Giant squid invade California
Giant squid weighing up to 27 kilograms have swum into waters off Newport Beach and are being caught by sport fishermen by the hundreds.
The squid were noticed last week and fishermen started booking twilight fishing trips to catch the huge creatures.
400 of the creatures had been caught since Friday night.
The animals weigh between 10 and 20 kilos but a few fishermen have reeled in 27 kilo squid.
The Humboldt squid is also called the jumbo squid or jumbo flying squid and squirts ink to protect itself.
They can grow up to 45 kilos in weight and 2 metres long and follow food sources.
The squid have also recently been spotted off San Diego, Oregon and Washington, on the West Coast of the United States.
Orange County sports fishing businesses were celebrating the arrival of the squid during what is normally a fairly quiet time of the year.
But the giant squid is not unknown off the coast of America.
In September a record-breaking 5.7 metres long squid, weighing 46 kilos, was caught off the Gulf of Mexico.
till
Posts: 9358
Date Joined: 21/02/08
There was an article a few
There was an article a few months back about them harassing divers.
Edit: check this; Just when you thought it was safe giant squid terrorise Californian coast
wopjrb
Posts: 1407
Date Joined: 05/03/09
wonder wat they taste like
plenty of meat on em
flangies
Posts: 2557
Date Joined: 11/05/08
Leave it to Arnie
Leave it to Arnie
Goodz
Posts: 2332
Date Joined: 20/07/09
what size jig would you use
what size jig would you use to get one of these?!? They'd pull pretty hard I recon!
barneyboy
Posts: 1392
Date Joined: 08/01/09
jeez imagine the size of the rings you,d get off em
Theyd be like plumbers rings...
FEEEISH ONNN!!!
Nauti Buoy
Posts: 595
Date Joined: 20/04/09
Catch and release
California squid- I'LL B BAACCCKKKK!!!!!
Auslobster
Posts: 1901
Date Joined: 03/05/08
Trouble is...
...it's a sign of bad things happening in other parts of the Pacific Ocean. 50 years ago the Humboldt Current (a north-flowing coldwater current) off Chile and Peru was the mecca for monster billfish. The largest black marlin and broadbill swordfish ever caught on rod and reel came from there in the 1950's. Those big squid were a primary food source for these fish and the fact that they are so prevalent along the west coast of the US these days (they've only been in the area over the last 15 years or so) indicates that all the big predators capable of eating them are gone.
The southern California anglers might be having a good time catching these squid, but there isn't much else around now, due to the squid...they are near the top of the food chain...in fact they are AT the top of the food chain in many areas because the billfish and sharks have been fished out.
carnarvonite
Posts: 8706
Date Joined: 24/07/07
Inked
Imagine getting inked by one of those big suckers