Angler holding up a southern calamari caught on a squid jig from a boat off Perth

Deep Water Squid Fishing: How to Catch Squid in Deep Water with Tip-Run

Most squid fishing in Perth happens in shallow water: jetties, rock walls and weed banks in 2–6 metres. But some of the biggest southern calamari in WA live deeper, on the weed and broken ground in 8–20 metres and beyond, around Rottnest, Garden Island and the reefs off the northern suburbs. They see far fewer jigs, and a drift over the right ground can produce big squid all morning.

The problem is getting a jig down to them. A standard squid jig cast from a drifting boat never reaches the bottom in deep water, because the drift drags it away before it gets there. Deep water squid fishing needs a different approach, and in Japan they've perfected it with a method called tip-run.

This guide covers how to catch squid in deep water: when you need to go deep, how the tip-run method works, the right deep water squid jigs and weights, the rod, reel and line, how to read bites, and where to find deep squid around Perth.

Angler holding up a southern calamari caught on a squid jig from a boat off Perth

When Do You Need to Fish Deep?

Standard casting jigs start to lose effectiveness in water deeper than about 8 metres, especially from a moving boat. But it isn't only about depth. The real question is whether your jig can reach the squid before the drift pulls it away.

  • Over 8–10 metres: a standard 3.0 or 3.5 cast from a drifting boat usually won't reach the bottom.
  • Windy days and fast drifts: even in 8–10 metres, a fast drift can mean you need a tip-run jig or a nose weight just to get down.
  • Current: tidal flow around islands and reef edges pushes jigs off course.
  • Warm, bright days: squid often move deeper when the water warms up or the sun is high.

If you're pulling your jig back without ever feeling weed, or your line is streaming out at a steep angle behind the boat, you need to go deeper and heavier.

What Is Tip-Run Squid Fishing?

Tip-run (often called tip-run eging) is a Japanese boat method for catching squid in deeper water. Instead of casting and working the jig back, you drop a heavily weighted jig straight down from a drifting boat, give it a few sharp jerks, then hold the rod completely still and let the drift pull the jig along just above the bottom. The squid grab it during that pause, and you see the bite on the rod tip. That's where the name comes from.

It's one of the most effective ways to catch squid in deep water, and it works just as well in 8–10 metres on a windy day as it does in 20 metres or more.

Deep Water Squid Jigs and Weights

Tip-run jigs

A tip-run jig is a squid jig with extra weight on the nose, so it drops almost vertically (around a second per metre) and swims level as the boat drifts. Tip-run jigs typically weigh 25–40 grams.

Tip-run weights (nose cones)

You don't need a whole new box of jigs to fish deep. A clip-on tip-run weight (sometimes called a nose cone) turns your favourite jig into a deep water jig.

Even a small 2.5 with a 10 g weight will fish 15 metres of water. Heavier weights of around 20 g will get you down in very deep water.

Deep sinking jigs

For water in the 6–12 metre range, or when you want to cast rather than drop vertically, a deep-sinking (D) jig sinks at about 2–2.5 seconds per metre and holds depth in wind and current.

How heavy should you go?

Start with about 1 gram of total jig weight per metre of water, and go heavier if your jig isn't getting down. The wind and drift matter as much as the depth. On a fast drift, anglers often move up from a 24 g jig to 30 g or 35 g just to stay near the bottom. If your line angle is steep and you can't feel the bottom, go heavier.

Colours for deep water

Light fades quickly as you go deeper, so colours that stand out matter more.

  • Purple and deep red: strong silhouettes, and proven on tip-run jigs in 11–16 metres.
  • Glow and UV: luminous bellies and UV finishes show up well in deep water and low light.
  • Red and black (RR): a classic contrast colour for bright days.
  • Pink and orange: great in dirty water and overcast conditions.

Browse all squid jigs, or see our guide to choosing squid jigs.

Southern calamari with its tentacles wrapped around a pink squid jig at sunset

How to Catch Squid in Deep Water: The Tip-Run Method

  1. Set up the drift. Find your ground (weed patches, broken bottom or weed edges on your sounder) and let the boat drift over it. On windy days, a sea anchor slows the drift and keeps your jig near the bottom for longer.
  2. Fish the right side. Fish from the side of the boat that's drifting away from your line, so the line angles out under you, not back under the hull.
  3. Get down fast. Drop the jig straight to the bottom. A tip-run jig sinks at around a second per metre, so count it down: in 17 metres, count to about 17. Stop it a metre or so above the bottom so it doesn't bury in the weed.
  4. Jerk it up. Wind up the slack and give the jig 3–5 sharp jerks (not too big, like short jigging strokes) to lift it off the bottom.
  5. Hold still. Stop, and hold the rod completely still at about hip height for 5–10 seconds, with the rod at about 90° to the line. The drift pulls the jig along level, and this is when squid attack.
  6. Watch the tip. Keep your eyes on the rod tip through every pause.
  7. Repeat. If nothing happens, drop back down and repeat the jerk and hold two or three times. Then wind all the way up and start again.

Reading the bite

In tip-run, the bite is all about the rod tip. Squid grab the jig in several different ways, and the signal can be subtle:

  • The pull-down: the tip bends down, like a fish bite.
  • The stop: the tip stops moving with the swell, as if someone has stepped on your line.
  • The spring-up: the tip springs up and the line goes slack as a squid grabs the jig from below and lifts it.

