Eging with Kids – Eging is fun…! Ben Weston

Since the arrival of my kids new Daiwa combo’s I have been the most harassed dad in Central Queensland. “Dad can we go fishing” has been the most common question in our house, slightly pipping the kids’ endless desire for ice cream.

Here in CQ we have recently been dished up with some really pleasant weather windows to indulge on the pictorial delicacies that the Keppel Isles dish up.

Following somewhat of a fishing marathon of my own over a few days, I couldn’t resist the urge to break in the kids combos during a ‘Daddy Day-care’ afternoon and scoot out to one of the islands in the quest of some squid. Yep you heard right, squid!

Now this is a species I have never targeted, I have watched a few fishing programs in the past which featured chasing squid but that is where the extent of my knowledge stopped. Honestly how hard could it be?

I had been given a tip off from a couple of good mates here that one island in particular the Keppel’s held a healthy population of these fascinating species. The kids were primed and ready to give this popular pastime a go.

Fishing over a shallow reef in approximately a 1m of water Akayla my daughter was the first to load up the AIRD setup and she quickly dispatched her first squid and to be honest the first squid in the boat.

Shortly after Isak nearly got ripped out of the boat after refusing to listen to his old man and screwing his drag up to the max. I couldn’t help but chuckle witnessing my 4 year old son engaging in the tug of war of his life on the casting deck as a squid attempted to secure its freedom.

Handing the rod to me, I adjusted his drag back to a respectable, non-life threatening level and helped him battle the biggest squid I have ever seen in the flesh to the boat. Two squid in the icebox for a calamari dinner, sweet.

The tide bottomed out and the tide turned, ‘pardon the pun’ and the squid moved on. Content with their afternoon, the kids were stoked, proud and happy as they digested their efforts while heading back towards terra firma into a mind blowing sunset.