Pruning to target a particular species
If you're an angler who egs from the shore, you'll surely have noticed that it's possible to target cuttlefish or squid without being bothered by the other. Cuttlefish are cephalopods that live very close to the bottom, but can climb a metre or two to grab a jig if the trip is worthwhile. Cuttlefish are not shy, and even the smallest individuals will attack prey much larger than themselves.
Squid, on the other hand, can be very fussy about their choice of prey, and the largest individuals sometimes feed on very small fish, which they prefer to eat in large numbers rather than looking for a prey that will make their meal for the day.
Analyze prey in the area
Each spot has different characteristics, depending on the time of year it is fished. It's very important to adapt the size of the jig you use to the prey the cephalopods are most likely to dine on. If conditions are nothing special, use jigs that resemble rock fish, if you're on a rocky coast.
On beaches and in harbour areas, the most common fish are mullet in the surface layer and gobies on the bottom. You can easily target squid with a 1.8 to 2.5 blue or silver jig to imitate a mullet. Similarly, a natural color tending towards brown or green in size 2.5 to 3.5 will be ideal for fishing close to the bottom and targeting cuttlefish.
Varying our approaches
When it comes to eging, it's very important to know how to constantly challenge yourself. A classic spot that works very well most of the year with orange jigs in size 3.5 can change drastically. The migration of anchovies or sardines can push them closer to the edge, followed closely by cephalopods. In this type of situation, the orange 3.5 will have no effect, and it's more likely that a white or blue 2.0 will stand out and trigger attacks.
Of course, it's not always possible to know what's going on underwater, especially at night. That's why it's so important to frequently vary the size of your jig, if possible looking for the complete opposite when activity is low. The behaviour of cephalopods can change very quickly, in a matter of hours or even minutes, which can alter their diet.
