HRF Portland Bill,

The last week here in Dorset has seen some stunning weather an the summer species are starting to kick into gear, I’ve been determined to find time to get out on the water and not let this stupid panic buying of fuel effect me to much, yes I had to sit in traffic for 30 minutes to make sure I have enough fuel for the weekend, an after a 3 hour session I had today I’m certainly glad I did.

After a few emails and many informative phone conversations with Sean Mcseveney regarding all things Lure fishing and sea fishing, I was inspired to get out on the rocks and chuck the soft plastics out for the wrasse, especially after reading the reports of his first lure caught wrasse on soft plastics, if your heading to Dorset this summer be sure to check his blog out here at Fishing Tails, Sean is keeping up to date fishing forecasts and catch reports in the Dorset area and is very very handy to anyone unfamiliar with the Dorset coast.

I’ve struggled over the last year to find the wrasse on soft plastics at Portland bill, I’ve used bait many times and had plenty of fish on rag worm, limpet, and peeler crab, but the soft plastic loving wrasse kept evading me. But after talking to Sean who stated that he had luck using emerald Megabass X layers with a 3.5g worm weight, I rigged up the same and within 5 casts this wrasse of around 3LB slammed my rod tip over at my feet. I saw the fish follow the lure up on the cast before but I thought it was a Pollock till the rod bent double. Luckily Karl had just turned up to take this photo, cheers mate.

After the first fish I kept moving around trotting my lure along gullies and dropping it over ledges, I kept getting bites right back to my feet but couldn’t find another hook up until I dropped the lure out at distance on the crease of the ripping current that was hammering past the Bill. Again the bites were there good an strong an lures were coming back covered in bite marks. It wasn’t long an the second fish was landed. Smaller than the first but the fish was stunning orange an dark red.

Moving on a few more rocks the bites dropped off as the current pushed further out, it seemed the fish were using the boulders as ambush points waiting for prey to drift their way very similar to the bass in summer. The problem I found when fishing at range isn’t the casting or lack of lure control but controlling a fish that wants to dive harder then hell as soon as it knows its hooked. This third fish dropped the anchor on me 3 times before it gave up, remembering that when these fish go to ground give them a couple feet of slack line an wait, 9 out of 10 times the wrasse will soon come out of its hole an your line will tighten and the fight continues. Unlike bait fishing with a sinker that gets snagged up, its just rod, line, hook an fish. Keep it simple an gain more fish an less tackle loss. Simple.

I had one more fish after this but my phone battery had died an I couldn’t get a photo, shame as it was another stunning orange wrasse like the second. I was starting to put pieces of the puzzle together on the drive home, starting to see where I have been going wrong. 1) I have been using 10g an more worm weights, this could be effectively not letting lures like the x layer work effectively. A 3.5g weight an 4.5inch lure will cast more than far enough to find wrasse. 2) conditions were very very calm where I was fishing today, unlike searching out the turbulent water where the bass feed.. 3) water clarity was unbelievable today, thinking about it I’m surprised I didn’t see any divers out there today. 4) the lure colour Emerald purple, I’m sure I read a on the JerseyBassGuide forum that at a certain time of year some species of lobster, crayfish, an crab turn a light purple colour. I think a trip to the sea life centre is in order..

I have to say a big congratulations to Lauren who yet again pulled it out of the bag last week with her first lure caught rock pig, I blanked that day and after handing my HPR to her for 5 minutes she pulled this mini steam train out..