[Definitive Edition] How to Start and Fish Eging | The Complete Guide to Conquering Bigfin Reef Squid Through Science

Hey, you lost eging refugees.

Are you still standing frozen in front of a wall of fabric scraps at the fishing tackle shop today? You get hooked by the "Best Seller" pop, toss a pink one in your basket, spend three hours jerking it at the breakwater on the weekend, and come home with nothing but sore arms. Then, once you're in the car, you tell yourself, "There just weren't any squid today."

……How long do you intend to keep that loop going?

Let me be clear. The reason you aren't catching anything isn't because you're unskilled, and it isn't because luck wasn't on your side.It's because your only material for decision-making is "intuition" and "stories you heard from others."

Eging, when you boil it down, is nothing more than the product of the "specifications of the organism known as the bigfin reef squid" and the "laws of physics underwater." What do they see, what do they react to, and at what timing do they extend their tentacles? How does the egi sink, how does the line catch the wind, and where does the balance break? The answers are all right there.

This is the place where those answers are gathered in one spot. However, I won't tell you everything in this single piece. Deep dives are written in separate articles. First, get the"map"here, and fly to the places you're lacking.

Bookmark this. The days you don't catch anything are the days you should come back here.

The "Conclusion of Eging" in 30 Seconds

I'll hammer in all the logic later. First, just take the answers home. The setup I consistently advocate for in this blog is this.

■ Rod → 8.3–8.6ft, ML–M. Stop believing in the "8.6ft religion" and decide based on your own physique.
■ Reel → 2500–3000 size shallow spool, and a double handle
■ Line → PE 0.6. Don't go thicker.
■ Leader → Fluorocarbon 2.0–2.5 size, 80cm (use 1.5m depending on the situation).
■ Egi → 3.5 size is the standard. Both in autumn and spring.
■ How to Lure → Not aggressive jerking, but slack jerk
■ How to Drop → Basically tension fall. Keep the line taut to maintain posture.
■ Color → Don't choose by "color," choose by contrast (light and dark)

For those of you who thought "That's too thin" or "That's too big" the moment you saw it, that reaction is normal. There are several items here that go against common wisdom. But these are all choices that I can explain with physics and ecology as to why they are that way.

From here on out, it's the logic behind that—and a check to see where you're currently stumbling.

What is Eging? First, Read the "Opponent's Specifications"

Eging is a type of fishing where you cast an artificial lure called an egi, jerk it to make it jump, and have the bigfin reef squid grab it while it's sinking. You don't even need live bait. If you have a rod, a reel, and an egi, you can start today from the breakwater.

But being able to start and actually catching something are two different things.

Before we talk about gear, read the enemy's specs first. People who buy weapons without even looking at their opponent's specs are called suckers in this world.

Bigfin Reef Squid Cannot See "Color"

I'm going to tell you something cruel right away. Biologically, bigfin reef squid cannot distinguish color. They have only one type of visual pigment in their retinas, which is known as monochromatic vision. The pink and orange you agonized over choosing don't reach them as "colors."

Did you think, "Then colors are meaningless"? It's the opposite. Because they can't see color, the difference in contrast (light and dark) takes on decisive importance.

The light that reaches the furthest underwater is the blue-green light around 494nm. In that world, whether the egi blends into the background or stands out is the only thing the squid is judging. That is why color rotation is not a "process of changing colors," but a "process of changing the intensity."

▶ If you want to fully understand this logic, read this first. You will never be lost about colors again.

Their lifespan is only one year. That is why they are crazy.

When people catch a 3kg monster, they always say, "It's a master of the sea that survived for many years." Wrong. The lifespan of a bigfin reef squid is about one year. That size is not due to experience, but simply the result of an abnormal growth rate.

To grow from the size of a thumb tip to several kilograms in one year requires an extraordinary amount of calories. In other words, they basically have bodies that cannot help but eat.

