San Diego & SoCal Fishing Forums

I don't expect the squid beds to be burnt, but if anyone has any tips I'd appreciate a private message. Thanks all.

They look like Afro hair on the meter on the bottom. Cruise around mission beach looking for the beds. Most likely, you won’t be the only boat on them. Sabiki rigs work better than squid rigs imo for the market size squid.

Found one about a week before the squid boats went full ham in about 140ft of water in the sandy part of the NW corner of LJ. As camo mentioned they look like an afro or cha cha cha chia pet on the meter

Do you guys know the lifespan of a squid bed - If I find one, is it likely to be there the following weekend? Then do you like to fish near the bed, or just make bait and go find the fish?

All depends on squid boat pressure. I never paid attention to the bed lifespan but I’ve fished the same numbers for a couple weeks and made squid. Who knows if other squid move in on the same spot or what. I’ve also pulled up to numbers given to me by a commercial buddy where he had no problems making squid the morning of to find a complete desert. They get hammered hard by fish and boats….

Squids sleep in beds? Who knew???

Man I hate squid bed fishing. I know they can provide some of the best inshore action in the region, but I hate soaking a squid on the bottom on anchor from dark thirty in the morning until who knows when. Funny how especially the more north you go where that style of fishing is more prevalent fishermen make much more of a distinction between "gamefish" and "bottomfish" and target both with the same general technique.

Never experienced that type of squid bed fishing???? If you only are soaking one squid on the hook, you’re not doing it “right”. It can be pretty steady action with the right conditions. My buddy just broke his personal local best on a yellow just over 40.

3 live squid minimum on a 7/0 Aki twist.

Just an FYI report on the squid thread.

Bright lights at night on the Torrey Pines Surfline camera last couple of days, pretty tight to the beach. This boat has been in the same spot since July 2, and probably longer. (?) You can look back in beach history using Surfline "rewind" if you are a premium member. I usually use the cams to look for bird piles and fishing activity but easier to spot the light boats

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Those boats were in close at TP on June 22nd at dawn. I could see 6 spread out from about Flat Rock north to the Del Mar/TP border.

camobass wrote: Wed Jul 05, 2023 3:41 pm Never experienced that type of squid bed fishing???? If you only are soaking one squid on the hook, you’re not doing it “right”. It can be pretty steady action with the right conditions. My buddy just broke his personal local best on a yellow just over 40.

3 live squid minimum on a 7/0 Aki twist.

Not disagreeing with you, just have never had one of those days where the right conditions and biting fish lined up. Have only done it a handful of times though. And I hate how a squid bed turns an area into a parking lot.

Yeah, I know what you mean but it’s worth it. There’s definitely a lot more to it than just sitting on the hook and soaking a bait. There’s technique involved. The payoff can be huge. My personal best wsb 76lbs came off a bed as well as my PB north of the border yellow at 38lbs and many many many other nice fish. It’s worth the chaos of battling the boat traffic, sleeping in a skiff, bent out of shape to hear your clicker screaming at 3am etc….

How often have you fished the squid on a balloon?

Always have balloons out, different depths. And fly line. 2-3 live squid per hook. You can get bit on frozen squid over the beds too.

Already learning just from this thread. I didn't know technique is so critical, or even multiple squid/hook. Thanks all! I'm hoping to try it out sooner or later