After a month off from writing for my wedding and honeymoon, I am now well-rested and getting back into the swing of things slowly.

In the June issue of QFM I wrote about local land-based fishing options and techniques. I will be focusing on this topic a little more. Last article I wrote on targeting bream land-based. This month will all be about land-based squid options.

I would say that calamari would be on of the highest selling seafood at any fish and chip shop. But being able to put a rod, a bucket and a couple of squid jigs in the car and going down to your local jetty and catching a couple for dinner is a lot more fun and something that you can do with your kids as well.

When you are look for a good night time squid location the main thing that you want to be looking for is areas where there are lights shining on the water. Places where there is always plenty of light are jetties, marinas and boat ramps. The reason that you want to be looking for places with plenty of light on the water is because baitfish are attracted to light and therefore the squid are going to be stalking around in the light where the light fades to darkness.

Like any predator, squid move in with the tide looking for food, so the last 2 hours of the incoming tide is the best time to target them when fishing the areas mentioned above.

When it comes to what squid jig to tie on you really need to think about a couple of things, the first being the water depth. There are 5 main sizes in squid jigs: 1.8, 2.2, 2.5, 3 and 3.5. There are really only 3 sizes that I use when fishing land-based in relatively shallow water and that is the 1.8, 2.2 and 2.5. These are ideal for the depths that we would be fishing around our local area.

There are that many different brands of squid jigs that it makes it hard to choose which ones to get. The old saying that you get what you pay for applies even for squid jigs. When the squid are aggressive and hungry, I will agree that it doesn't matter what you throw at them, but when they are a little shy and shutdown a good squid jig definitely helps.

I am a big fan of the Yamashita range of jigs, they have quite a variety in their ranges and they are the leader of the pack when it comes to new technology like the Yamashita Egi Oh Q Live jigs. These jigs have a thermo storage cloth, which transfers any light into heat, which then gives the jig a warmer bait fish like temperature!

The action that you impart on your squid jig is also very important. It is not just a simple case of casting the jig out and winding it in. You want that jig to imitate an injured baitfish or a darting prawn, so you want quite an erratic action. After putting in a nice cast into the shadows just past the light, you want to let you jig sink for a couple of seconds, then do 1 or 2 fast rips with the rod into the air. This will lift the jig at quite a steep angle and then let it sink down again and then repeat the process all the way in. You will find that the squid will always hit the jig as it is sinking.

I hope that some of these tips have helped you in your search for some fresh calamari; there is honestly nothing better. Get out and give it a go for yourself as this is the ideal time to be targeting Moreton Bay squid. Lets hope that the winter weather sticks around for a little longer yet.