Do you understand what this means? It means that the excuse that "the squid has no appetite" is almost never valid. When you cannot catch them, it is not because they have "no appetite," but either because your egi does not look like food to them, or because another instinct, like spawning, is taking priority.

▶ This one-year life cycle is the very reason why your approach changes 180 degrees between spring and autumn.

Why do squid only grab the egi during the "fall"?

This is the greatest mystery and the greatest weapon in eging.

Bigfin reef squid almost always grab the egi while it is falling (sinking). They rarely grab it while you are jerking it. The reason lies in the squid's brain processing. They calculate the position and speed of their prey before firing their tentacles. They cannot fire at an object with irregular movement because they cannot finish the calculation.

The moment the egi loses speed and begins to sink at a slow, constant rate—that is when the calculation is finally completed and the firing permission is granted.

In other words, the fall is not a break time for you to catch your breath. It is the time to let the squid make its decision. It is only natural that people who mess with their smartphones during this time do not catch anything.

▶ Once the logic of this "firing permission" sinks in, the meaning of your jerking will change fundamentally.

▶ If you want to read about their ecology all at once, follow this magazine.

The Conclusion on Tackle | Before you get lost, build it with these numbers.

The worst thing you can do when choosing gear is not "it's fine to buy cheap because I'm a beginner" or "it will catch more if it's expensive." It is causing contradictions in the entire system.

The rod exerts force, the reel receives it, the line transmits it, and the egi converts it. If any part of this flow is not in sync, even 100,000 yen worth of tackle will perform like trash. So, assemble it based on the numbers.

Rod: Start by doubting the "8.6ft ML" recommendation

Store clerks and magazines all say the same thing like a broken record: "Start with an 8.6ft ML." Sorry, but that is a safe, one-size-fits-all answer, not the optimal solution for you.

A rod is physically a "lever." If it's long, it will fly further due to centrifugal force, but the moment load on your wrist every time you jerk the rod also increases. A person who is 165cm tall and a person who is 180cm tall aren't going to get the same results swinging the same stick, are they?

My recommendation is 8.3–8.6ft in ML–M power. However, the standard should be your height and the height of the pier. In recent years, the perfection of short-length rods from 7ft to 8.3ft has increased, offering huge benefits in operability and sensitivity. The "length you can swing through" is what ultimately casts the furthest. Remember that.

▶ If you don't want to fail with your first rod, use this as your stepping stone. It's an 8.3ft M, and its specs are insane for the price.

▶ How to choose length and stiffness is explained entirely based on the principle of leverage.

Reel: Choose a double handle even if it's 10g heavier

If you think "double handles are just for looks," you're missing out on half the benefits.

The reason is static performance. A single handle has an off-center center of gravity, so if you let go, it will spin on its own due to the weight of the handle. If it spins, that means the egi (squid jig) moves unnecessarily during the fall. I told you earlier, didn't I? The fall is time for the squid to calculate. If the line moves on its own during that time, it's like snatching an answer sheet away while someone is still taking the test.

The size should be a 2500 to C3000 size shallow spool. If it holds 150m of PE 0.6 line, that's all you need. Buying a large reel with a deep spool won't gain you a single cent, it just means you'll need more backing line.

▶ A double handle in the 10,000 yen range. Honestly, for a first reel, the performance is almost unfair.

▶ Why choose a double handle even if it's "heavier"? I've even written about the moment of inertia.

Line: PE 0.6 is the only choice. Thicker isn't "peace of mind," it's a "loss."

This is the point that gets the most pushback, but I won't budge. The main line for eging is PE 0.6.

The biggest enemy in eging isn't the squid's wariness, it's the wind. If the line catches the wind and bows out, the egi's posture collapses, and bites disappear within the slack line. A thicker line has a larger surface area to catch the wind. In other words, the moment you choose 0.8, you're handing the steering wheel over to the wind yourself.

