Squid Fishing Guide: How to Catch Squid in Perth & Australia

Squid are one of the best fish to target in Perth, and they're very beginner-friendly. You don't need a boat or a big budget. A light rod, a few jigs and some basic technique will get you onto southern calamari from a jetty, a rock wall or a beach. It's also one of the best feeds you'll get out of the ocean.

This guide covers how to catch squid, from where to find them and the best times to go to the gear, the jig retrieve that works, and how to fish jetties and night sessions. It's written for Perth waters, and the same approach works anywhere southern calamari live, from Albany and Esperance to South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and southern NSW.

What You're Catching: Southern Calamari

When Perth anglers talk about squid, they mean southern calamari. They're the broad-bodied squid with a fin running the full length of the hood, and they live over seagrass and weed in shallow water. They're found right across southern Australia, from around Kalbarri down and around to southern Queensland, including Tasmania.

You may also come across arrow squid. These are torpedo-shaped with a small triangular fin at the rear only, and they live in deeper open water, usually 30 metres and beyond. They're a boat-at-night fishery with different jigs. Everything in this guide is about southern calamari, the squid you can catch from the shore.

Best Time to Catch Squid

Time of year

In Perth, squid bite year-round. Autumn (March to May) and spring (September to November) are the most consistent periods in the metro area, and the cooler months bring some of the biggest squid of the year into the shallows. In other words, there's no bad month to go. Right now, in spring, numbers are building on the weed beds, which makes it a great time to start.

Along the south coast and in South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania, the pattern is similar. Squid are around all year, and each region has its own peaks as the water warms and cools.

Time of day

So what's the best time for squid fishing during the day? Low light: dawn, dusk and after dark. Squid hunt by sight, and dim light gives them the advantage over baitfish and prawns. Small baitfish move in close to shore overnight and the squid follow them, so being in position before first light is one of the best things you can do. On bright days they don't disappear. They move deeper or hold tight to the weed, so you just need to fish a little deeper and more carefully.

Tide and conditions

• Moving water beats slack water. The hour or two either side of a tide change is usually when squid are most active.
• Clean water helps. Squid rely on their eyes, and a storm that churns up the water can make squidding very hard for a few days. The calm days after a blow, once the water has cleared, are often the best sessions. If your usual spot is dirty, go looking for cleaner water.
• Some wind is fine, but strong wind makes it hard to feel the jig sinking. Pick sheltered spots, or go up a jig size, on windy days.

Where to Find Squid: Look for the Weed

This is the most important rule: no weed, no squid. Southern calamari live in and over seagrass, broken weed and patchy reef, usually in 2 to 15 metres of water. The classic spot is "broken ground": patches of weed with sand in between. Squid sit on the weed edge and ambush prawns and baitfish that cross the sand.

Look for dark, fresh green weed next to sand. Brown patches tend to be older, tired weed. A pair of polarised sunglasses makes the patches far easier to spot from a boat, a jetty or the rocks. Make a few casts, and if nothing happens, move to the next patch.

Other features to look for:

• Jetty pylons and the shadow line under jetty lights
• Rock walls and breakwaters with weed at the base
• Marina walls and harbour edges
• Sand-to-weed transitions and reef edges
• Fresh ink stains on a jetty deck, which mean squid have been caught there recently

Best squid spots in Perth

• Cockburn Sound: Perth's squid capital. The shallow weed banks hold big numbers from a boat or kayak, and the shore spots around it are just as good.
• Ammo Jetty and Woodman Point (Coogee): one of the most popular squid jetties in Perth, especially at dawn, dusk and after dark under the lights.
• Fremantle North and South Moles: deep water close to the rocks, with weed along the edges.
• Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour: harbour lights attract baitfish after dark, and the squid follow.
• Rockingham, Palm Beach and Point Peron: good shore-based fishing over weed, and family-friendly.
• Hillarys and Mindarie marinas: the walls and nearby reef hold squid year-round.
• Cottesloe: the reef and groyne are worth a few casts early in the morning.
• Rottnest Island: Thomson Bay, Parker Point and Geordie Bay. The water is very clear, the squid are big and they can be spooky, so go subtle.

