Tasty tentacles: Squid jigging lets local anglers' taste buds squirm with delight

The chilly November breeze blowing across Elliott Bay's waterfront can make even the most hardy soul retreat for warm shelter.

By day, bundled commuters scurry off the ferries, and tourists toting umbrellas flock to curiosity shops and waterfront restaurants from Jackson Street to Pier 70.

But by nightfall, under the glowing Seattle skyline, another populace takes over the piers in search of one thing — millions upon millions of squid.

They're jammed shoulder-to-shoulder along the piers, armed with rods and reels, strange, glittery squid jigs, and powerful portable lamps that light up the briny green water.

Squid jigging has caught on fast around Puget Sound and is a rather unique fishery because the best action occurs mainly in winter and in the dead of night.

"I've been coming down here to jig for squid two times a week for about 20 years," Rolando Castillo of Shoreline said on a recent cold night at Pier 86 just off Elliott Avenue West. "It is really a fun thing to do, and the people around the pier are very friendly."

From late summer through February, millions of these lightning-fast creatures cruise the well-lit piers of Puget Sound in search of food before spawning and dying.

There are many types of squid, and we're not talking about the ones known in sea sagas to have swallowed giant ships whole, but a relatively small 6- to 12-inch torpedo-shaped species.

The squid you find here are called Pacific squid "opalescent," most commonly known as market squid.

Squid belong to the family of mollusks known as cephalopods, and are in the same class as octopuses. Squid are much more acrobatic swimmers than their bottom-hugging cousins.

Squid are decapods with 10 tentacles (eight arms and two catch tentacles, compared to eight for an octopus). Squid also move about and tend to school.

Greg Bargmann, a state Fish and Wildlife biologist, said we don't know a lot about the squid's life cycle, and they don't live very long, maybe 12 to 18 months.

"We know they lay eggs on the bottom, and we have found eggs in Puget Sound throughout the year," Bargmann said. "We start seeing them in the late summer in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and then they move south and reach the Seattle-Tacoma area by October, and it peaks around Thanksgiving.

"They are voracious creatures, really fast-moving and pretty intelligent predators that can eat a whole variety of things, including small fish."

Among the squid's favorites marine treats are small herring, candlefish, anchovies, smelt, shrimp and small crustaceans.

Squid propel themselves forward by forcibly expelling water through a tiny nozzle. They can also swim backward and forward using their fins.

Squid also have a defense mechanism — a purplish, dark ink — that they squirt at intruders, which makes a cloud for a fast getaway. When caught, they also tend to squirt ink, which can get on hands and clothing, but it is water-soluble and washes off easily unless allowed to dry.

Back in 1978, state Fish and Wildlife installed piers in Seattle, Edmonds and Tacoma, and the local pursuit of squid began to grow in earnest.

"The squid population really started to grow during El Niño in the early 1980s, when squid showed up in Strait of Juan de Fuca and moved into Puget Sound," said Jerry Beppu, owner of Linc's Tackle Shop on Rainier Avenue in Seattle.

Right now is prime time for squid jigging in Elliott Bay and Puget Sound. Thousands of anglers are attracted to the piers in Seattle, Tacoma, Des Moines, Bremerton and Edmonds.

Those drawn to the piers are a melting pot of cultures, among them Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, Korean, Vietnamese, Russians, Greek and Cambodian.

All said, squid jigging is one of the cheapest ways to catch yourself a gourmet meal. The public piers are free to use, and the fishing gear is affordable and uncomplicated.

"We go through a lot of squid jigs and parts during the winter, plus they're very tasty and can be made in a wide variety of ways," said Beppu, whose father Linc cornered the market for squid jigs back in 1981.

"My father took a trip down to California, and brought back about three dozen jigs to sell," Beppu said. "Little did we realize that it would take off, and by the late 1980s, we were selling more than 5,000 units of squid jigs."

Just about any spinning rod and reel will do, although most prefer a light, sensitive trout-type with 8- to 14-pound test line. The rods are raised up to about 10 o'clock, then lowered to give the jig a look of a small injured fish that will hopefully entice a squid.

The weighted jigs come in an array of luminous colors, but Beppu recommends the hot pink, fluorescent green or red candy-striped jigs. Unweighted lures can also be used along with a 1-ounce lead weight to get your lure down to the correct depth.

The key to success is knowing how deep the squid schools are holding.

"It is usually about 10 to 20 feet down that is best, but I'd work the entire water from top to bottom," Beppu said. "I've found that fishing is usually best right before and after high tide."

Squid tend to feed just after dark, then the bite tapers off, only to happen again in the middle of the night. Their feeding habits are unpredictable, and squidding can be excellent even during the daylight or early-morning hours.

Squid don't bite jigs, but they rather wrap themselves around their intended quarry. When you feel a slight change on your pole, jerk upward (but not too hard) to set the hooks, then keep steady upward pressure until you lift it to the surface.

The hooks on squid jigs resemble the end of pins. Most of the time you don't hook squid, but rather, they are entwined around the prongs. So if there's any slack in the line, they will just let go of the jig.

As with any other type of fishing, some days are better than others.

"It is fun, and sometimes we do good and sometimes we don't," said Rodrigo Febroquez of Renton. "My father comes out every day, and this year, the squid are much bigger."

Pier 86, just off Elliott Way near the grain terminal, is by far the most popular squid-jigging area. The large pier is well-lit from end to end, has shelters to keep dry from the rain, restrooms and a small store that sells snacks, coffee and jigs. There are also electrical outlets where jiggers can plug in portable lights.

Piers 62 and 63 are the biggest squidding areas along the waterfront, and the Seattle Aquarium pier and the pier just north of it, known as the concert pier, are great places to try. The Seacrest Boathouse pier in West Seattle also draws an allegiance of squidders.

Don't just limit yourself to squidding in Elliott Bay.

"I've heard of good fishing reports at the Brownsville dock in Bremerton, and scattered reports around the Edmonds pier," Bargmann said.

In Puget Sound, try the Point Defiance Park pier and Les Davis pier in Tacoma area; Fauntleroy ferry dock, Blake Island pier, Vashon Island ferry pier, Redondo-Des Moines Marina pier and Dash Point pier in King County; and Illahee State Park and City piers, Waterman and Indianola piers in Kitsap County.

Other possibilities for squid are Clyde Davidson pier in Steilacoom; Luhr's Beach pier in Olympia; Port Townsend City Dock; Allyn City pier in Mason County; Port Angeles public-fishing piers; and Twanoh Park and Point Whitney piers in Hood Canal.

Squid rules to follow

• Limit is 5 quarts or 10 pounds. Fill a plastic bucket with 5 quarts of water to mark the limit level.

• Each squid jigger must have a separate container for their catch.

• No more than four lures may be used at one time.

• A forage-fish dip net or a hand dip net may be used.

• No minimum size limit for squid.

• All Washington marine waters are open year-round.

• A state shellfish license is required for ages 15 to 69, and 70 and older will need a senior shellfish license.

Mark Yuasa: 206-464-8780 or myuasa@seattletimes.com.