❌ Choosing thicker for peace of mind → Gets blown by the wind, posture collapses, bites disappear
⭕️ Choosing thinner and tying it correctly → Posture stabilizes, bites reach your hand

The answer to "it will snap if it's thin" is simple. Don't make it thicker, tie it stronger. Don't try to solve a problem that's just poor knot-tying by changing the line size. Well, everyone is nervous about that at first, though.

▶ If you want to save money, this is the one. Instead of using expensive line for half a year, replace this one regularly.

▶ Click here for the full explanation, including the fluid dynamics of "45-degree stability".

Leader: 2.0–2.5 size, 80cm is the golden ratio.

This is a part that most people handle sloppily.

Anyone tying a size 3 leader to 0.6 PE line, that is the height of imbalance. The thicker the leader, the more resistance it receives underwater and the more it sinks, pulling on the posture of the egi. Moreover, since the strength of the PE side hits a ceiling even if you go thicker, the peace of mind you get is mostly just in your head.

■ Size 2.0 → Sensitivity-focused. Use this for breakwaters with few obstacles.
■ Size 2.5 → For places where there is a possibility of rubbing, such as around rocky shores or tetrapods.

Use 80cm as the standard length. Since you can cast with the knot outside the guides, the resistance during casting disappears. Only extend it to 1.5m in places where you are worried about snagging on the bottom.

▶ If you're unsure, choose from these two types. Pink, which squid can't see, is very effective.

▶ Why 80cm? The relationship between thickness and sinking power is proven here with numbers.

Three supporting roles: Snaps, polarized glasses, and life jackets.

You spend 50,000 on a rod, but settle for a 100-yen snap from a bargain bin. You're throwing away 30,000 yen worth of performance yourself.

■ Snap → The "joint" of the egi. The range of motion here determines the dart width.
■ Polarized glasses → Not just sunglasses, but optical sensors. Without these, you're missing half of the tidal currents and line changes.
■ Life jacket → Don't compromise on price for this. Nothing is worth more than your life.

▶ If you want to maximize dart width, use this. The spring material is strong, and I don't feel like it will stretch even if a big squid hits.

▶ If you're lost, just go with a major brand's waist-worn automatic inflatable type. Replacement cylinder kits are available everywhere.

▶ The physical significance of supporting equipment is all broken down here.

▶ If you want to soak up the logic of the gear all at once, this is the magazine for you.

How to choose an egi | Look at the "size" and "sinking speed" before the color.

Most people who spend 30 minutes agonizing in the egi section are looking at them in the wrong order. Here is the priority list.

1. Size → 2. Type (Sinking Speed) → 3. Color

Color comes last. In fact, if 1 and 2 aren't right, nothing you do with color will matter.

Size: 3.5 is the standard. Don't go smaller, even in autumn.

"The squid are small in autumn, so use a 2.5"—this is the most common losing strategy I hear.

Small egi have a fatal flaw. They lack the power to move water (vibration), so squid far away won't notice them. Squid are creatures that want to consume calories efficiently, so they tend to choose prey with some volume over prey that is too small for them.

■ 3.5 → High discovery rate (fish-attracting power). This is the standard.
■ 3.0 → High hook-up rate. Your trump card when they follow but won't strike.

I use a 3.5 even in autumn, or at most drop down to a 3.0. If you can't get them to notice it first, it doesn't matter if they'll strike or not. For spring spawners, a 3.5 to 4.0 is actually fine. The larger the prey, the more it is recognized as a "valuable meal."

Type: Start with Normal. In numbers, that's about 3 seconds/meter.

Egi come in different sinking speeds. If you don't understand this, you'll end up thinking you're hitting the bottom when you're nowhere near it.

■ Deep (approx. 2 sec/m) → Too fast for the squid to find it.
■ Normal (approx. 3 sec/m) → Standard. Approx. 30 seconds for 10m depth. Once this is ingrained, you can apply it to everything.
■ Shallow (approx. 6 sec/m) → For shallow areas and seaweed beds. Your trump card for avoiding snags.

