Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum

Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: aquapaloosa on August 03, 2009, 08:09:46 AM

Title: Humboldt Squid
Post by: aquapaloosa on August 03, 2009, 08:09:46 AM
I am at my house listening to the sport fishing fleet off tofino and ucluelet on the vhf and hearing that Humboldt squid are at the surface and attacking everything in the water.  Reports of plugs floating at the surface and seeing tentacles coming up out of the water and grabbing the plug while it floats still. Also, lead cannon ball being swarmed, flashers being grabed.  Sounds like anything that moves gets tasted.  There are also an unusual amount if birds out there too.

Guys are keeping there hands out of the water for sure.

These are great to eat I hear.

Any one know what the limit is on these?


Just also heard that boats are leaving there fishing areas's to get out of the squid infested areas.

The ocean is a mysterious place.

It is probably worse than fishing in shark infested waters.  If you end up in the water swimming you are done.

Another report of salmon being caught with fresh slashes and scratches on them from the squid(likely).


Hope they are not eating salmon.
Title: Re: Humboldt Squid
Post by: Keener on August 03, 2009, 08:14:03 AM
Those squids are apparently extremely dangerous since they hunt in swarms. I guess it's another sign that our waters are warming.... Although I dont know if they swim faster than salmon.
Title: Re: Humboldt Squid
Post by: aquapaloosa on August 03, 2009, 08:47:28 AM
Another report,

Squid have also washed up on the beaches. 

I am going to look now.
Title: Re: Humboldt Squid
Post by: aquapaloosa on August 03, 2009, 10:00:07 AM
More reports of a pack of orca feasting on squid close to shore.

Title: Re: Humboldt Squid
Post by: Keener on August 03, 2009, 10:50:35 AM
Where is this happening? Which beach? Take photos!
Title: Re: Humboldt Squid
Post by: jon5hill on August 03, 2009, 01:34:13 PM
This is totally cool, like something out of a movie. If anyone has any news articles, images, video, media of any sort covering this I'd be fascinated to see it!
Title: Re: Humboldt Squid
Post by: arimaBOATER on August 03, 2009, 02:10:46 PM
Seen a report on the USA tv news a while back (California station) Appartently these squid stayed in the waters off Mexico BUT .... they think that the squid cleaned out their food supply so they moved north into Califoria & Oregon waters to start attacking a new food source. Appartantly they have giant appetites... aggressive & can move very very fast in the water. They are also alot of them !!!  Possibly they could pose a very real threat to our salmon populations. --------- The other day seen a 1 hr special on salmon sharks that go into Alaskan waters in July & August in the 1000's to feed on returning salmon. They said that 1 out of 4 salmon are killed by these salmon sharks that enter Prince William Sound. Some of these sharks looked to be 10ft or longer with huge jaws.... On the film it showed 3-4 sharks attacking salmon...they start splashing the water with their tails & swimming in circles till the salmon are dis-oriented then they just devour them. -------------- Sea lice seals commericial--- sport---native---fishing---warming waters----pollution--- & now squid & salmon sharks !!! Show was on National Geographic Ch. the other night. By the way the squid cleaned out alot of fish in the California area as the commercial fisherman were complaining. These salmon shark attacked so viciously they reminded me of a great white shark. They also came to the surface alot . ------ Personally these shark should be controlled because 1 out of 4 salmon killed is alot ....plus these fish live up to 40 yrs old or more the tv show mentioned. ---- Who knows where they go after they leave Alaskan waters ... possibly they roam the Pacific ocean eating other salmon !!!!
Title: Re: Humboldt Squid
Post by: aquapaloosa on August 03, 2009, 02:15:09 PM
See the story

