2026.11.01

Hiika Eging: How to Catch Small Squid From Harbours on Winter Nights in Japan

minagiman

As bigfin reef squid fishing slows down around November, a new target appears on winter nights in Japanese harbours: hiika, a palm-sized squid. It is small, but when you find a school you can catch one after another. You can use ajing or mebaru tackle, so it is easy to add to a winter light-game session.

Contents

What is hiika?
Season
Where and when
Tackle
Choosing jigs
How to fish
Hiika vs bigfin reef squid
Taking them home
My take
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What is hiika?

Item	Details
Common name	Hiika
Standard Japanese name	Jindo-ika (Loliolus japonica)
Family	Loliginidae (pencil squid family)
Size	Small enough to sit in your palm
Behaviour	Aggressive; attacks prey almost its own size
Activity	Nocturnal, so you fish at night

Despite their size, hiika are aggressive and grab squid jigs boldly. That makes them a great way for beginners to experience squid fishing.

Season

Months	Situation
October	Starts in some areas
November–December	Schools move into harbours. Peak season
January–February	Midwinter; still good in cold water
March–April	Early spring; continues in some areas

The main season is roughly November to April, when water is cold. It takes over as bigfin reef squid season ends, so it suits anglers who want to keep eging through winter.

Where and when

Around harbour lights: hiika often patrol near lights
Inside harbours: they prefer sheltered harbours to open coast
Harbours with horse mackerel or small seabass: where there is small bait, there are often hiika
Light-and-shadow lines: the edge between lit and dark water

Fish at night: after dark, check harbours where the lights are on. The same spots and times as winter ajing work for hiika.

Tackle

Item	Guide
Rod	7–8 ft, UL–L. A light eging, mebaru or ajing rod is fine
Reel	1000–2000 spinning (shallow spool)
Line	PE 0.6–0.8 (Japan no.); 0.3 once you are used to it
Leader	Fluorocarbon about 1.5 (roughly 6 lb), 50 cm–1 m
Squid jig (egi)	Size 1.5–2

A soft light-game rod is the most comfortable for working light jigs.

Choosing jigs

Use small size 1.5–2 jigs. A size 3 or 3.5 for bigfin reef squid is too big for small hiika to grab.

Colour	When
Glow	In dark spots, or away from the lights
UV (keimura)	Under lights, for a soft glow
Pink and orange	Standard attractor colours
Natural	When squid get wary, or under bright lights

How to fish

Step	What to do
1. Cast	Around the light-and-shadow line
2. Sink	Let it sink to the surface-to-mid layer
3. Jerk	Two or three small jerks
4. Fall	Let the jig sink and wait for the bite
5. Set	If anything feels different, set the hook

At night, hiika are usually in the surface to mid layers. Unlike bigfin reef squid, you do not need to hit bottom and make big jerks. Small jerks, then let them grab it on the fall.

Bites are tiny: often just “something feels heavy” or the line stops
If in doubt, set the hook
Keep the line slightly tight on the fall so you notice changes
If a school is there, cast straight back to the same spot

Hiika vs bigfin reef squid

	Hiika	Bigfin reef squid
Size	Palm-sized	Larger, with big spring fish
Season	Late autumn to early spring (mainly winter)	Autumn and spring
Where	Inside harbours, around lights	Piers with good current, rocks, weed beds
Jig size	1.5–2	Mostly 2.5–3.5
Method	Small jerks and falls, surface to mid	Hit bottom and jerk hard

For hiika, think small, shallow and slow. Using bigfin reef squid tactics, your jig is likely to be too big and too deep.

Taking them home

Chill hiika straight away in a cooler with ice. Put them in a zip bag first so they do not mix with other fish or slurry. They are great as tempura or deep-fried whole, simmered in a sweet soy sauce, or in stir-fries and pasta. Squid can carry Anisakis, so take care if eating raw; cooked is safe.

My take

Many people think of eging as bigfin reef squid fishing and see winter as the off-season. With hiika, you can keep eging on winter nights in harbours, with the same tackle as ajing. Detecting and hooking tiny bites feels a lot like ajing. Just slip a few size 1.5 jigs into your pocket next time you go ajing.