Start with just the Normal type and drill the count to the bottom into your body. Once you can say exactly how many meters deep your egi is, you've graduated from being a beginner.

▶ If you're unsure, keep this in half your box. Its posture locks automatically even in bad conditions.

▶ The acoustics of sinking speed and rattles are all written here.

Color: If you only choose two, this is the combination.

Since squid can't see color, you might wonder why color exists. You already know, right? It's for using light and shadow.

■ Want to blend into the background (clear water, high light) → Natural leaning
■ Want to make the silhouette stand out (murky water, low light) → Appeal leaning

Before you fill up your box, first hold the two polar opposites. If you can cover both ends of the situation with these two, everything else is just an application.

▶ The optimal solution for "if you only choose two" is proven through the physics of light. A must-read for Egi-Oh K users.

The Complete Fishing Procedure | Cast → Lure → Sink → Hook

Once you have your gear, the next step is the action. When you boil it down, there are only these four actions in eging. We will go through them one by one.

Step 1: Casting: Casting distance is about the "drop," not "arm strength."

The one thing people who can't cast far have in common is a short drop. They try to swing it with arm strength while only letting out about 10cm.

If you do that, you'll finish your swing before the rod has fully bent. A rod is a tool that bends and uses its return force to launch. If it isn't bending, it's just a stick.

⭕️ Take a drop of about 1m → Use a pendulum motion to load the weight of the egi → The rod bends on its own → It flies using its restorative force

The moment you stop swinging your arms hard, your casting distance will increase. It sounds contradictory, but that is physics.

▶ The causes of the egi rotating in mid-air and losing speed are also all explained here.

Step 2: Jerking: Whipping it hard just scatters the squid.

The guys at the breakwater making "whoosh! whoosh!" wind-cutting sounds. That isn't an appeal, it's a threat.

If you pull the rod directly to move the egi, the egi just moves in a straight line toward you underwater. To a squid, it's nothing more than a "hard object running away."

The correct answer is slack jerk. You intentionally leave slack in the line and jerk it as if you are snapping that slack. This way, the force isn't transmitted directly to the egi, and it swings its head left and right (darts) while keeping the travel distance minimal.

⭕️ Short travel distance → You can lure them for longer in the same range
⭕️ Force is absorbed by the line → You won't break your body even if you jerk all day

From "jerking hard" to "slackening well." This is the watershed between beginners and intermediate anglers.

▶ I wrote all the logic and practice methods for the slack jerk here.

Step 3: The Fall - This is where 90% of your catch is decided

I'll say it again. Squid grab the lure during the fall. Therefore, the fall is the main event, and the jigging is just the opening act.

The basic technique is tension fall. By letting it sink while keeping the line taut, the jig's posture stabilizes, allowing it to maintain the forward-leaning position that squid find most irresistible. Plus, you can feel the squid's contact through the line.

■ Tension fall → Posture is stable and you can detect bites. This is the basic method
■ Free fall → It sinks faster, but the posture becomes unstable and you lose the ability to detect bites. It tends to rely on luck.

If you let it free fall in a place with a strong current, the jig will dive headfirst and get snagged, and that's the end of it. Think of the jig as a marionette. A puppet without a taut string is just a block of wood that falls.

▶ The absolute rules for choosing between tension and free fall are here.

Step 4: The Hookset - If you're waiting for a "thud," it's already too late

Most people who say, "I didn't get any bites today," simply had bites but didn't notice them.

Most bigfin reef squid bites aren't a "thud." They are the line suddenly going slack, moving sideways, or the weight of the jig disappearing—it's all about these "subtle sensations." Especially when they swim up to take the bait, it's completely silent.

And this is where your drag setting comes into play. If you have it tightened down hard, the moment the squid touches it, it will feel an unnatural hardness and let go. The correct setting is one where it slips just a little bit when you jig. This prevents you from bouncing off the squid's punch and also prevents the hook from tearing through the flesh.

If you feel something off, don't think. Set the hook. A missed hookset costs nothing, but a missed bite never comes back.

