and the list can go on.

Please be very mindful of your surroundings with the noise as there are local residents nearby and if you bring your bait, food, etc. be sure to clean up after yourself. 

Fishing The Wind 

When it comes to windy weather, don't be afraid to get out there and find a spot suitable for a fish. We always check sites such as Willy Weather to determine the direction of the wind blowing. 

You can fish against it by finding a cove or inlet, otherwise, choose a spot where you can cast with the wind which gives you a better casting result.

Use heavier sinkers if you're fishing baits as the current will be stronger and this way the line can remain in a suitable position to where you originally cast your rod. 

If you're using lures, then apply the same principle and try to eliminate your lure from flapping around when being cast and retrieved. Try attaching more weight without compromising the movement of the lure itself.