St Leonards Pier - Calamari One Hour Bag out
- Andrews
- Rank: Premium Member
- Joined: Mon Oct 07, 2019 2:41 pm
- Location: Bellarine Peninsula
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St Leonards Pier - Calamari One Hour Bag out
Hey everyone,
Sharing a beauty of a session Wednesday night chasing the calamari at St Leonards Pier, ended up bagging out on mixed sizes within an hour.
Details below.
Conditions:
Fished 5.30 - 6.30pm, last light to first dark.
Light E winds
Crystal clear water, light current running out.
Overcast, with moderate cloud cover.
Full moon visible by 6.30pm.
Dark blue rainbow foil, darker profile.
First photo of the conditions, this was prime calamari conditions and with the regrowth of eel grass by the pier they've been more active.
This marked quite a few calamari, smaller models pre-dusk and the larger models dusk till visible moon collecting over the nearby weed beds 10-15 meters out from the pier.
Four of the ten were either sight casted or hooked by setting the hook once I noticed they has physically grabbed the squid jig. The reasoning for this is because they're smaller in size and more hesitant, often releasing the jig without hooking up. This was key for hooking them.
The darker profile squid jig did the damage, the blue spine and rainbow is one of my favorites over autumn / winter and the rainbow foil of the Yamashita Sutte-R always works well in overcast conditions.
The major difference between bagging out and the three blokes next to me with two squid each was technique. As strange as it sounds because people often discredit and say how easy it is to catch squid, sometimes sure, but when they're picky knowing the right moves makes a differences.
I knew the calamari were collecting over the weed beds so this was my action:
1. Casted past the weed beds onto the deeper sandy drop off, let the jig sink 3/4 of the depth.
2. Four sharp over hand whips which raised the jig higher in the water column and pulled it over the weed bed.
3. Let it sink 3/4 of the way and four more whips, repeated 2-3 times before into the pier.
4. No squid? Cast 2m either side and widened that search pattern for them.
Those four whips, rather than my usual three gave the squid extra time to strike on the sink and allowed me to cover the ground as the squid moved across the beds. Ended up with ten, mix of sizes, biggest went 37cm. Pulled nice string. Kept two nice sized for food, rest went to friends for the holidays. Photo has 7 squid, couldn't be assed taking more photos. x)
Sharing a beauty of a session Wednesday night chasing the calamari at St Leonards Pier, ended up bagging out on mixed sizes within an hour.
Details below.
Conditions:
Fished 5.30 - 6.30pm, last light to first dark.
Light E winds
Crystal clear water, light current running out.
Overcast, with moderate cloud cover.
Full moon visible by 6.30pm.
Dark blue rainbow foil, darker profile.
First photo of the conditions, this was prime calamari conditions and with the regrowth of eel grass by the pier they've been more active.
This marked quite a few calamari, smaller models pre-dusk and the larger models dusk till visible moon collecting over the nearby weed beds 10-15 meters out from the pier.
Four of the ten were either sight casted or hooked by setting the hook once I noticed they has physically grabbed the squid jig. The reasoning for this is because they're smaller in size and more hesitant, often releasing the jig without hooking up. This was key for hooking them.
The darker profile squid jig did the damage, the blue spine and rainbow is one of my favorites over autumn / winter and the rainbow foil of the Yamashita Sutte-R always works well in overcast conditions.
The major difference between bagging out and the three blokes next to me with two squid each was technique. As strange as it sounds because people often discredit and say how easy it is to catch squid, sometimes sure, but when they're picky knowing the right moves makes a differences.
I knew the calamari were collecting over the weed beds so this was my action:
1. Casted past the weed beds onto the deeper sandy drop off, let the jig sink 3/4 of the depth.
2. Four sharp over hand whips which raised the jig higher in the water column and pulled it over the weed bed.
3. Let it sink 3/4 of the way and four more whips, repeated 2-3 times before into the pier.
4. No squid? Cast 2m either side and widened that search pattern for them.
Those four whips, rather than my usual three gave the squid extra time to strike on the sink and allowed me to cover the ground as the squid moved across the beds. Ended up with ten, mix of sizes, biggest went 37cm. Pulled nice string. Kept two nice sized for food, rest went to friends for the holidays. Photo has 7 squid, couldn't be assed taking more photos. x)
Amateur Fisherman, South West Victoria / - Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/fishingandrew/ Sponsors: Yamashita Australia, Sunline & Gomexus.
https://www.instagram.com/fishingandrew/ Sponsors: Yamashita Australia, Sunline & Gomexus.
Re: St Leonards Pier - Calamari One Hour Bag out
Nice work as usual Andrew and great report. Well done.
- Sebb
- Rank: Premium Member
- Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2016 3:30 pm
- Has liked: 3013 times
- Likes received: 1578 times
Re: St Leonards Pier - Calamari One Hour Bag out
Great report.
