FISHING TIPS

What's EGI? Squid jig called "egi" is Japanese old traditional jig, and the origin goes back more than 300 years and some people say it is the oldest fishing lure in the world. The japanese word, "egi" means wood bait, and it was made from wood and coins were used as sinkers, and not wrapped with cloth like what those are usually done now. Squid fishing using egi is one of the popular game among samurai in some area, as competing each other, they add some work to their own egi by putting gold leaf, burning to get dark color, using woodgraining, etc. COLOR A squid jig has two kinds of color for the under body and wrapped outer cloth. The problem most people have is how they choose a color. Some people say pink and orange outer color and gold under body color are good in mad water, and natural outer color and red under body color are for clear water, or some people may say different. I don't personally think these are always the best color choice, and it is also said squids are color-blind although it's not scientifically clarified yet. So what color we should use? No one knows the best answer. It can be one of good way that you just use a color you like. The only thing what I'm believing is changing colors of squid jigs itself works to keep catching squids. I'm not sure how squids actually see and recognize a color of squid jigs, but it will work to make a little change in what they see jigs. SIZE Most squid jig has different size from 2.5 to 4.0. 2.5 and smaller sized jig are used for small squids after spawning at shallow area with sight fishing, and 3.0 and 3.5 will be standard size in fishing from shore in most season. The key factor to choose size of squid jigs would be water depth and current at locations. The most important thing in squid fishing with squid jigs is fall speed and slower fall speed is better to give a chance to hold jigs for squids. Squids are hiding around structure in bottom and you always need to let a jig sink bottom first. When jigs falls deeper, you get more tension to a line and your jig will loose fall speed. If you give some tension to a line in falling in order to feel hit with a rod tip, it also affect fall speed of jigs. If current is strong, you will need to choose larger sized jigs to let a jig fall against the current. The point is to choose a proper size that a jig can fall slowly and you see a jig hit a bottom. TACKLE Standard tackle in squid fishing is light spinning reel (Shimano 3000 / Daiwa 2500 sized) and 8' to 9' rod with 10lb braided line and about 3' to 5' fluorocarbon leader. TECHNIQUE Cast a jig and let it fall to the bottom. A squid jig falls head down slowly and very sensitive to a line tension. In order to let a jig fall naturally and not to give any line tension to it, you should keep taking some line slack from a reel by hand while a jig gets to the bottom. Take up some slack, and twitch your rod a few times and let a jig dart around so that squids can find your jig, and let it fall to the bottom again. This is a simple process of fishing with squid jig, and you just keep doing it until a jig come back closer. People not familiar with squid fishing tends to think twitching is the most important in the process but it is just letting squids find your jig. Squids usually hit while a jig falls to the bottom and you should focus on a rod tip or line tension when a jig is falling. If you keep some line slack after twitching, a jig falls naturally and you see squid hit by line tension on the water surface. And if you take up a line slack after twitching, a jig falls slowly at curve form and you feet squid hit by a rod tip. When a jig comes back closer and you pick it up, it is commonly used technique to keep twitching and pause a few seconds right before picking up from the surface. Some squid sometimes jump out of rocks, seaweeds, and other structure just around you and you see those squids hold you jig on the surface.