St Leonards Calamari 27/03/2021

[Andrews]

What is up everyone!

I am back bringing your the most updated, exclusive and hottest report going around on the Bellarine Peninsula!
This is the kind of fishing reports that is as fresh as the calamari caught and gives you all the inside deets!

Lets jump into this.

Squid are firing up on sunsets, mornings have been quiet. W winds keeping the water clean, full sun is more productive. Plenty of small tommies, salmon trout and mackerel around. Trevs are quiet, everything else is quiet.


14 March 2021 - Clear Skies, clear water and a warm after work sunset.
This session was pretty mean, first cast and no joke we're onto some calamari. This first squid was pretty nice, he was hanging amongst the shallows over the sand and the giveaway to sight casting is seeing that dark grey line which is the shadow of the quill within their translucent body. Tossed in the jig behind the squid, otherwise they get spooked. This squid saw the jig and once he realised it was too late! Few Trevs schooling around the pier amongst tommies and mackerel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QB6Yb3wza14

Few casts later into the deeper drop off and I felt this little knock, I did one small whip and sink and then the drag started pulling! It wasn't a huge squid, just on the single candle!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_t0a2WIGNOU


17 March 2021 - Clear skies, murky water and a nice low tide sunset.
This night was pretty nice, had a pod of dolphins chasing salmon moving up and down the pier and the squid just didn't care! I ended up catching about two squid, saw one more caught and then gave them to a friend who was keener than the squid were for his jig. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dygdClfeh78


22 March 2021 - Partly cloudy, murky (1m vis) and a okay sunset.
It's crazy, one W wind and we're back to clean water. Couldn't believe how clean it was, but hey, squid is what I'm here for. No Joke, second cast once I got to the pier and on the first sink, WE ARE ON. Had this bloke next to me criticising from my first cast that I wouldn't catch any near the reef and that he fishes here all the time.. never seen the bloke before and I pretty much live there. dunno was he was on about.

Solid squid with this battle scar, champion!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmTWpkLgzPw

25 March 2021 - Clear skies, Clear water and clear sunsets.
I have been loving fishing these sunsets and the squid are loving me. Again of that orange jig and cast out into that drop off, sitting on the edge this squid jumped out and grabbed the jig. Awesome session with another 3 caught. Loving that dark colour too, like a marble pattern.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJporIOyfJo

[e.welch]

The squid master back with another report good sessions up that way as usual

[Sebb]

Good stuff, as always.
I was supposed to go there this morning but the heavy rain made me and a mate to cancel.

[Kenle]

Bloody amazing report as always mate, glad to see you got some nice squids. But I'll have to correct you on the makerel, they are YELLOWTAIL SCADS. Lol someone pointed that out when I keep calling them that. Speaking of which, I did went there last night with my uncle and bagged out on the yakkas as well as a few nice trevs. Unfortunately no squid around last night, saw 1 guy caught one and that's it. Water wasn't that dirty either so it was probably just a bad night for them.

[Andrews]

@e.welch Cheers! haha! Not quite a squid master yet, but definitely a squid whisperer!

@Sebb, can't blame you with this wind and cold. I went this-morning and caught one tiny squid that I threw back, no one was catching anything. haha

@Kenle Yeah, they're tricky between the two species! These were definitely slimy mackerel haha, they are bigger (chunkier) about the size of a salmon trout/tommy rough with a darker colour tail and darker pattern onto. There were a few scad between them, always amazing to see. I was meaning to ask, how do you find the yakkas? Any good eating? I was thinking that too, maybe because of the rain + full moon?

[Kenle]

@e.welch Cheers! haha! Not quite a squid master yet, but definitely a squid whisperer!

@Sebb, can't blame you with this wind and cold. I went this-morning and caught one tiny squid that I threw back, no one was catching anything. haha

@Kenle Yeah, they're tricky between the two species! These were definitely slimy mackerel haha, they are bigger (chunkier) about the size of a salmon trout/tommy rough with a darker colour tail and darker pattern onto. There were a few scad between them, always amazing to see. I was meaning to ask, how do you find the yakkas? Any good eating? I was thinking that too, maybe because of the rain + full moon?

Oh man I'm confused, the yakkas or yellow tail scads are smaller and have a golden yellow tint on them and I think the bigger dark coloured ones are called Jack makerel which grows significantly larger than the yakkas. I haven't seen any slimmies at that pier yet, only seen them at Lorne pier.

[Kenle]

I heard they're great eating but I've never tried, only kept a dozen for bait and the rest was shared amongst family's and friends.

[Andrews]

Yep that is right, Yakkas/Yellow Tail Scad are smaller, silver body with some yellow and a yellow tail.

The Mackerel (there are a few species, jack mackerel being one) are larger, have a darker back, dark tail and this wicked pattern on the back. They can get big, but not often. These weren't huge, maybe 15cm and were amongst a school of Australian herring/tommy rough!

I'd imagine they're a very fishy fish being a scad, almost like mackerel or herring. All these fish species get confusing, haha!

[canned_tuna]

Your confusing the poor guy Andrew, Jack mackerel arent slimies they are cowanyoung. They look similar to yakkas but are darker blue/green through the shoulders and have a larger eye. Slimy mackerel look totally different to both these fish

[purple5ive]

Great report.
There has been some good sized squid starting to show recently. Even better when you have followers and can sight cast back to them...