Northwest Reel Life January - February 2024 Volume 3 Issue 4 - Flipbook - Page 13
entangled in as they latch
onto the colorful plastic
body portion of the jig.
Many squid jigging
enthusiasts swear that
nighttime is the best time
to catch squid. By in large
this holds true, but it’s also
important to put some
focus on the tides and
water clarity. A high tide
with decent water clarity
can produce squid even
during the daytime.
At night, squid are
attracted to the lights
illuminating off of the
piers. The general belief
around this is that light
attracts phytoplankton,
the phytoplankton then
attracts zooplankton, and
zooplankton attract the
fish and other critters that
squid like to feed on. Piers
already come equipped
with their own lights and
these typically do a decent
job of providing the needed
illumination to bring in the
squid. With that being said,
the chances of bringing
in larger amounts of
squid become increased
when a more powerful
and concentrated light is
introduced. Folks will often
bring battery or generatorpowered lights to shine into
the water.
24 | NWFISHING.net
Check with local rules to
find out if generators are
allowed.
While on the topic of rules,
it’s important to note that
there is a fair amount of
pier fishing etiquette to
consider while navigating
the pier. It’s best to speak
with folks who are using
lights and ask them if it’s
ok to post up next to them.
There’s a good chance
they might be saving these
spots for friends or family
and It’s not uncommon
for conflict to occur on the
pier if people aren’t using
common courtesy while
acquiring their jigging
spots.
Just as the gear is
minimalistic, the technique
is simple as well.
Folks will work their jigs
in a variety of ways, but
sticking to the basics is
what generally will get
you on the squid. When
casting, you should allow
your jig to drop to a depth
where squid are holding,
lift the tip of your rod and
slowly retrieve as you lower
the rod tip back down,
then repeat the process.
Once you have a squid
on your jig, keep tension
on the line and the squid
should remain there as you
retrieve.
The method is similar while
jigging directly beneath
you, though you won’t
be doing any reeling in
of the line until a squid
has attached itself. Some
people like to do a few
quick and hard lifts of
the rod and then let it
sit near the bottom for a
few moments. Though
you might not feel the
squid strike your jig, the
difference of weight at
the end of your line once
you lift again, will be your
indicator that you have a
squid on.
So, if you’re anything like
me, and consider the sound
of a bubbling deep fryer to
be just as much of a winter
staple as holiday tunes or
roasted turkeys, then put
on your winter jacket and
head to a local pier for
your shot at getting that
bucket up to its halfway
point with these great
tasting cephalopods. And
remember, there’s no such
thing as bad weather,
there’s only such a thing as
bad gear!
Let’s take a step back
away from fishing for a
moment, please. That may
be sacrilegious, coming
from a magazine that is on
its face wholly dedicated
to fishing. I mean it’s called
Reel Life for Pete’s sake, the
pun couldn’t be any more
fishing related. Consider the
experiences that we add
to our core memories from
our passion for life outside
the concrete jungle. The
sights and sounds of places
we’ve just experienced
for the first time. Those
times with friends and
family. The sometimestrivial outings that we build
into our routines because
we are outdoorsmen and
outdoorswomen at our core.
Being present at those times
is crucial to our ability to take
a deep breath and hit the
reset button.
inducing drives that really
make you appreciate the
work of engineers. The drive
up the mountain is narrow.
A two-lane highway with
an unforgiving drop on
one side of the road and
an immovable rock face
on the other. It makes me
wonder how folks drive
campers, boats, or trailers
up such a road. There are
points along the drive
where, if you’re on the
outside lane, by peering
out of the window, you’ll
realize the full effect
of the over 9,000-foot
drop off the road, add
another nearly 2,000
feet if you decide
to get to the very
top. It’s a road so
treacherous, it is
closed during the
wintertime, and
rightfully so.
One of the most scenic
drives I have ever
experienced came from a
trip along the Beartooth
Highway in the heart of
the Custer National Forest.
It is one of those winding,
nauseating, fear of height
In addition to
these crystalclear memories
of peril, are the
wondrous views
that come from
the observation
point.
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