Strike straight away at any change. In tip-run you set the hook on the touch, not the weight. Don't wait for the squid to take the jig properly. Once you're hooked up, keep steady pressure all the way to the boat, because squid tentacles tear easily and slack line lets them come off.

Casting deeper jigs from a drifting boat

In 6–10 metres, you can still cast. Cast in the direction the boat is drifting, about as far as the water is deep, and let the jig sink while the boat drifts toward it. If you cast behind the drift, the line comes tight before the jig ever reaches the bottom. A deep-sinking jig on a standard egi rod works well in this depth.

The trailing jig

While you work one rod, put a second rod in a rod holder with a shallow-sinking 3.0 or 3.5 trailing off the back of the boat. The drift keeps it hovering and flashing above the weed, and it often catches as many squid as the rod you're working.

The squid paternoster

From a boat at anchor, tie one or two small jigs on short droppers above a sinker and fish the rig straight down. This keeps the jigs still at a set depth, and it's easy for kids and beginners. Small jigs like the Yamashita Egi Sutte 1.5 work well on droppers.

Angler kneeling on a rocky shore holding a big southern calamari caught eging

The Right Gear for Deep Water Squid

Rod

For tip-run and deep boat squidding, a shorter egi rod of about 7'–7'10" is ideal. It's easier to handle in a boat, and a soft, sensitive tip lets you see the subtle bites that make tip-run work.

Browse all egi and squid rods.

Reel

A 2500–3000 size Shimano spinning reel is perfect. A shallow spool suits the thin braid you'll be using.

Line and leader

Other handy gear

  • A sounder: the most useful tool for deep squid. Use it to find weed patches, reef edges and broken ground, and to watch your depth on the drift. Browse our sounders.
  • A sea anchor: slows the drift on windy days, so your jig stays near the bottom longer.
  • A net or gaff: big squid pulled up from deep water are heavy, and they're easy to lose at the surface.
  • A bucket: to keep the ink off the deck.

Where to Find Deep Squid Around Perth

Squid live over seagrass, broken ground and reef edges. In deeper water, the best ground is usually dark, fresh-green weed patches next to sand, or a mix of sand, weed and low reef. Use your sounder to find it, and if a drift doesn't produce, move to the next patch.

  • Rottnest Island: the weed and broken ground around the island holds big southern calamari, especially off the weed edges in 10–20 metres.
  • Garden Island: the drifts off the northern tip, from shallow weed out into deeper water, are well known for squid.
  • Cockburn Sound and Warnbro Sound: the deeper edges of the weed banks.
  • The northern metro reefs: the weed and broken ground off Hillarys, Ocean Reef and Two Rocks in 10–20 metres.
  • Albany and the south coast: King George Sound holds big calamari, and deep-water methods work well in winter when the squid go down.

Around Australia, the same tip-run methods work anywhere southern calamari live in deeper water, from South Australia's gulfs to Port Phillip Bay and the Tasmanian coast.

When to fish deep

  • Season: squid are caught year-round in Perth, and cooler months (especially around May to winter) are a top time for numbers and size.
  • Time of day: pre-dawn and first light are prime. Baitfish move inshore overnight, and squid follow them.
  • Warm days: squid often drop deeper when the sun is high or the water is warm, which is when tip-run really shines.
  • Water clarity: after storms and big swell, look for cleaner water. Squid hunt by sight.

Deep Water Squid Fishing FAQ

How do you catch squid in deep water?

Use a tip-run jig, or a standard jig with a clip-on nose weight, and drop it straight down from a drifting boat. Give it a few sharp jerks, then hold the rod still for 5–10 seconds while the drift pulls the jig along just above the bottom. Watch the rod tip and strike at any change.

What is a tip-run squid jig?

A tip-run jig is a squid jig with extra weight on the nose, typically 25–40 g in total. It sinks at around a second per metre and swims level as the boat drifts, so you can fish deep water that a standard jig can't reach.

How heavy should a deep water squid jig be?

Start with about 1 gram of jig weight per metre of water depth, and go heavier in wind, current or a fast drift. Clip-on tip-run weights let you adjust on the water.

How deep do squid live?

Southern calamari are mostly caught in 1–20 metres over weed and broken ground, but they're also found deeper. On warm, bright days they often move deeper than usual.

What rod do I need for tip-run?

A shorter boat egi rod of about 7'–7'10" with a soft, sensitive tip, like the Oceans Legacy Dream Cast Squid Seeker S702L or Yamaga Mebius 710L, matched with a 2500–3000 size reel and PE0.5–0.8 braid.

Get Set Up for Deep Water Squid

Deep water squid fishing opens up a whole new world of bigger, less-pressured squid, and the tip-run method makes it simple once you get the hang of it. Come and see us at Level 1/154 Stirling Highway, Nedlands, or call (08) 9389 1337, and we'll set you up with the right jigs, weights, rod and line.

New to squid? Start with our complete guide to squid fishing in Perth.

Free shipping on orders over $150* (under 3kg, exclusions apply) Australia-wide.

— Compleat Angler Nedlands
Tagged: deep water squid eging Perth fishing Rottnest southern calamari squid squid fishing from boat squid jigs tip run tip run eging
Older articles Back to Compleat Angler Nedlands Western Australia Fishing Blog