Although Esperance is renowned for its pristine waters, Ultra white sands or the friendly kangaroos at Lucky Bay, there is a little *dirty secret the locals know about which lurks in the ocean and around our bay waters.
*Dirty because of the inking of course*
The title gives it away - it's our local squid and it has to be considered world class eating (and looking too when coming out of the water)
These squid rings are as tender and tasty as they come - pass the salt and pepper - I am starting to salivate at the thought.
Fortunately, a benefit of Esperance and its isolation and many beaches means there isn't the overfishing as at many other fisheries and its odds on as a good chance of getting a tasty feed and for the kids to enjoy the experience and reward of getting the line wet.
The Esperance bay itself from the jetties are a good start, although the opportunity has been lost currently to fish off the long jetty which was the best starting point to catch squid other man-made headlands and smaller jetties open the possibilities of a catch. Particularity at night when lights attract them closer.
Either the common squid Jig or the artificial ones seem to do the trick, i believe its more technique than gear that helps to get a catch. Normal fishing habits like trying to set the hook usually result in a tear off.
If you have a runabout then you're going to score (Squid). Usually, its good to have a light wind to help drift over the seagrass and between sand patches or throw out a Sea Anchor if the wind speed is too fast - I haven't found this scares the squid off. As you reel in the jig its not uncommon to get a glimpse at the squids chasing the jig.
Below is a map of some good runs I have had in the boat
Most bays will have an opportunity to catch a feed of squid, Patience is the key and in the past fishing experiences in some bays not only you can catch squid but attract Pink Snappers too... but that's for another blog post in the future.....
See below for current fisheries rules about catch limits and licenses.
Western Australia Recreational Fishing Rules
Anything and Everything Esperance sells telescopic fishing Rods in store if wanting to try out fishing without a big spend on high-end gear, alternatively, the other fishing stores such as Tatey Fishing World in the town centre or Southern Sports and Tackle in the Esperance Boulevard Shopping centre have a range of jigs and gear on offer.