With the weather finally playing the game it has given us all the opportunity to get out on a regular basis. There has been some really good fish caught in the last month with good snapper and jew still dominating the species count.

Another option to keep in mind when things go a little quite on the fish front is to chase some squid and cuttlefish. These wonderful cephalopods are a winner on the dinner plate, and they also make awesome baits for big jew and snapper.

You know when it’s time to start chasing the squid when those cold westerlies begin to blow and the water temperature drops around that 18-20ºC mark.

The good thing about targeting squid is that it isn't just for people with a boat or kayak. Many anglers are targeting the local jetties and foreshores from Redcliffe to the Gold Coast. A good way of seeing if the squid have been around in your local area is to go for a walk along the jetties and rock walls; if they’ve been around you will see the ink marks prayed over ground.

Any areas along the foreshores where lights are shining into the water you will find squid. They are attracted to these areas because the lights attract small prawns and baitfish. You would generally target these areas at high tide as this gives the squid more water to move up closer to the lights.

If getting out at night isn't your thing than you can still target squid during the day, but you will be looking more along rock walls on the high tide or areas where you know there are weed beds within casting distance of where you are fishing. Weed beds are a nursery for so many small shrimp and baitfish for the squid to feed on.

Choosing a squid jig can be quite confusing as there are so many different shapes, sizes, colours and weights. A lot of our squidding in the bay is done in reasonably shallow water from 0.5-3m, so the jigs we generally like to use are the in the 1.8-2.5 range. These jigs sink at a slow rate, so there is more time for the squid to attack the jig. Also a jig of that size is less intimidating for the squid to attack it. Popular jigs in these sizes are the Yamashita Live, Yamashita Naory and the Yozuri Aurie-Q jigs.

Squidding around the Bay Islands is a great option out of a boat. The squid here are still aggressive during the day, so you don't have to get out in the cold winter nights to catch a feed. Targeting the shallows around Peel, Macleay and Green islands are all very popular haunts to chase a feed of squid.

On the high tide is when they are up on the edges hunting around the rocks looking to feed. It’s just a matter of getting that squid jig up in its face and hopefully it’s hungry.

Nobody likes it when calamari is tough and chewy. Good calamari is kept fresh and looked after. The best way to keep them fresh and minimise that chance of chewiness when cooked is to spike them before you put them in the esky on ice.

Bringing a feed of squid home is always a bonus and will be welcomed by all. If you have any other questions please don't hesitate to come and see us down at Fish Head, 349 Colburn Avenue, Victoria Point.