Squid fishing around Australia

The same weed-bed approach works anywhere southern calamari live. Well-known areas include Busselton, Albany and Esperance in WA, the South Australian gulfs, Port Phillip and Western Port in Victoria, Tasmania's east coast, and Jervis Bay and Botany Bay in NSW. Find shallow weed with some sand through it and you'll find squid.

Squid Fishing Gear: The Setup That Works

Squid fishing with a rod and a Japanese-style jig (an egi) is called eging. You can catch squid on any light spinning outfit, but a dedicated eging setup makes a noticeable difference to how the jig moves, how many bites you feel and how many squid you land.

Rod

If you're going to spend money on one thing, spend it on a dedicated egi rod. A good egi rod has a crisp tip that snaps the jig so it darts like a fleeing prawn, and a softer middle that cushions the squid's soft tentacles so the jig doesn't tear free. A general spin rod will cast a jig, but it won't work it properly.

• Length: 7'6" to 8'6" for fishing from the shore, and a little shorter from a boat or kayak
• Rating: egi rods are rated by jig size (for example "Egi 2.0–3.5"). Pick one that covers 2.5 to 3.5, the sizes you'll use most.
• Power: ML or M

Egi rods we use ourselves:

• Oceans Legacy Dream Cast Squid Seeker: built on a Toray 40T carbon blank with Fuji guides, and tested over two years in Albany and Esperance. There's a model for every style: a 7'0" for 2.0–3.5 jigs, an 8'4" all-rounder for 2.5–4.0, and an 8'6" for the bigger 3.0–4.5 jigs and squid.
• Yamaga Blanks Mebius: if you want a premium Japanese egi rod, Yamaga's eging series is light, crisp and sensitive, and you'll feel the difference.
• Shimano 24 Squirt Stick: a purpose-built squid rod at an entry-level price, rated for 1.8–4.0 jigs. A great first egi rod.

Also worth a look: the Atomic Arrowz Egi, an 8'3" two-piece with a lengthened butt for casting distance, and the Daiwa 20 Emeraldas.

Reel

A 2500 or C3000 size spinning reel is the right size for squid. Look for a smooth drag, because squid have soft tentacles and a jerky drag pulls the jig free. A reel that lays light braid evenly also casts further. These are the Shimano reels we use on our own squid outfits, from entry level up:

• Shimano 25 Nasci FD: excellent value for a first eging outfit
• Shimano 23 Stradic FM: the reliable mid-range choice, in 2500 and C3000HG
• Shimano 24 Vanford FA: very light (the 2500HGA is 175 g), which you'll notice after a few hundred snaps of the rod
• Shimano 25 Sustain FK: a step up in smoothness and refinement

Line and leader

• Main line: PE0.6–0.8 braid (roughly 10–18 lb / 4.5–8 kg). Thin braid casts further, lets the jig sink naturally, and lets you feel the light touches. Purpose-made eging braids like Varivas Avani Eging Max Power X9 are designed to be easy to see against the water, so you can watch for bites.
• Leader: 1–1.5 m of 10–16 lb (4.5–7 kg) fluorocarbon. Squid have excellent eyesight, and fluoro is less visible and sinks with the jig. Squid can't bite through line, so the leader is there for stealth and to protect against abrasion on pylons and rocks.
• Snap: a small snap like the Oceans Legacy Access Clip lets you change jigs in seconds without retying, which matters a lot when you're trying different colours.

Squid jigs

Squid jigs are sized by a Japanese number from 1.5 to 4.0. A bigger number means a bigger, heavier jig that sinks faster. For most Perth squid fishing, carry 2.5, 3.0 and 3.5:

• 2.5: shallow water (1–3 m), calm days, clear water and fussy squid. Great for jetties.
• 3.0: the all-rounder for Perth metro water. If you only buy one size, make it this one.
• 3.5: deeper water, wind, current, boat drifts and bigger squid.

For a full breakdown of jig sizes, sink rates, colours and rigging, see our guide on how to choose the right squid jigs.

