Guide
Frankston Pier Squid Fishing
Frankston Pier is one of the most accessible calamari piers on the eastern side of Port Phillip Bay. Here's how to read it, which jig size to start with, and how to fish the artificial reef out front.
Frankston Pier is one of the most accessible calamari spots on the eastern shore of Port Phillip Bay, and it is the obvious first stop if you live in Melbourne’s south-east and do not want to drive all the way down the Mornington Peninsula.
It has a long-standing reputation for Southern Calamari, alongside snapper and seasonal garfish. That mix matters for squid anglers, because a pier that holds bait holds squid.
For the wider location system, start with Melbourne Squid Fishing and Port Phillip Bay Squid Fishing. For the method behind the casts, use the Eging Australia guide.
The one local feature worth knowing: the artificial reef
Location evidence, checked 17 September 2026: the Victorian Fisheries Authority’s shore-based reef description places the installed reef approximately 40–50 metres beyond the end of Frankston Pier. This is a location reference, not a recent catch report or a guarantee that any particular cast will reach it. The casting and jig-selection advice below is our practical interpretation of that setting.
The detail that separates people who do well here from people who fish straight down is the artificial reef sitting roughly 40 metres out in front of the pier, within range of a long cast.
That reef concentrates baitfish. Squid follow bait. So the productive water is not only the pylons directly under your feet — it is the band of water between the pier and that reef edge.
Practical read:
- Short casts work the pylons and the light line at night.
- Long casts reach out toward the reef structure, then you work the jig back across the open ground between the two.
- The transition between clean sand and structure is where squid tend to sit and ambush.
That gives you two different zones to rotate through in a single session instead of hammering one spot.
Squid jig size for Frankston Pier
A size 3.0 is the right default here.
The reason is casting distance. If the productive water includes structure 40 metres out, you need a jig with enough weight to get there and still sink predictably once it lands. A 2.5 often will not make that distance in any wind.
- 3.0 — the all-round starting point, and the size to reach out toward the reef.
- 2.5 — when the water is very clear and calm, when squid are small, or when you are working close to the pylons at night.
- 3.5 — when there is wind or run and you are losing contact with a 3.0.
For the full logic, read what size squid jig to use and the Squid Jig Sinking Rate Guide Australia.
Colour: start natural, escalate only if you need to
Frankston sits on the metro side of the bay, so water clarity swings with wind and rain more than it does down the peninsula. Let the water pick the colour, not the tackle box.
- Clear water, daylight — natural baitfish, silver belly, prawn tones.
- Dawn and dusk — pink, or a natural with a glow belly.
- Night, around the pier lights — glow and UV, worked on the dark side of the light.
- Dirty water after wind or rain — orange, red head, or a stronger silhouette.
For the full colour system, read Squid Jig Colours Australia. If you want a spread that covers all four situations without overbuying, the RUI squid jigs range is organised by exactly these conditions.
Timing: the light change matters more than the hour
Dawn, dusk and after dark are the strongest windows, as on most Port Phillip piers.
At night, the pier lights do real work — they gather bait into a visible zone. But the common mistake is casting into the brightest water. Squid sit in the dark and come to the edge to feed. Cast past the light, or along its edge, and bring the jig back across the boundary.
A run-in tide over the shallow eastern-bay ground usually beats dead slack water. If you can line up a run-in tide with last light, that is the session worth driving for.
Before you leave home, check wind and water clarity on the Eging Tactical Radar — the metro side of the bay dirties up quickly after a strong onshore blow, and a five-minute check saves a wasted trip.
How to fish it cleanly
Frankston rewards patience over aggression, like most shallow eastern-bay water.
Cast, let the jig sink properly (count it down so you learn the depth), then work it with two or three lifts and — most importantly — a long pause. Squid almost always take the jig while it is sinking on the pause. Anglers who work the rod constantly catch far fewer squid than anglers who wait.
When one grabs, wind steadily and do not pump the rod. A squid holds the jig with its tentacles; it is not hooked in the mouth. Snatch, and it lets go.
For technique detail, use How to Work a Squid Jig and When to Strike Squid Fishing.
Landing, rules and pier etiquette
Have a landing plan before you hook up. A landing net covers most sessions; if you fish piers often, read do you need a squid gaff and keep a compact telescopic option in the car.
Before keeping a feed, check squid fishing regulations Australia — in Victoria the limit is a combined bag of squid, calamari, octopus and cuttlefish, which is the rule people most often misread. If you want to measure properly, see how to measure squid.
Frankston is a busy public pier. Watch your backcast, let people pass, and clean up ink, line and packaging before you leave.
A practical Frankston setup
- Rod: 7’6”–8’3” eging rod, soft enough not to tear the jig free
- Reel: 2500
- Line: PE 0.6–0.8 with a 1.5–2.0 fluorocarbon leader
- Jigs: one 3.0 natural, one 3.0 glow, one 2.5 natural, one 3.5 for wind
- Landing net or compact gaff, headlamp, and something to hold a wet squid
Nearby alternatives when Frankston is blown out
- Mordialloc Pier — further north on the same metro shore
- Mornington Pier — down the peninsula, different wind exposure
- Beaumaris Pier — sheltered on three sides, the metro backup when it is windy
- Olivers Hill — rock option just south of Frankston
FAQ
Can you catch squid off Frankston Pier?
Yes. Frankston Pier sits on the eastern shore of Port Phillip Bay and has a long-standing reputation for Southern Calamari, along with snapper and seasonal garfish. It is one of the easier eastern-bay piers to reach if you live south-east of Melbourne.
What squid jig size should I use at Frankston Pier?
Start with a size 3.0. It casts far enough to work the water in front of the pier and still sinks at a manageable rate. Drop to 2.5 when the water is very clear, calm or the squid are small, and step up to 3.5 when wind or run makes it hard to hold contact.
Where is the artificial reef at Frankston Pier?
There is an artificial reef roughly 40 metres out in front of the pier, within reach of a long cast. It concentrates baitfish, and squid follow bait, so the water between the pier and that reef edge is worth working rather than only fishing straight down.
What is the best time to fish Frankston Pier for squid?
Dawn, dusk and after dark are the strongest windows, as they are on most Port Phillip piers. Pier lights help at night by drawing bait into a visible zone, and squid hunt the darker edge of that light rather than the brightest patch.
Do I need a gaff at Frankston Pier?
A landing net is enough for most sessions, but if you fish the pier regularly and target better calamari, a compact telescopic gaff is worth keeping in the car. Losing a good squid at the rail because you tried to swing it up is the most common way anglers lose fish on piers.