▶ Master the secrets of bottom detection and drag settings here.

▶ If you want to train all your operational skills at once, follow this magazine.

Where and When to Cast | "Location" and "Timing" Matter More Than Skill

I'm going to be blunt. The main reason you aren't catching anything isn't your technique, it's that "there are no squid there."

You won't catch fish even if you make the world's best cast in the middle of a desert. Eging is a hunt where you go out to find your prey. Therefore, the precision of your location and timing directly determines your catch.

Location: The Lie That "Crowded Means Good Fishing"

You go to a pier listed online as a "proven spot," only to find a string of headlamps. You have no choice but to cast from the edge, nothing happens, and you go home. ...We've all been there, right?

The conditions for squid to stay are simple. The tide must be moving and there must be changes in the terrain to provide cover. Just these two things.

■ Tidal flow → Oxygen and bait are supplied. Squid don't stay in stagnant water.
■ Terrain changes → Drop-offs, edges of tetrapods, slopes, seaweed beds. "The middle of a flat sandy bottom" is basically a bust.
■ Unfished spots → The base of the pier, the edge of the tetrapods. Fresh individuals remain in places where everyone else doesn't cast.

If people are lined up at the tip, don't hesitate to target the shallows at the base. In autumn, it's common for that area to be completely untouched.

▶ Here is how to conquer different fields like piers, rocky shores, and surf, and how to read the terrain.

Time: Can You Explain Why "Three Minutes After High Tide" Works?

There are too many people who just memorize phrases like "the morning bite is best" or "three minutes after high tide is the golden time," and fish while staring at their watches.

What matters isn't the time of day. It's the timing of the change.

■ Dawn/Dusk → When light levels change, plankton move, small fish move, and squid move. This is the time when the food chain switch is flipped.
■ Start of tidal movement → While the tide is still, the squid don't move either. The moment it starts moving, their predatory switch is flipped.

So, your target isn't "5:00 AM," but "the moment the tide starts moving." Make it a habit to check the tide table to decide your fishing time. Just doing that will reduce your casting time and increase your catch.

▶ Here is an article that dissects the reality of "three minutes after high tide" using fluid dynamics.

Weather: Rain and Wind Are Allies, Not Enemies

You, the one who looked at the weather forecast, thought "It's raining, I'll cancel," and put your phone down. You're throwing away a bonus day where your rivals will disappear on their own.

When light levels drop due to low pressure, the squid's wariness decreases. When the water surface is pelted by rain, the anxiety of being watched from above also lessens. Even on windy days, as long as you secure a spot on the leeward side or with the wind at your back, you can fish perfectly well.

Of course, there is only one condition: as long as safety can be ensured. Rocky shores with high waves, wet tetrapods, lightning—retreat immediately in these cases. Nothing is worth your life.

▶ I've written everything here about the methods to turn adverse conditions into a monopoly.

▶ Follow this magazine to track location and seasonal strategies all at once.

Seasonal Strategies | Consider Autumn and Spring as 'Different Types of Fishing'

Even though it's the same bigfin reef squid, the mindset of your target is completely different in autumn versus spring. If you bring the same fishing method to both, you've already lost.

Autumn (approx. September to November): Numbers fishing. Earn your catch with your feet.

If you're starting eging, look no further than autumn. During this season, new squid born in the summer are flooding the harbors. Since their curiosity outweighs their caution, they will react if you show them the egi.

The correct approach in autumn is run-and-gun. Don't stick to one spot. If you don't get a reaction after a few casts, move immediately. Picking off only the highly active individuals is the most efficient way.

However, as I mentioned earlier, don't downsize your egi. Use size 3.5 as your standard, and only try size 3.0 when they follow but won't commit to the grab.

▶ Click here for the logic behind numbers fishing that hacks the curiosity of young squid.

Spring (approx. April to June): Going for the big one. Target the 'spawning routes'.

