Cuttlefish fishing from Mallorca's shore

You can buy it anywhere and order it in any restaurant. Everything you need to know about cuttlefish. Tips, techniques and when to catch them. Ten-armed creatures that will eat anything that comes their way. Useful for us fishermen too.

Where can you find them?

On sandy areas, sometimes over rocks. They live in water depths of 0.50 - 150 metres. They congregate around harbours, sandy bays and stone fields. They will eat anything that doesn't get away in time, but they prefer shrimp.

They can be caught from the shore, especially in spring. January to May are the best months. Sandy bays with easy access to the shore are the perfect place to catch them.

The best way to make the most of your time is to systematically fish a spot for 20 minutes, then move 30 metres away and repeat the process. If you have time, you can return to the same spot later in the evening and try again. They also gather in groups, so it is worth staying in the same spot after a catch.

What to use

There are special rods for fishing cephalopods. They are usually called Egi-rods, the Japanese name for squid fishing. They are between 1.80 and 2.40 in length and must have a very fine tip action. Casting weights are given in bait weights in a special scale. It starts at 1.5 = 3-4 g and goes up to 4.5 = 30 - 35 g.

However, a spinning rod with a sensitive tip and in the said weights is perfectly sufficient. Then use the special Egi lures, which have a hook ring with many small hooks instead of a single hook.

This will grip the squid's tough skin better. A 0.28 leader and a snap complete the package. All colours work well, but I personally prefer white.

Important: The egi lure should be covered with fabric. Then the cuttlefish won't let go as quickly as they would if it was just plastic.

Lure presentation

Always present the egi lure directly at the bottom. After casting, let it sink to the bottom. There are two general methods of presentation:

• Sandy areas are best fished by slowly dragging the lure along the bottom. As soon as a cuttlefish snaps, release the tension slightly and wait 3 seconds for the strike.

  
  

• Let the egi bait 'bounce' once by lifting the rod and then leave it for 15-25 seconds. Repeat this until the lure is under the tip of the rod. Recommended for rocky or dirty grounds

Fight behaviour and landing

The drag should be set relatively light, but so that the strike can be made effectively. Cuttlefish fight by squirting water from a gland. These should be cushioned with a light drag.

Make sure you use a landing net to land the cuttlefish, as they will fall off quickly if you try to lift them.

After landing, give the cuttlefish a hand smack to the base of the head, as shown in Figure 3, to dispatch of it properly.

Be careful: They like to shoot ink when netted, so it is better not to wear white. The ink is harmless.

Simply fried with garlic, grilled or in a fish stew, it always tastes good. Good Luck!