How to choose the right jig for squid fishing?

© Antonin Perrotte-Duclos

Choosing the color of your jig is important for successful squid fishing. Differences in luminosity must be taken into account to make the right choice. Let's take a closer look.

The squid is a cephalopod with a rapidly changing feeding behavior. Its highly developed vision enables it to spot prey both day and night, and above all to identify it easily thanks to contrasting colors.

For day fishing

During the day, the brightness of the sun will have a major impact on our choice of jig colors. We have two options for more successful fishing: transparent and reflective colors. When a squid feeds during the day, it mainly targets easy prey moving in schools, such as anchovies or sardines. Anchovy is a very fine fish, with very light-colored flesh and almost totally transparent scales. Light can therefore easily pass through its body, so we'll need to use transparent colors.

On the contrary, sardines and their scales reflect a lot of light, making them a camouflage device that only works in bright sunlight. Natural bluish or greyish colors with aluminum foil-like coatings imitate a sardine perfectly.

Les coloris transparents ou réfléchissants pour pêcher le calamar de jour
Transparent or reflective colors for daytime squid fishing

For night fishing

Night fishing is the exact opposite of day fishing, as most of the light entering the water comes from the moon or human lights, which are far less powerful than the sun. To make our jigs stand out best in a dark environment, it's important to use solid colors (as little transparent as possible), preferably contrasting sharply with the water bottom. Orange and pink are must-haves for the dark night, but two-tone variants, with a white belly for example, excel in illuminated areas.

On full-moon nights, the best way for a color to stand out from the white light of the moon is to be as dark as possible. A black, very dark blue or purple jig is best for fishing close to the surface. Near the bottom, colors with a brown or green back and a light belly are the most effective.

Le rose et le orange pour pêcher les calamars de nuit
Pink and orange for night squid fishing

For sunrise and sunset

At sunrise and sunset, the light changes rapidly and the squid's vision adapts accordingly. This is undoubtedly the most effective time to fish for squid, as they become active and can bite on almost any color. However, you'll need to be reactive and change colors frequently to find the one that works best for a short period (sometimes less than 15 minutes), before another color takes over.

It's the same as day and night: try contrasting colors when the light is low, and natural colors when the sun is still shining on the surface of the water.

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