Spring is the exact opposite. Your target is a parent squid that has survived the winter, and its mind is filled not with food, but with spawning. Therefore, searching for 'places with bait' will lead you astray.

What you should target are seaweed beds (eelgrass/sargassum) and the paths leading to them from deep water. Also, look for the back of calm coves and shallows adjacent to deep water. Casting wildly at the tip of a point with strong currents is nonsense when it comes to spring.

Keep your actions slow, too. Flashy movements will only scare off the nervous parent squid.

▶ Click here for the full logic on how to read spawning routes and conquer seaweed beds.

Visible squid: If they follow but won't grab, you're 'showing them too much'.

They follow right up to you, stare down your egi, and then suddenly vanish. Frustrating, isn't it?

That is because you are showing them too much. As long as you are facing the squid directly, their caution will never fade. What you need is the opposite: make it disappear from their field of vision once.

⭕️ Make it sink rapidly / dart it away from the squid → Make them search for it, thinking 'Where did it go?' → Then present it suddenly from their blind spot

At this moment, the tentacles extend. It's a technique to make them bite not out of appetite, but out of reflex.

▶ For the psychological warfare of teasing and blind spots, details are here.

Diagnosis by Symptom When You Can't Catch Anything | Which One Are You?

This will likely be the place you use the most. Categorize your 'not catching' by symptom. If you can identify the cause, there is always a solution.

Symptom A: I can't even tell when I get a bite

The cause is one of two things: the drag or the fall. Either the drag is too tight and the squid feels something wrong and lets go, or the line is slack during a free fall and the information isn't reaching you.

Prescription → Loosen the drag until it 'slips slightly when you jerk the rod.' Switch to a tension-based fall.

Symptom B: They follow but don't grab

Either you're showing it too much, or the jig is too big. First, try 'not showing it,' and if that doesn't work, drop down to a size 3.0. Don't reverse the order.

Prescription → Create a blind spot. If that still doesn't work, drop the size by just one step.

Symptom C: It won't cast at all

Your drop is too short. This is almost certainly it. As long as you think it's a matter of arm strength, you'll never solve it.

Prescription → Take a 1m drop and use a pendulum cast. You only need half the arm-swinging force.

Symptom D: I don't know what's happening on a windy day

The line is ballooning in the wind, and the position of the jig, its posture, and the bites are all gone. This cannot be fixed with technique. It's a matter of jig size.

Prescription → Drop down to PE 0.6 line. Lower your rod to shorten the section of the line exposed to the wind.

Symptom E: There is a huge difference between days when you catch fish and days when you don't

It's not that your technique is shaky, it's just that you aren't watching the tide. Even in the same spot and with the same actions, the results will be completely different depending on whether the tide is moving or not.

Prescription → Check the tide table before deciding when to go fishing. Stop just "going when you can."

Symptom F: I keep losing my egi lures to snags

You're either touching the bottom too much, or your egi is diving head-first during a free fall. When an egi's head points downward, it becomes much easier to snag.

Prescription → Start your jigging motion 1-2 seconds before the lure hits the bottom. Switch to a shallow-type lure for seaweed beds and shallow areas. Use a tension fall to keep the lure's posture upright.

Also, even with PE 0.6 line, it is strong enough to slowly pull and straighten the hooks to retrieve it if it's just light seaweed or rocks. Trying to yank it out all at once from directly above and snapping the line is the most wasteful pattern.

Symptom G: I come home covered in ink every time

This is a problem for people who are actually "catching" squid, so be happy about that first. Dealing with it is simple.

■ Before lifting it out, wait a moment at the water's surface and let it spit out its ink. Your clothes become the victim because you're in a rush to pull it out. ■
Use a landing net or gaff. If you reduce the shock of lifting it out, it will thrash around less. ■
Use a spike for dispatching, not a blunt blow. If you dispatch it by hitting it, there is a risk that the ink sac inside will rupture, covering the meat in ink.

As an aside, that ink is too valuable to throw away. How to use it is written in the final chapter.