Water condition looks superb.
Water condition looks superb.
------------------------------
A fish is a fish
No fish is worth a life, stay safe
A fish is a fish
No fish is worth a life, stay safe
- Tim399
- Rank: Premium Member
- Joined: Sat Aug 02, 2014 10:05 am
- Has liked: 253 times
- Likes received: 156 times
Re: St Leonards Pier - Calamari One Hour Bag out
Well done, squid master! Great report as usual. I’ve also found making a small change can be the difference between a few squid and a bag. For me, starting fishing for squid at first light produces far better results than starting fishing 30 mins later at sunrise.Andrews wrote: ↑Fri Apr 07, 2023 12:09 pmHey everyone,
Sharing a beauty of a session Wednesday night chasing the calamari at St Leonards Pier, ended up bagging out on mixed sizes within an hour.
Details below.
Conditions:
Fished 5.30 - 6.30pm, last light to first dark.
Light E winds
Crystal clear water, light current running out.
Overcast, with moderate cloud cover.
Full moon visible by 6.30pm.
Dark blue rainbow foil, darker profile.
First photo of the conditions, this was prime calamari conditions and with the regrowth of eel grass by the pier they've been more active.
This marked quite a few calamari, smaller models pre-dusk and the larger models dusk till visible moon collecting over the nearby weed beds 10-15 meters out from the pier.
Four of the ten were either sight casted or hooked by setting the hook once I noticed they has physically grabbed the squid jig. The reasoning for this is because they're smaller in size and more hesitant, often releasing the jig without hooking up. This was key for hooking them.
The darker profile squid jig did the damage, the blue spine and rainbow is one of my favorites over autumn / winter and the rainbow foil of the Yamashita Sutte-R always works well in overcast conditions.
The major difference between bagging out and the three blokes next to me with two squid each was technique. As strange as it sounds because people often discredit and say how easy it is to catch squid, sometimes sure, but when they're picky knowing the right moves makes a differences.
I knew the calamari were collecting over the weed beds so this was my action:
1. Casted past the weed beds onto the deeper sandy drop off, let the jig sink 3/4 of the depth.
2. Four sharp over hand whips which raised the jig higher in the water column and pulled it over the weed bed.
3. Let it sink 3/4 of the way and four more whips, repeated 2-3 times before into the pier.
4. No squid? Cast 2m either side and widened that search pattern for them.
Those four whips, rather than my usual three gave the squid extra time to strike on the sink and allowed me to cover the ground as the squid moved across the beds. Ended up with ten, mix of sizes, biggest went 37cm. Pulled nice string. Kept two nice sized for food, rest went to friends for the holidays. Photo has 7 squid, couldn't be assed taking more photos. x)
IMG_1066.jpgA9A93A82-834F-40B9-AFD1-7DD22D0298DD.jpegIMG_1091.jpgIMG_1090.jpg
- Andrews
- Rank: Premium Member
- Joined: Mon Oct 07, 2019 2:41 pm
- Location: Bellarine Peninsula
- Has liked: 268 times
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Re: St Leonards Pier - Calamari One Hour Bag out
Cheers Chili!
Thanks Sebb, Yeah conditions were incredible despite the light E wind all day. The clarity made for some great sight casting & scoping of the eel grass re-growth.
Thanks Tim! Absolutely agree - we go through phases were mornings / evening become most productive depending on the time of year. Just awesome to see the larger models starting to make their move down here.
Thanks Sebb, Yeah conditions were incredible despite the light E wind all day. The clarity made for some great sight casting & scoping of the eel grass re-growth.
Thanks Tim! Absolutely agree - we go through phases were mornings / evening become most productive depending on the time of year. Just awesome to see the larger models starting to make their move down here.
Amateur Fisherman, South West Victoria / - Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/fishingandrew/ Sponsors: Yamashita Australia, Sunline & Gomexus.
https://www.instagram.com/fishingandrew/ Sponsors: Yamashita Australia, Sunline & Gomexus.
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- Bluefin
- Joined: Wed Oct 01, 2014 4:21 pm
- Has liked: 72 times
- Likes received: 977 times
- Andrews
- Rank: Premium Member
- Joined: Mon Oct 07, 2019 2:41 pm
- Location: Bellarine Peninsula
- Has liked: 268 times
- Likes received: 766 times
Re: St Leonards Pier - Calamari One Hour Bag out
Cheers Lightningx, always nice getting numbers.
Thanks Fishnut!
Thanks Fishnut!
Amateur Fisherman, South West Victoria / - Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/fishingandrew/ Sponsors: Yamashita Australia, Sunline & Gomexus.
https://www.instagram.com/fishingandrew/ Sponsors: Yamashita Australia, Sunline & Gomexus.