View Full Version : Unwashed Squid
Hi All,
Just wondered if someone could guide me on buying unwashed squid...After a few trips out i have found the unwashed "loligo" seems to fish far better than the boxes from the bait shop...only problem is i havnt got a regular supply.
To save an early morning trip to billingsgate, can anyone point me in the direction of a supplier i can order from ?
Or alternativly a supplier in the essex/suffolk region,
Thanks
Tom
Are unwashed squid those great big, slimy things that weigh about a pound each?
If so, there's a fishmonger who has a stall on Braintree market (and presumably other Essex towns) and he sells 'em.
I bought a couple last week and they are a very good bait. Tough as old boots and nearly crab proof. It would, however, be difficult to cast a whole one!!
Stu
I've used unwashed small squid from the boat before, supplied by the skipper and it was a great bait. Tried to find it on a number of occasions since then with no joy.
normal size mate, just about right for a pennel so not sure what yours are...they are the same as the boxed squid you can buy from the tackle shops, just unwashed so not fit for human consumption....the best are apparantly frozen at sea on the boat - unwashed
baits direct lolligo squid have a look!
Jetty Angling at Southend do unwashed squid if you ask for it. Ive been using UWS almost exclusivly in the winter for 4 years now, got a freezer full, no messing about ordering worms, then being blown of, what the f**** h**** we gona do with all these b**** worms at £18 per 100!!!!! A frustration of the past:)
As has been pointed out, it fishes at least as good as expensive lugworm, I think often better???
ET's OPO
Does anyone know anywhere that I could buy unwashed squid in the Bridlington/Scarborough/Whitby area's? I'm guessing it'll have to be a wholesaler and I'll have to buy a big block, but I don't mind that. Never dealt with a wholesaler so any help would be very gratefully received. Cheers.
Does anyone know anywhere that I could buy unwashed squid in the Bridlington/Scarborough/Whitby area's? I'm guessing it'll have to be a wholesaler and I'll have to buy a big block, but I don't mind that. Never dealt with a wholesaler so any help would be very gratefully received. Cheers.
Not in your area Mike, but one would simply look in yellow pages under 'fish wholesaler' or 'wholesale fishmonger'? Ask for 'unwashed squid loligo'. If they dont have it ask the question can they get you a box 10-11kgs costs about £30-£35 in my area.
At the risk of boring those that know? Unwashed squid is the natural product, straight from sea to freeze. Washed squid is dumped live, in a bath of FRESH water first. This induces the 'snow white' appearance, the natural has a grey tinge, not obvious until you see the two side by side.
I have used UWS almost exclusively for cod for 4 years, I have total faith, won local comps using it, and been accused of cheating because the catches were so good on occasion's, in comparison with other anglers using worm etc.
Dug out a few pics that might be of interest:
This is an 11kg box ready to decant into 20 caucus packs
The frozen box must be left to stand closed at normal room temp for 8-10 hours. The ice just softens enough to take the block and get it to crack on a the edge of a work surface. The crack then allows you to tease the squid apart.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e22/cliffstone/squidbox.jpg
Its important that frost/ice crystals are still in the carcase for re freezing. By the way, totally defrosted UWS can be refrozen from a cold box two or three times!!! yes, trust me.
A blow up, look carefully you can still see ice crystals, and note the flesh does have a grey ting, it is not snow white
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e22/cliffstone/squidblowupgrey.jpg
Was not to happy with this batch, the ice was melting so quickly. Its shows how to roll the bags down so as not to get squid juice on the outside of the bag, making every thing in the freezer smell of peppery fish (how squid smells to me) Yellow tinge is a photographic colour cast, sorry. One of my early efforts at decanting, but when we came to use them, they worked fine.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e22/cliffstone/SquidbagsKitchen.jpg
Another batch ready, usually get between 17 and 22 bags at approx 20 squid per bag. Get very cold hands and dont pull all the squid fully apart, so the body count is approx.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e22/cliffstone/squidfreez.jpg
Thats how I do it, usually takes 60 minutes if Hazel my partner rolls the bags for me, another dodge so as not to get juice on the outside of the bags. The bags a good quality freeze bags, the cheap thin ones allow freezer burn after a while.
Et's OPO
This might not be much use to you but I'm sure I read somewhere that there is a fishmonger in Felixstowe that does them.
This might not be much use to you but I'm sure I read somewhere that there is a fishmonger in Felixstowe that does them.