After the catch | Dispatch it, let it rest, and eat it all

It doesn't end when you put it in the cooler. The goal of eging is the stomach. Anyone who slacks off here is throwing away half the value of the prey they caught themselves.

How to dispatch: Dispatch the squid until it turns "white"

If you just throw a caught squid into a cooler as is, it will keep thrashing around due to stress, rapidly consuming the source of its umami (ATP).

There is only one thing to do: nerve-killing (shinkejime) . Insert a pick into the vital point between the eyes to sever the nerves. If successful, the brownish body color will instantly change to translucent white. That is the signal.

This one extra step makes a blatant difference in the transparency and sweetness of the sashimi. If a tool costing a few hundred yen can change the taste of squid for a lifetime, that's a cheap investment, right?

▶ A dedicated killing pick is enough. Think of it as losing one expensive egi lure and just buy it.

▶ The absolute rules for the procedure and how to bring it home are here.

Preservation: Freezing is not 'deterioration' but 'aging'

For those who are convinced that 'freshly caught is best,' that only applies to texture. In terms of sweetness, letting it rest is superior.

The umami of squid increases as its own enzymes break down proteins. Furthermore, freezing it once breaks down the cells appropriately, bringing out a rich, sticky sweetness. Moreover, it also serves as a countermeasure against Anisakis. Since safety and deliciousness are both achieved, there is no reason not to do it.

▶ Everything from the preparation procedure to the reason why you 'should not wash it with fresh water' is right here.

Cooking: Don't just stop at sashimi

There is almost nothing to throw away on a bigfin reef squid. The tentacles, the fin (empera), the beak (tonbi), and the fresh liver (goro) that you can absolutely never get at a supermarket. Even the ink from earlier is a fine ingredient from a culinary perspective.

This is a privilege only for anglers. Anyone other than the person who caught it will never get to taste squid in this condition.

▶ The full logic, including secret menu items and Anisakis countermeasures, is here.

▶ If you want to master how to eat it, check out this magazine.

Improvement Roadmap | Where are you now?

You don't need to read everything at once. Start from your current level and work your way up.

Stage 1: You haven't caught a single one yet

There are only three things to do.Go in the autumn. Cast a size 3.5 jig. Stop your jerking motion during the tension fall. Don't worry about the color. Instead, learn to understand "where the jig is right now."

Reading order → Tackle (Rod/Reel/Line/Leader) → Casting → Falling

Stage 2: There are days you catch them and days you don't

You've entered the realm ofjudgment rather than equipment. Watch the tide, change your location, and identify your own habits using the symptom-based diagnosis.

Reading order → Location selection → Prime time → Symptom-based diagnosis

Stage 3: Going for the kilo-plus catch

It's spring. Don't read the bait, read thespawning. Look for seaweed beds, migration routes, and a slow presentation. From here on, the value of a single catch enters a different dimension.

Reading order → Spring squid strategy → Weather strategy → Sight fishing

▶ What this blog aims to achieve is written here.

▶ The reason I advocate "Don't catch by luck, catch with logic" is all written in the first post.

Summary | From leaving it to luck, to targeting and catching

I've kept you for a long time, but in the end, I only have one thing to say.

Learn to put into words the reason why you didn't catch anything, every single time.

■ Ecology → Squid see light and shadow, not color. They strike during the fall
■ Equipment → PE 0.6, leader 2.0–2.5 (80cm), jig size 3.5. Build it with numbers
■ Technique → Don't jerk too hard. Slacken it well, maintain the posture, and let it fall
■ Strategy → Before your skill, match the location and the timing of the tide
■ Exit → Bleed them white, let them rest, and enjoy them to the very end

If a fishing trip that used to end with "there were no squid today" changes to "the wind caused the line to bow and ruined the fall," you will see your next move.That difference will become a difference of dozens of squid a year from now.

The answers are all waiting beyond this map. All that's left is for you to verify them at sea.

