Wrasse fishing with lures, a beginners guide. Part 1 - What do you need?

Wrasse fishing with lures has grown immensely over the last few years, with more anglers now targeting this species with soft plastic lures than with bait.

For the beginner to this style of fishing, knowing what to use can be a bit of a minefield. This isn’t a ‘what you must use’ type of article, but it’s what I use and it works for me. If you’re new to lure fishing for wrasse, hopefully this will help.

RODS: Opt for a rod with a fast or extra fast action, something between 7’ and 9’ in length and has a casting weight of between 8g and 35g.

One I can highly recommend, due to my own experience, is the Westin W2 Powerteez 7-28g, 8’4” extra fast action rod. 

REELS: A spinning reel in the 2000-3000 size is the perfect match for this style of fishing. These smaller reels balance well with the rods you’ll use and are able to hold 120-150 yards of braid, which is more than enough for wrasse fishing with lures.

I’m currently using a Hart Ishod 2000, but also have a Hart Zemtax 2000 and a Shimano Nexave 2500.

BRAID: I like an 8 or 12 strand braid with a breaking strain of around 20lb or so in a bright colour such as yellow, pink or green. I opt for brighter coloured braids as it helps me to see when everything has settled once I’ve cast out. I’m currently using Westin W10 in 20lb but have also used Sufix 832 and Daiwa J Braid.

LEADER:  I use a 20lb-25lb fluorocarbon leader, around 3’ long, which I connect to the braid by a double uni knot. Light passes through fluorocarbon underwater, making it almost invisible to fish. It is also very abrasion resistant, critical when working lures around structure.

HOOKS: I carry a range of EWG offset hooks in sizes 1, 1/0 and 2/0. Always use a branded hook, wrasse will soon find any weakness in a cheap variety. I use Eagle Claw, but there’s also other good brands available such as VMC and Gamakatsu.

WEIGHTS:  I always use the Texas rig and carry cone weights in 5g, 7g and 10g. I also add a 6mm glass bead in-between the hook and weight which generates a clicking sound, an attraction to any fish nearby. Another option you have is to use a Cheburashka weight. Again, carry 2 or 3 different sized weights so you can alter things depending on the conditions.