'Tommyk' is in Essex, not so far to go I supose. Thats why i sugested Jetty Angling in Southend. Have a word with Rashead, the owner, he may be prepared to sell you a box or do a quantity discount?
Another trick, UWS will, yes will!!! refreez, two or three times. I take one bag out of the cold box at a time. Whats left is usualy still frozen in the winter. However that is not the case in the summer, its starts to soften, no problem back in the freezer when I get home. I have even re frozen cmpletly de frosted bags, they are fine. Even if it does pink up, which it doze if it is refrozen 2 or 3 times!!! it still catches fish, trust me, its fact.
UWS can be abused in a way that the snow white squid will not take.
ET's OPO
Not in your area Mike, but one would simply look in yellow pages under 'fish wholesaler' or 'wholesale fishmonger'? Ask for 'unwashed squid loligo'. If they dont have it ask the question can they get you a box 10-11kgs costs about £30-£35 in my area.
At the risk of boring those that know? Unwashed squid is the natural product, straight from sea to freeze. Washed squid is dumped live, in a bath of FRESH water first. This induces the 'snow white' appearance, the natural has a grey tinge, not obvious until you see the two side by side.
I have used UWS almost exclusively for cod for 4 years, I have total faith, won local comps using it, and been accused of cheating because the catches were so good on occasion's, in comparison with other anglers using worm etc.
Dug out a few pics that might be of interest:
This is an 11kg box ready to decant into 20 caucus packs
The frozen box must be left to stand closed at normal room temp for 8-10 hours. The ice just softens enough to take the block and get it to crack on a the edge of a work surface. The crack then allows you to tease the squid apart.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e22/cliffstone/squidbox.jpg
Its important that frost/ice crystals are still in the carcase for re freezing. By the way, totally defrosted UWS can be refrozen from a cold box two or three times!!! yes, trust me.
A blow up, look carefully you can still see ice crystals, and note the flesh does have a grey ting, it is not snow white
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e22/cliffstone/squidblowupgrey.jpg
Was not to happy with this batch, the ice was melting so quickly. Its shows how to roll the bags down so as not to get squid juice on the outside of the bag, making every thing in the freezer smell of peppery fish (how squid smells to me) Yellow tinge is a photographic colour cast, sorry. One of my early efforts at decanting, but when we came to use them, they worked fine.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e22/cliffstone/SquidbagsKitchen.jpg
Another batch ready, usually get between 17 and 22 bags at approx 20 squid per bag. Get very cold hands and dont pull all the squid fully apart, so the body count is approx.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e22/cliffstone/squidfreez.jpg
Thats how I do it, usually takes 60 minutes if Hazel my partner rolls the bags for me, another dodge so as not to get juice on the outside of the bags. The bags a good quality freeze bags, the cheap thin ones allow freezer burn after a while.
Et's OPO
Cracking post mate. Many thanks.
dabcatcher
13-03-2007, 16:04
all the 1lb boxes i,ve ever bought have been unwashed. i assume that if it doesnt say...washed .. then it isnt.
the only washed squid i,ve seen is in supermarkets, washed and cleaned ready for cooking.
if you go to the tackle shop and specifically ask for ..unwashed squid.. he,ll give you a normal box and add 50p.
all the 1lb and 5lb boxes are unwashed.. calamari..
all the 1lb boxes i,ve ever bought have been unwashed. i assume that if it doesnt say...washed .. then it isnt.
the only washed squid i,ve seen is in supermarkets, washed and cleaned ready for cooking.
if you go to the tackle shop and specifically ask for ..unwashed squid.. he,ll give you a normal box and add 50p.
all the 1lb and 5lb boxes are unwashed.. calamari..
1lb and the 5lb boxes of squid usually state on the box that it is 'fit for human consumption'. This is the washed, 'snow white' variety, 'washed' is the name for the bleaching in a fresh water dip that they go through, it gets all the unwanted bits out of the catch, you find all sorts of strange foreign bodies in an 11kg box of UWS. What you are looking at in the super market is defrosted 1lb or 5lb boxes 'fit for human consumption' type. The fishmonger 'prepares' it, gutting, skinning, removing the beak, then he will wash it again under the tap, selling it as 'prepared ready to eat', equivalent to gutting and filleting a cod?, dont buy this, all the juice is gone.