Go get them.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1. What should a beginner in eging start by gathering?
A. A rod, reel, PE line, leader, 3 egi lures, and a life jacket. You can catch squid with a starter set for the rod and reel. But if you fall into the sea, you won't be in any condition to fish, and without polarized glasses, you won't get even half the information from inside the water. Buying gear to protect your life and gear to gain information first is the investment with the biggest return.

Q2. What size egi should I buy?
A. A 3.5-size normal type is the standard. Don't go smaller, even in the autumn season for young squid. Small egi have weak power to move water and won't be noticed by squid far away. If you don't get them to notice it first, it's a problem before even getting them to grab it. Only drop to a 3.0 size when they are following but not grabbing. Don't get the order wrong.

Q3. When is the season for catching bigfin reef squid?
A. Autumn (around September to November) and Spring (around April to June). Autumn is for catching many young squid, and it's the only choice if a beginner wants to land their first catch. Spring is for targeting parent squid involved in spawning; while you can catch ones over a kilogram, the difficulty level jumps up. However, there are big regional differences, so always check the situation in your own area.

Q4. Is it true that bigfin reef squid can't see color?
A. It's true. That's exactly why color becomes important. They can't distinguish hues, but they do see light and dark (contrast). In other words, choosing a color isn't a task of "picking your favorite color," but a task of deciding whether to make the egi stand out or blend in against the water color and light intensity of the day. The meaning is 180 degrees different.

Q5. Isn't PE 0.6 too thin and likely to break?
A. Most causes of breakage are not the line size, but the knot. If you make it thicker, it will be more affected by the wind, sacrificing both posture and bite sensitivity. Moreover, even if you make it thicker, the strength hits a ceiling at the knot. Don't make it thicker, tie it stronger. If you're bad at tying, buy a knot assist tool. That's the cheapest way.

Q6. Which is better for leader length, 80cm or 1.5m?
A. The standard is 80cm, and only 1.5m in places where you're worried about snagging on the bottom. With 80cm, you can cast with the knot outside the guides, which eliminates resistance during casting and benefits both casting distance and line trouble. Only extend it to 1.5m in places with a risk of rubbing, like around rocky shores or tetrapods.

Q7. Which is better for catching, day or night?
A. You can catch them at both, but to be precise, the "timing of change" is when you catch them. What's important isn't the time, but the twilight hours when light intensity changes and the moment the tide starts to move. At night, areas around streetlights look easier and seem suitable for beginners, but fishing in dark places drastically increases the danger level. Don't stand out at night without a life jacket and a light.

Q8. I can't tell when I get a bite at all. What should I fix?
A. Loosen the drag and switch to tension fall. Many bites aren't a "thud," but rather the sensation of the line going slack, running sideways, or the weight disappearing. If the drag is tight, the squid will let go the moment it touches it, and with a free fall, that information won't reach your hand in the first place. If you feel something strange, don't think, set the hook. A swing and a miss costs nothing.

Q9. Is Anisakis okay?
A. If you're going to eat it raw, freezing is the most reliable method. The conditions indicated by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare are "freezing at -20°C for 24 hours or more," or heating thoroughly to the center. Household freezers tend to rise in temperature when opened and closed, so freeze it with plenty of time to spare. If you rely only on visual inspection, you will miss individuals hiding deep in the meat. If you don't want to be writhing in pain holding your stomach, don't cut corners here.

Q10. What is the difference between eging and tip run?
A. Shore eging is fishing in a horizontal direction, while tip run is fishing from a boat in a vertical direction. How you detect the bottom, how you jerk the rod, and the rods you use are all different. Even though you're targeting the same bigfin reef squid, the operation is completely different, so don't mix them up while learning. It's not too late to start after you've internalized "where the egi is right now" through shore fishing.

This article will continue to be updated.

The logic of eging hasn't been fully written yet. Every time a new article is added, I will add it to this map as well. So bookmark it. And on the night of a day you couldn't catch anything, come back and open it again.

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