NZ Fishing World

Squid Vicious Prove Deadly

In the spring Sept/Oct issue last year we highlighted a number of new products to look out for over the 2011-12 summer that could make your fishing more enjoyable.

 One of the new lures we mentioned was a new soft bait from Gulp called Squid Vicious. These soft baits have proved to be dynamite on snapper and I have enjoyed a lot of success using them over the past nine months. My preferred bait has been the 6” New Penny colour which has never let me down. When the fishing has been slow it is the one soft bait I reach for to turn my luck around.

 I guess when you look at the Squid Vicious, it’s easy to see why it induces a strike from a predatory snapper with all its moving tentacles. Yes, with so many small parts they can be plucked off by the fish, but usually I have found you catch a fish or two on one lure before it needs replacing. In February this year I had a great session on big snapper in the Kaipara on Squid Vicious. The fishing was so red hot for the hour just after high tide that each time I landed a fish I simply put the rod in the rod holder and threw the bait back over by hand while I was iking the snappers and putting them into the fish bin. Then when I pulled the rod out of the holder and flipped the bail arm over I had another angry 5kg+ fish on! 

My best fish that day was 7.5kg and I caught four snapper on one Squid Vicious before it had to be changed to a fresh bait. I went back in March with a couple of friends hoping to find such great action again, but the fishing this time was really hard. It was strange as the Kaipara was very inconsistent this year – we struggled to find the fish and moved a lot during the day.

I was hoping to get my good friend CJ a PB snapper (double figure) which is usually easy in this great west coast fishery. I picked a Nuclear Chicken Squid Vicious from its packet and told CJ this one should do the trick. I saw some sign on the bottom and told him to drop it straight down. He did and his rod came up tight as soon as it hit the bottom. He thought he had a snag as he was broken off on the two previous casts. But when it took off it started head bouncing and I knew he had hooked a good snapper. Sure enough, after a great fight, CJ had his 10lb PB snapper.

If you are out soft baiting and are finding the fishing difficult, make sure you have a packet of Squid Vicious at hand. They have been a winner for me.

Photos by Mat Hewetson