http://www.westcoaster.ca/modules/AMS/index.php?storytopic=3&storynum=10&submit=Go!
Title: Re: Humboldt Squid
Post by: arimaBOATER on August 03, 2009, 02:26:53 PM
aquapaloosa hi Ya the photos give a good pic just how dangerous these squid may be. ----- Oh ya recently I also seen a story in California where 100's of swimmers exited the water at beaches because of sightings of these squid. Soon they will have to put swim protection nets out like they do in some Austrailia beaches. ------ What next is going to hit our waters ???? --- Under water UFO'S ....  :o
Title: Re: Humboldt Squid
Post by: oddjob on August 03, 2009, 03:35:27 PM
how big are these humboldt squid ??
Title: Re: Humboldt Squid
Post by: HOOK on August 03, 2009, 04:05:14 PM
here is a good source for info on them. pretty scary if our waters up here get loads of these things. feel sorry for our southern cousins that are dealing with the already.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humboldt_Squid
Title: Re: Humboldt Squid
Post by: Hook Set on August 03, 2009, 04:18:08 PM
Seen a report on the USA tv news a while back (California station) Appartently these squid stayed in the waters off Mexico BUT .... they think that the squid cleaned out their food supply so they moved north into Califoria & Oregon waters to start attacking a new food source. Appartantly they have giant appetites... aggressive & can move very very fast in the water. They are also alot of them !!!  Possibly they could pose a very real threat to our salmon populations. --------- The other day seen a 1 hr special on salmon sharks that go into Alaskan waters in July & August in the 1000's to feed on returning salmon. They said that 1 out of 4 salmon are killed by these salmon sharks that enter Prince William Sound. Some of these sharks looked to be 10ft or longer with huge jaws.... On the film it showed 3-4 sharks attacking salmon...they start splashing the water with their tails & swimming in circles till the salmon are dis-oriented then they just devour them. -------------- Sea lice seals commericial--- sport---native---fishing---warming waters----pollution--- & now squid & salmon sharks !!! Show was on National Geographic Ch. the other night. By the way the squid cleaned out alot of fish in the California area as the commercial fisherman were complaining. These salmon shark attacked so viciously they reminded me of a great white shark. They also came to the surface alot . ------ Personally these shark should be controlled because 1 out of 4 salmon killed is alot ....plus these fish live up to 40 yrs old or more the tv show mentioned. ---- Who knows where they go after they leave Alaskan waters ... possibly they roam the Pacific ocean eating other salmon !!!!

The salmon sharks have been around forever so they are not a new threat to salmon numbers. It just the natural cycle of predator and prey. We can't just go and kill everything that eats salmon. The salmon sharks also help out the salmon by thinning out the weak fish to give the salmon a stronger gene pool. But this is getting off topic so thats as far as I'll go.
Title: Re: Humboldt Squid
Post by: arimaBOATER on August 03, 2009, 08:13:03 PM
Just read about the humboldt squid via the link ... (wikipedia.org) WOW .... these things are scary !!!!  (Hook Set your pts. are well taken but via math ... if there are 1000 aprox. salmon sharks in Prince William Sound every July & Aug.... if it's up to me I'd kill off min. 500 sharks..... & leave 500 to survive. That would save alot of salmon....to get to the 1100 streams up the sound. ----------------------------------- also it would help save whatever fish these sharks eat the rest of the year ....where ever these sharks travel to. World is better off without cancer crime etc...& we'd be better off not having too many squid or sharks---------------------------- If commercial fishermen could ....they would try to do a control kill on these squid as well as they are eating one big amount of fish where these things travel..... & it seems they are in our waters now by the 1000s & 1000s ------------ many will dis agree with my views but also many agree with me. -------------- Matter of opionion....or how we see things.---------------------
Title: Re: Humboldt Squid
Post by: oni_kage on August 03, 2009, 08:43:12 PM
Have hey always been around? I always thought they were mainly down in Mexico. I can't remember where I saw a documentary on them but I recall them being very dangerous
Title: Re: Humboldt Squid
Post by: aquapaloosa on August 03, 2009, 10:24:35 PM
Just got back from fishing squid and got 5.  All in the top 20 feet of water off shore in 160 ft of water.  We could see them come to the surface and grab our hooks.  I heard that guys were seeing them inside which is scary.  I will be going to my dive job in the inlet in the morning... freaky.

Lots of blue sharks here too.

Had a fun night fishing squid!

