The 3 must have thing to help you land bigger squid.
1. Lightweight rod.
I have seen a multitude of techniques people have used to hunt and catch squid. Some range from using a handline all the way up to using 12ft beach rods with balloons to float the jigs out in the surf. The best all round technique I have found is using a lightweight rod and doing a constant cast and retrieve of the squid jig. This technique allows you to cover a large area of weed bed, sand banks or structure to find where the squid are hiding or feeding. Using a lightweight rod will reduce the fatigue on your arms and wrist from constant casting and still allow you to cast a significant distant to cover as much water as possible. Below are some of the rods I use for catching squid which I paired with either a 2000 reel or 2500 reel.
Daiwa Laguna Spinning Rod - https://amzn.to/3gaFZIl
Okuma Celilo Graphite Lightweight Ultra Light Rod - https://amzn.to/3GrFS5U
2. Quality squid jig.
This may seem like a no brainer but with so many brands and colours of squid jigs where do you start? First off you start with size, they commonly range from sizes 1.6 to 4.0 which refers to the length in inches from the eye of the jig to the end of the body, just before the prongs. Weights and sink rates can vary, however the smaller jigs are commonly used in shallower estuaries while the larger jigs are used in deeper coastal waters. Next is patterns and UV coatings, since a squid’s vision is monochromatic (meaning they see generally in black and white) colours aren’t so important. The pattern and shape of the jig should resemble a prey item in the area which the squid are feeding on and the UV coating will be seen by the squid and shine like a beacon saying, “come eat me!”. The links below are a few of the squid jigs I have had a lot of success with and are my go-to whenever I am in the area, I think squid will be hunting.
Yamashita Egi Sutte R Squid Jig 2.5in Blue Silver - https://amzn.to/3V8hJFm
Yamashita Egi Sutte R Squid Jig 2.5in Tiger - https://amzn.to/3V3ieAA
3. Landing net.
When I got my first fishing kayak I thought “great this will let me catch a ton of squid on the weed banks people can’t get to”. Little did I know that when I hooked my first squid and got it to the side of the kayak, I had no idea how I was going to get it in without making a mess. After messing around and a few attempts to get it into the kayak, it unhooked itself from the barbs and scooted away from the kayak much to my disappointment. The rest of the afternoon hunting squid only yielded 4 squid successfully landed. After that day I went and brought myself a small handheld landing net and took it with me next time I went out, and with the assistance of a good quality net I landed 10 good sized squid making the outing much more enjoyable and fruitful. Many years later and trying different nets, the Berkley Kayak net is hands down the best all round net I have ever used. Not only is it great for squid but small and versatile for catching many fish both boat and land based, beach or jetty. I would highly recommend this net if you are in the market for one, I have provided links to where you can buy them to help you land the kraken!
Berkley Kayak NET - https://amzn.to/3AnMjCU
UFISH Trout Fishing Net - https://amzn.to/3hTCHJV
Not only are squid great fun for all ages to catch but they also make a tasty meal. Comment below your favorite squid recipes and get out there and catch some squid!