Water Fight! Watch: Squid Add Thrills to SoCal Bite

They sound like some kind of 1950s sci-fi movie in which women issue blood-curdling screams and people run away in terror from...giant squid that can grow to 100 pounds and six feet wide in a year.

In reality, the biggest threat these "red devils" pose is to your clothes.

Capable of shooting a blast of water or ink, Humboldt Squid continued to invade the beaches of Northern Baja and Southern California, providing anglers with a unique fishing experience. The giant mollusks have blanketed coastal regions from Ensenada, BC to the Channel Islands. These voracious squid meet unfamiliar objects with an aggressive response and at times are cannibalistic. They have three hearts and can grow to six feet wide and 100 pounds in about a year’s time.

While they are welcome visitors for a time by fishermen, their long-term damage is thought to be pervasive. They will feed on calico and sand bass, as well as rockfish and other target sportfish. “I have no doubt that they have hurt some of our fisheries,” said Don Ashley.

Most of the time, the jumbo squid are taken at night but as you will see in this weeks Patch Fishing Video Update, the squid are providing anglers with daytime action as well. The action is wet and wild on the half-day boat owned by the City of Long Beach