When to fish for squid, cuttlefish and squid

Eging Game fishing is a technique that has undergone notable transformations in recent years. From being almost snubbed until the early 2000s, eging has become a consolidated reality of sea fishing.
Nowadays it is increasingly practiced by fishermen who want to try their hand at cuttlefish, squid and squid. Prey which, to tell the truth, are not to be considered fish, but cephalopods and therefore alternatives to sea bass, mullet, sea bream and other prey which are the subject of specialized sea fishing techniques. The period we are going through, namely autumn, is among the best ever in which to practice cephalopod fishing. By following a handbook of advice, it will be possible to catch good specimens of cuttlefish, squid or even squid, both fishing from the shore and from a boat (for those who own one).
So let's see how eging fishing works and when best to practice it.

Aging game: the equipment

First of all it is necessary to define what an egi is, commonly called "totanara". It is an imitation of a shrimp made of plastic material, sometimes covered with a colored retina, which has "baskets" at the end, i.e. hooks which have the aim of clinging to the tentacles of cephalopods.
Egis are available in various sizes and weights (the leads are located in the upper part, next to the swivel connecting to the terminal), with different capacities and sinking speeds. The sizes are usually 2/2.5/3/3.5 and 4. These acronyms do not mean the weight but the size of the bait.

The smaller Egi are suitable for cuttlefish fishing, the larger ones for squid or squid, both from the shore and from the boat. As regards rods and reels, specific rods for eging are available on the market: they have a length between 2.10 meters and 2.40/2.50 meters with sensitive and soft tips, designed to avoid annoying unhooking of cephalopods . The reels must have a good line reserve, so 2500 or 3000 size models will be more than sufficient.
A good nylon monofilament (I do not recommend braided line - too stiff) will complete the necessary equipment which is absolutely reduced to a minimum, as eging is an itinerant technique that requires frequent movements in search of prey.

Techniques and strategies for fishing for squid, cuttlefish and squid

Fishing for squid, squid and cuttlefish is very different from spinning or light rock fishing. Even though these techniques use very similar equipment, they involve catching fish, while eging targets cephalopods which, I repeat, are not fish.
They're cephalopods! They behave differently, and when they fight, they don't dart or escape, they don't run like trains. They are slow, move in reverse and should not be forced, because the tentacles are delicate and can break if forced excessively. The fishing action is quite simple: you cast, wait for the sinking of the egi perceivable with the drop in tension on the line and then recover for a few seconds.
Subsequently, one or more "jerkates" are carried out, i.e. upward movements of the rod, and the rod is retrieved again, always in the same way. The egi will move like a prawn jumping and trying to escape from danger. Then, surely between one jerk and another, we will feel a strange movement of the rod and a sudden tension.
Look, he's hooked a squid, a cuttlefish or a squid! We retrieve very calmly, delicately and, when the prey is close to the shore, we use a good large mesh landing net, paying attention to sudden splashes of water or ink.

When to fish for squid, cuttlefish and squid

The autumn months are the best because cuttlefish, squid and squid move en masse towards the shore with the intention of reproducing. They can attack both inside the ports and along the cliffs, as long as fundamental rules are respected: calm sea and little light. Calm sea as the maximum activity, or rather hunting of cephalopods, occurs in flat sea conditions, without waves or wind.
When it comes to light, however, it must be considered that cephalopods are attracted to everything that is luminescent (like the Egi, in fact) therefore a bait, to generate luminescence, should be used at dawn, at dusk or at night. Dawn is a good time for eging fishing, and the condition of light and shade guarantees a very interesting mix not to be overlooked.
The central hours of the day are less productive, except during grey, slightly rainy days, when the sun's rays do not penetrate the surface of the water. Finally, sunset and the following hours, when darkness reigns supreme, represent the peak of cephalopod activity and must be exploited until the last available minute.