I have never seen squid there before, so hopefully they are around. Would check out the chains. Never been a fan of lying rods down with not much drag, can just imagine forgetting to undo the drag then watching the rod disappear over the side.
X
Whitebait Season starts 1 September 2026 and ends 30 October (inclusive). Chatham Islands: 1 December to the last day of February (inclusive)