To late to post photos.
Title: Re: Humboldt Squid
Post by: oni_kage on August 04, 2009, 07:53:01 AM
That sounds really cool. What did u use to catch them? I believe down in Mexico they use these jigs with a bunch of hooks, but I dunno if that is legal here.
Title: Re: Humboldt Squid
Post by: Keener on August 04, 2009, 08:54:14 AM
Can't wait to see the pics! When you dive with the squids, do you wear any armor in case they attack?
Title: Re: Humboldt Squid
Post by: arimaBOATER on August 05, 2009, 12:37:55 AM
Keener I came across something about a diver who had a protiective suit as he in the past had BITES taken out of him by these SQUID !!!
Title: Re: Humboldt Squid
Post by: aquapaloosa on August 05, 2009, 06:57:19 AM
The squid vanashed the next day as mysteriously as they appeared.  None were caught by sporties off shore and I did not have to deal with them diving.(thankfully)

More of the story:            http://www.westcoaster.ca/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=7166

I have forgotten how to post photo's here.  Can someone post a link for me?

Thanks
Title: Re: Humboldt Squid
Post by: DionJL on August 05, 2009, 11:00:20 AM
This is pretty interesting. I also watched a documentary stating how these squid are so adaptable that they are spreading around the world, yet they are near impossible to study because they are extremely fragile when trying to transport them to a lab. In that documentary there was a rumour that Mexican fishermen, that had been fishing for squid and keeping them alive in the boat, were killed and eaten by the squid when their boat capsized.

Title: Re: Humboldt Squid
Post by: aquapaloosa on August 05, 2009, 09:33:29 PM
(http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad287/aquapaloosa/th_Squidandsomeotherstuff.jpg) (http://s944.photobucket.com/albums/ad287/aquapaloosa/?action=view&current=Squidandsomeotherstuff.flv)
Title: Re: Humboldt Squid
Post by: arimaBOATER on August 05, 2009, 10:27:48 PM
aquapaloosa  Great pics !!! Man this things are ugly & big... & from reports ...along with "posts" people have made these things it seems can be a great danger if a person is in the water. Imagine having 5 of these come at a swimmer at 15 mph. ------------------------------------------ Mind you Novabonker pic (squid) actually looks quite "real".... :o ;D
Title: Re: Humboldt Squid
Post by: Sandhead on August 06, 2009, 04:39:04 PM
Apparently a couple have washed up on chesterman's beach!
Title: Re: Humboldt Squid
Post by: IronNoggin on August 06, 2009, 05:02:58 PM
The squid vanashed the next day as mysteriously as they appeared. 

Confirm that. Was out the day after and a few following. Fishing HOTTER than HOT but no big calamari's.

Here however is a pix of one we tagged a couple years back while working on the troller:

(http://gallery.fishbc.com/albums/Tracks/BigSquid_2.jpg)

Interesting buggers - you could draw lines on the squid's body with your fingers, and they glowed brightly for a considerable while after doing so. Made DEADLY calamari! But I really don't like seeing them here, they are a threat to our local fish stocks, and don't belong. If you get any, take 'em out!  ;D

Cheers,
Nog
Title: Re: Humboldt Squid
Post by: fintail1 on August 06, 2009, 06:00:50 PM
200 lb. test and a squid jig, calamari time :D mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm..
Title: Re: Humboldt Squid
Post by: Fish Assassin on August 06, 2009, 09:45:51 PM
Apparently a couple have washed up on chesterman's beach!

Global reports that dead sardines and herrings are also being washed up on shore.
Title: Re: Humboldt Squid
Post by: canoe man on August 06, 2009, 10:43:20 PM
the reason a boat would leave an area like this?
what if your engine salt water intake sucked one of these bad boys in there ???
or even two thats gonna plug your cooling system BAD
then your temp goes up and bang goes your engine
been there done that in a force 11
not cool
cnm
Title: Re: Humboldt Squid
Post by: Sandhead on August 07, 2009, 08:17:15 PM
Hey Aqualpoosa, you by any chance a commerical diver out in tuff town?
Title: Re: Humboldt Squid
Post by: bigsnag on August 16, 2009, 10:24:49 AM
Just got back from Kyuquot sound fishing with Murphy's Sport fishing charter and the guides there have reported encountering Humbolt squid just a couple of days before I arrived ( Aug. 9-12 ). Also encountered a huge Sun fish that surfaced 30 yards from us.