Jigs also come in different sink rates: shallow, standard and deep. Use a shallow-sinking jig over shallow weed so you're not constantly snagging, and a deep-sinking jig in current or deeper water.

Jigs we use and trust:

• Shimano Sephia Clinch Flash Boost: an internal mirror on micro springs keeps flashing even when the jig is sitting still, which is exactly when squid attack.
• Oceans Legacy Egi Seeker: an internal mirror and diamond foil, with UV glow bellies on selected colours. Available in 2.5, 3.0, 3.5 and a 3.5 Deep.
• Yamashita Egi-OH Live: one of the best-known squid jigs around, and a benchmark many anglers compare others to.

Colours, simply: match the jig to the light. Use glow jigs before dawn and at night, iridescent jigs at first light and on overcast days, flash jigs in the morning sun, and black or red in bright midday sun. The three most reliable colours for WA squid are white, black and red. Always carry a few colour options, because squid can switch on to one colour and ignore the rest.

How to Use a Squid Jig: The Retrieve That Catches Squid

Squid don't bite a jig the way a fish bites a lure. They grab it with their two long tentacles and pull it in, and the rows of barbless spikes at the back of the jig hold them. Nearly every squid is caught while the jig is sinking or sitting still, not while it's moving. Here's the basic retrieve:

1. Cast past the target. Land the jig beyond the weed edge, pylon or light line, not on top of it, and work it back through the zone.
2. Let it sink. Count it down. A standard 3.0 or 3.5 sinks about 3 seconds per metre. Keep a little tension on the line, because squid often grab the jig on the first drop.
3. Snap it up. Make two or three sharp upward flicks of the rod tip. This makes the jig dart up and sideways like a fleeing prawn.
4. Pause and let it fall. Wind in just the slack, then let the jig sink again. This is when squid attack. Watch your line closely.
5. Feel for weight, then sweep. The bite feels like a heavy weight, the line going tight, or the line stopping or moving sideways as the jig sinks. Lift the rod smoothly. Don't strike hard, because you'll pull the spikes out of the soft tentacles.
6. Keep it tight. Wind slowly and steadily with a light drag, and never let the line go slack. The spikes have no barbs, so slack line means a lost squid, and winding too fast tears tentacles.

Count it down with the bail open. After the cast, leave the bail open so the jig sinks freely, and count. If your jig sinks at about 3.5 seconds per metre and you're in 4 metres of water, a count of around 14 puts it just off the weed. That's why it pays to know the sink rate of your jigs.

Watch for followers. Squid travel in groups, and others often follow a hooked squid up. Have a second jig ready to drop in next to it. And if a squid grabs the jig and lets go, keep working the same spot, because it will often come back.

The number one beginner mistake is working the jig too hard and too fast. Snap the rod, then give the jig a long pause. Most squid are caught during the pause.

How to Fish for Squid off a Jetty

Jetties are the easiest way to start squid fishing. They get you out over deeper water and weed without a boat, and many have lights that attract baitfish after dark.

• Fan your casts. Cover the water from the jetty's edge out to your longest cast. Squid often sit tight to the pylons.
• Fish the shadow line. At night, squid wait in the dark water just outside the pool of light and ambush baitfish drawn to it. Cast past the light and bring the jig back through the dark-to-light edge.
• Keep moving. Squid travel in groups. If you haven't had a touch in 10–15 minutes, walk further along the jetty or try somewhere else.
• From the rocks, feed out a little extra line once the jig lands so it sinks straight down rather than swinging back toward your feet.
• Use a longer rod (8' and up) to steer squid away from pylons, and bring a long-handled net or gaff for the bigger ones. Lifting a big squid up onto a high jetty by the line alone often ends with the squid falling off.
• Try a jig under a float. Hang a jig under a float and let the swell work it while you cast a second rod. It's easy, it works, and it's great for kids.

How to Catch Squid at Night

Night can be the best time of all, especially around lit jetties and harbours.

