Catching
Catching Techniques
There are various ways
to catch squid, but jigging is a particularly effective
method. Other squid-catching methods include netting and
trawling, which may catch fish at the same time.
Jigging
Jigging operations involve the use of lure-like hooks attached
to a line, which is "jigged," or moved up and
down in a series of short movements in the water at a level
where squid are present. The motion attracts the squid,
which are hooked as they move close to the lure. The line
is then hauled onboard and the squid removed. Fishing is
generally done at night when squid are attracted by powerful
lights on the vessel. Jigging is used in preference to trawling
when high quality squid is required.
Source: Starfish.gov
Squid jigging can be
done manually, thus being labor-intensive in a small-scale
operation. On a larger-scale, jigging machines have recently
become a popular form of fishing for groundfish and squid.
These machines work on the same principle as jigging by
hand, but are made less labor intensive by the use of electric
or hydraulic motors that automatically move the line up
and down in a jigging motion and retrieve the line when
fish are hooked.
Netting
While there are many
types of nets, all rely on the fish getting snared or caught
in the net's mesh. Nets are typically long, narrow and flat,
weighted at the bottom edge and supported at the top edge
by floats.
Source: Starfish.gov
The most common form of netting for recreational fishers
is "set" netting. It is also used by commercial
fishers to catch fish like flounder and butterfish.
Trawling
Trawling is the most important commercial fishing method
in New Zealand, especially for deep-sea species. Trawling
is used to catch a range of species, for example, orange
roughy, hoki, ling, hake and squid. Recreational fishers
are not permitted to use trawl nets.
Source: Starfish.gov
Trawling involves one or two fishing vessels towing a large
net. Most New Zealand trawlers are single, rather than pair
trawlers. Nets are usually towed for two or three hours
at a speed of three or four knots.
Nets of both bottom and mid-water trawling are held open
by two "doors", which act as paravanes, or underwater
kites.
