Octopus aka Kraken

Those beak marks are awesome! 

If your intent us to keep the gpo in the first place, you will be getting the jig back at some point

Hence why I highlighted the C&R part.

I've been seeing more recently down here in NorCal as well...

I have no clue how to target them on hook and line, but have learned this year that if they are buried back in a hole you better be prepared to spend a significant amount of time trying to wrestle it out and you may very well fail. 

The ones that I have been able to get to the surface were out in the open...have found 4 others this year in holes and even though my young and strong dive buddy and I pulled on several tentacles for hours we were unable to wrestle them free.

I was able to kill a big one last year by biting it between the eyes, but then on the very next one failed miserably and so now just cut hood open, turn inside out and rip all guts out...

Here are a few pics of octos I have helped get while diving this past year...

Sincerely,

Jim

ps...I don't know the rules up there but in CA you can only take them by hand or by hook and line...no traps, or spears etc...

That's a pretty cool story and pictures!

I've been pondering an effort to target them. I'm going to try a few lair pots made out of 5 gallon buckets weighted down for relatively shallow waters, and prospect with these jigs.  I think I need to add a sharper trailer treble somewhere though.  Not sure a big hook on a 16 oz jighead is going to hook them due to the force required and the fact that when the jig gets "grabbed" its hard to move the hook enough to set I would think.  I initially made them for trophy halibut but am Hoping I can dupe an Octopi with them as well. 

I already have a half dozen of them in the freezer thanks to my buddies who catch them in their shrimp pots. 

Awesome crab jig!  That would catch you some big cabbies here in Oregon.

Awesome crab jig!  That would catch you some big cabbies here in Oregon.

That's what I was thinking.

Rudy, I noticed you rigged the hook out the back.  And reason for that.  I would have thought to rig out the side.

BTW, one year fishing Montague, the butts were feeding on crab quite a bit.  I could tell as they were regurgitating them.  I switched up to a larger profile jig thingy with more arms and it seemed to do better.  I'd think a crab jig like this would have done even better!

-Allen

So my commercial fishing buddy says he used to use lair pots and try to lay a string of them between sandy/eel grass/crab territory (where octos  feed)and a rocky reef where the octos would live. He would let them soak for a day and pull them up--FAST! He says the octos would hunker in the pots as he pulled them up but they are very smart and if you are not quick, they will figure it out and bail before you boat them. My brother just gave me 3 big packages of legs pieces from a big one he found dead on the beach. I'll use it for halibut bait on the 7th when I go for halis. I'd eat some if I could get it fresh.
T2

Rudy, I noticed you rigged the hook out the back.  And reason for that.  I would have thought to rig out the side.

BTW, one year fishing Montague, the butts were feeding on crab quite a bit.  I could tell as they were regurgitating them.  I switched up to a larger profile jig thingy with more arms and it seemed to do better.  I'd think a crab jig like this would have done even better!

-Allen

Those are plastic blue crab and from my experience with blue crab, they swim backwards.  Those are rigged to look like they would swim forward. 
Our crab on the left coast move more side to side.  So, I would agree with Pole Pole about rigging sideways. 

... they are very smart and if you are not quick, they will figure it out and bail before you boat them..

I will second that.

When I lived on Guam as a teenager, I often caught them while snorkeling. They averaged about 3' tip to tip - largest I caught was 6'. Anyway, I would often spot them in 4' to 10' of water, kind of sunning themselves. The only tip-off was their siphon moving. They could change their texture and color in an instant. I saw one once even match cloud shadows as they crossed the reef. After spotting one I would swim down to it, where it would usually dart for the nearest cranny or hole. My tactic was to try to irritate it into make a dash for it in the open, where I could keep up. When I would catch up, it would "ink" me and dive for the bottom. I learned to stick my hands under the cloud, where the 'pus would swim into my hands. When it knew I had it cradled, it would immediately wrap on my arms & body. Those suckers feel really weird on your body, and you cannot get yourself untangled. If I relaxed and let it loose, it would try to slip off as quick as possible. They definitely were smart. I had one dive into a hole, and when I looked in, I couldn't see anything but rocks. When I pushed my finger into the back wall of the hole, the rocks gave way - the octopus had picked several rocks and held them up in front of itself to make a false wall! I poked it enough times to get it to come out though.

I never could make myself kill them after I saw how intelligent they are - I doubt if I would kill one now. And I could be a little intimidated by the size of the Pacifics - I know they are a handful to try to subdue. Thanks for the story, Craig.

As majestic and smart as they are, they are meat and damn good meat at that! 

I won't hesitate to bonk another!   

As majestic and smart as they are, they are meat and damn good meat at that! 

I won't hesitate to bonk another!   

x100.

They grow fast and don't live that long (3-5 years) so not like you are harvesting a super long lived creature like an old rockfish. 

They also freeze well. 

Sincerely,

Jim

As majestic and smart as they are, they are meat and damn good meat at that! 

I won't hesitate to bonk another!   

x100.

They grow fast and don't live that long (3-5 years) so not like you are harvesting a super long lived creature like an old rockfish. 

They also freeze well. 

Sincerely,

Jim

I guess if someone is nervous having a Octo on their line or don't want to kill this awesome creature, but do want some meat then here is an option.

Since they grow an arm back pretty quick,  just cut off a limb or two and send it on it's way.

Cut off an arm - there's an option I hadn't considered. BTW, please don't consider my reluctance to kill an octopus a judgement of anybody else's decision. It doesn't bother me a bit that others do kill them. I've found pulpo / tako to be OK eating, but I would rather have ling or salmon or razor clams.