I would say that tipping a worm bait is fine with this white stuff, cant see it as a real part of the juice attraction, Seen it said it works as a 'flag'??? . . . :nonono: :laugh: . . . very much doubt that. More likely the tough squid flesh was originally used to stop the worms sliding over the hook point in the cast and masking it:thumbs:
But when we come to squid as a main component in the bait as a cocktail, or as the bait alone, then UWS will at least fish as well and often out fish worms. Before you jump on me, yes I have blanked, and yes worms have produced the goods. I have been known to have 25 lug on board just in case! However, these are rare occasions and working on the fact that I can buy 11kgs of squid for the price of 200 lugworm in my area.
Boat casting in the winter, using two rods, on a good day I can use 200 lug. Cheap affective alternatively 2/3 bags of squid. A whole carcase, perhaps two if they are small, on a 5/0 or 6/0 pennal rig, cut a couple of vertical slits in each body purse, use a short trace, 20"-30" max. Four and five feet traces let the bait kite off the bottom in the tide. A cod is expecting to find its food on or very near the bottom! in coloured water using its chin sensing barb, makes sense to me? Think like a cod?
Squid washes out as quickly as worm if you slit it, so change the bait regularley, you are laying a sentrail:idea:
ET's OPO
wow what a response ET-EPO, thats exactly the sort of advice I was hoping for, fantastic ! thanks very much mate.
I'll give your man a buz and ask him, as im in chelmsford so could chip down to S-End no probs.
I fished with UWashed a few months back and the cod were literally jumping on the beach to grab a bit of some more, the worms, whilst doing the usual were nothing in comparison.
Note* fit for human consumption....as the man sais, if you look closley at the boxes from the shops they all say that, therefore are washed...
trust me chaps and take on ET's advice, if you have not tried it your missing out, you'll never turn back !
ET...i picked up the phone and called rashead, he's going to sort me out, so thanks very very much for the advice - one happy angler !!!!!!!!!!!!
Nothing like knowing you have just landed some awesome bait !!!!
T
ET...i picked up the phone and called rashead, he's going to sort me out, so thanks very very much for the advice - one happy angler !!!!!!!!!!!!
Nothing like knowing you have just landed some awesome bait !!!!
T
Good to help and be appreciated. Enjoy your UWS, and think of all the money you are saving, the trips that can be taken at the drop of a hat in the unexpected weather window?
ET's OPO
By the way, all my experience is from a boat. Have seen anglers do badly with UWS on the beach, but then so were the anglers using worms . . . but, they still blamed the squid for not catching???:doh: I would suggest there were no fish about?
"A poor workman blames his tools":unsure: :)
:idea: for those that are not convinced? use two rods, one with worm or preferred bait and one with UWsquid. Fish for say an hour, then swap over so that you cover you fishing area totally with both baits. All you want is equal catch per rod, UWS is cheap!
Its not so good in the summer, when I use a lot of ragworm, and mackerel. Thats frozen mackerel, which I buy 14lb at a time, individually frozen. Last year this frozen mackie accounted for tope to 36lb, and bass to 12lb. Who said frozen mackerel does not work. Had all the guys on the boat using frozen mackerel on one of their two rods by lunch time, and ringing the changes with the alternative available baits on the other rod! I remember that day well a real 'red letter day'.
ET's OPO
fisherman1957
21-03-2007, 10:34
anyone give me a phone number or adress where i can get some unwashed squid
delivered to me thanks :secret: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2:
Just to let you know, used "unwashed" squid over the weekend with killer effect, awesome bait !
anyone give me a phone number or adress where i can get some unwashed squid
delivered to me thanks :secret: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2:
Same for me, but is it possible to buy it in smaller quantities than 22kg at a go, I don't have room to store that amount
Same for me, but is it possible to buy it in smaller quantities than 22kg at a go, I don't have room to store that amount
You have to go into your tackle shop and ask, dont be fobbed off with a nice neat 1lb box, all 'snowy white', 'fit for human consumption', the genuine article has a grey tinge, is usualy offered in a less presentable plastic bag and it does not look fresh compared with the white stuff. Sea based tackle shops know what it is, and keep it for the anglers who ask and are in the know, or perhaps, . . . the words 'lazey' and 'be botherd' come to mind? If they dont have it, try the next shop, sorry but thats the way it is, the media have sold the idea for years; 'snow white is best' . . . :blink: :uhuh: I leave you to come to your own thoughts on that one.
You want to eat it? perhaps the snow white looks better, you want to catch fish with it, its got to be; Un Washed and grey'ish!!!:clap3:
ET's OPO
When you say greyish ET-OPO, do you mean the skin that is on the outside? Cos the skin on the surf king californian stuff that I get is grey. The only white is once you take the skin off.
There is a pinkish tinge to it when it's out of the box a while.
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