• Glow and UV jigs are the go-to. Charge a glow jig with a UV torch for a few seconds before each cast, and recharge it every few casts as the glow fades. Yamashita Egi-OH Live Neon Bright jigs are designed for low light.
• Work the lights. Lit jetties, harbour lights and boat ramps concentrate the baitfish, and the squid follow them.
• Slow down. Use smaller snaps and longer pauses. Squid at night are feeding confidently and will take a slow jig.
• Use a headlamp with a red-light mode so you can tie knots and handle squid without shining white light across the water.

Squid Fishing from a Boat or Kayak

A boat or kayak lets you reach the big shallow weed banks of Cockburn Sound, Warnbro Sound and the areas around Garden Island and Rottnest.

• Drift over 2–8 m of weed and cast in the direction you're drifting, about as far as the water is deep. The boat drifts toward the jig while it sinks, so it gets down to the weed instead of being dragged away. If you cast behind the drift, the line comes tight before the jig ever reaches the bottom.
• Slow the drift with a sea anchor on windy days, or go up to a heavier jig so it still gets down.
• Put out a trailing jig. Hang a shallow-sinking 3.0 or 3.5 off the back of the boat in a rod holder while you cast with a second rod. The drift keeps it hovering and flashing, and it often catches as many squid as the rod you're working.

Fishing deeper than about 8 metres? See our deep water squid fishing guide.

Handling Squid: Beating the Ink

• Point them away. When the squid reaches the surface, keep it in the water and pointed away from you for a few seconds so it inks there, not on you.
• Net from behind. Scoop from the head end, then hold the squid over the water for 20 seconds or so before bringing it in.
• Dispatch straight away with a quick spike between the eyes. The body turns from see-through to white. It's more humane, it stops the inking, and the meat is firmer and whiter.
• Ice immediately. An ice slurry (ice plus seawater) in an esky or insulated bag keeps the meat at its best. Squid go downhill quickly in the heat.

From Catch to Kitchen

Cleaning

1. Pull the head and tentacles away from the tube. The guts come out with them.
2. Pull out the clear, plastic-like quill from inside the tube.
3. Peel off the skin and fins under running water.
4. Cut the tentacles off just below the eyes. Keep the tentacles and throw away the head and guts.

Cooking

The rule for calamari is fast and hot, or low and slow. Anything in between turns it rubbery.

• Fast and hot: score the tube in a crosshatch pattern and sear it on a very hot BBQ plate or pan for 30–60 seconds a side. Finish with salt, pepper and lemon.
• Salt and pepper squid: toss pieces in seasoned flour (salt, white pepper and a pinch of five spice) and deep fry for 60–90 seconds.
• Low and slow: braise whole tubes in a tomato sauce for 45 minutes or more until tender.

Squid is also one of the best baits you can use. Whole tubes and heads are a great bait for bigger fish, and thin strips of squid are a top whiting bait.

Squid Fishing FAQ

What is the best time to catch squid?

Dawn, dusk and after dark, when the tide is moving. In Perth, squid bite year-round, with autumn and spring the most consistent periods.

Can you catch squid during the day?

Yes. In bright conditions, fish a little deeper, switch to natural-coloured jigs and work the weed edges carefully. Overcast days can fish just as well as dawn.

What size squid jig should I use?

Use a 3.0 as your all-rounder, a 2.5 for shallow, calm water and jetties, and a 3.5 for deeper water, wind, current or boat drifts.

Do you need bait to catch squid?

No. A squid jig does the job on its own, and it's the most effective method by far. Some anglers fish a bait on a float with a squid spike, but jigs catch more squid.

Why do I keep losing squid?

Usually it's slack line or a strike that's too hard. Lift smoothly when you feel weight, keep the line tight all the way in, set your drag light, and net the bigger squid rather than lifting them out of the water on the line.

Get Set Up for Squid

Squid fishing is one of the easiest ways to get started in fishing, and one of the most rewarding for experienced anglers too. If you're just starting, get a good egi rod, a smooth 2500 reel, light braid and a few jigs in different sizes and colours, and you'll be ready to fish anywhere from Ammo Jetty to Port Lincoln.

Browse our squid jigs and egi rods online, or come and see us in store at Level 1/154 Stirling Highway, Nedlands. Our team fishes these same spots and can match an outfit to your budget and the way you fish. Call us on (08) 9389 1337.

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