Wrasse Wrasse an more Wrasse, with a few bass for good measure.

The past month has been a belter, with some great weather to heat the fishing up an some cracking fish to keep the lines tight, personally I cant get enough of the wrasse fishing on soft plastics, but when the conditions come right you cant help hauling your rear end out of bed in pursuit of a few bass.

The more people I meet an talk to that think bass fishing is some crazy dark art of sea fishing blows me away, is it easy? Is it a game of luck? I would answer yes an no to both of those questions as I am no expert an wish I had more hours in the day to learn an fish for these fish. But If I was to give three bits of advice to anyone who wants to embark on to the bass fishing journey, it would be as simple as 1) stay confident an keep fishing that first bass or a new PB could be round the next corner. 2) 75% of my bass fishing is paper work, sounds strange but keeping records, reading books dating back to the 1950s an searching the most abused tool of the modern day the internet, you will learn so much so fast because its all out there for you to find, locations, weather, tides, tackle an methods the information is endless. 3) keep an open mind to all methods an make them work for you, trust your instincts, the more you fish the more you will be able to find bass an then hook those bass.

Each blog post I try to explain or show what I’ve learnt, an this past month its all been about structure, structure, structure.

I’ve lost count of the wrasse this past month an the main reason being I’ve stopped casting my lure to the horizon to no mans land an started targeting a known structure this could be a boulder field, single car size boulders, weed beds, ledges an drop offs, anything you know is there an is substantial structure in the water, that you can drift a lure under, along or over. To do this accurately an to haul a fish out of these holes casts of 30ft are perfectly adequate, an more often then not the biggest wrasse you find will be right under your nose an will hit your lure as your thinking about your next cast.

My plan of action for the next month is to do more an more LRF an start enjoying the usual summer suspect species, mackerel, garfish an fingers crossed for a few bream. Seeing your clutch spin an 3lb mainline strip off the spool with a mackerel on the end of your line isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.. But the amount of people I see put their broom sticks down an approach me asking all sorts of questions about the LRF gear I’m using is astonishing. Yes it catches A LOT of fish, an yes it’s a hell of a lot MORE FUN then using a beach caster on a pier.

Until the next time, I have to put a few orders in for 1.25inch lures an under.

Over an out!

All Systems Go! Portland Bill HRF

Well from the title you guessed it, the summer has landed an the top marks around Weymouth have all started producing, mainly Portland bill for Pollock, Wrasse an Bass. My main target this year is Wrasse on soft plastics, I’m now tackled up with a new Century HPR 7.3 an a Tenryu Injection brought second hand From Keith White, for rods in the same class they are very different an both lend them selves to different situations. The HPR being a dark horse, working a soft lures in close with finesse an punching a Duo SLD 125 out of sight, I’ve so far had bass to 3.5LB on this rod an those few bass were caught at range using soft paddle tails over rough ground letting the lure drift in current, the rod handled perfectly feeling every roll over rocks an shy bites from Pollock an Bass. As for the Tenryu, this rod has a tougher back bone an is becoming my rod of choice for wrasse that are slightly out of playing range of the HPR, You have to give these fish hell when you get a positive bite, or your going to get beat up an lose gear. The Tenryu lending its self to these dirty fighting fish perfectly.

This last month has seen me fishing Portland Bill a lot more than most years due to my ever growing interest in HRF and wrasse fishing. Profiling a new fishing mark can be daunting to anyone in any aspect of fishing, but keeping a diary an building up information can be the key to success an lead those days you never forget, looking back at the last month the main thing I have notice with the wrasse is how sun light affects their behaviour, all wrasse anglers know that wrasse only feed in day light hours feeding heavier over sunset an sunrise (the magic hours). But I’ve had days now with gleaming hot sunshine perfect tides no wind and… NO FISH. But as soon as cloud cover comes over an takes the sun’s glare off the water all hell breaks lose an the bites just keep coming, praps this will change as the summer rolls on, or a simple change in lure colour or size will switch those fish on.

Here’s a video I took on an average day at Portland Bill when the sea state was perfect, swell was minimal an water clarity was crystal. It was only when the sun had dropped to around 35 degrees in to sunset did the bigger fish start to show.

Colour of choice at the moment seems to be dark purples changing over to golden browns an deep reds as the sun starts to set. X layers doing a lot of damage but my confidence in 3 - 4 inch senkos is ever growing stronger..

Until the next time, I’m awaiting a huge order from AGM products full of goodies!

　

Hope you enjoyed the read!

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..

Perfection an Preparations.

Well I’m hoping there is nobody at home while I upload this blog post because conditions seem almost to good to be true, a WSW wind, spring tides and high pressure, after a quick walk round a few local marks the water clarity has that gin clear colour we all wish for..

Check out this video I took at Portland Bill Late Thursday morning (I heard some guy apparently had a double earlier in the morning at the bill, not surprised with conditions this perfect! P.s. I also heard a well know angler caught some wrasse on SP as well… Well done that man!!)

Does it get any better?? Yup if only I didn’t have man flu! Like most anglers stuck at home, I have to do something fishing related be it service the reels, sharpen hooks or repaint some lures. But I decided to take a trip down the tackle shop an grab some new shads an hooks and show you guys some of my prep work before the season starts..

I’m rather pedantic an OTT over my preparations when lure fishing and everything has to be perfect from step 1, If I can afford to buy Hard lures for up to and over £20 then I can put that extra effort into rigging up my soft plastics an getting the best from them.

I’m using here the Delalande 6 shad GT 9CM in Nacre Bleute with Decoy Ex Heavy Offset Rock Fish hooks size 1/0, when buying hooks and lures like these I like to pair them up in the tackle shop, Buying online can be a gamble unless you know from experience the tackle you are buying pair up nicely.

A few bits are missing in this photo… but you will need, hooks, shads, pen, sharp knife, Vaseline.

Firstly I like to sight up the hook with the shad, and mark up the curve of the hook length maintaining the bend of the hook is within the 1/3^rd to ½ the length of the lure. Then mark a diagonal line back to the hook shank. Be sure not to take this cut to far forward as to leave plenty for the hook to pierce the nose of the lure.

Next take your sharp knife an make the cut, I like to use a scalpel as the blades are thin an a more accurate cut can be achieved. Try to keep the cut central and neat as an angular cut can cause the hook position to twist the lure body creating an uneven swimming pattern.

Next up thread your hook through the nose of the lure and back through the belly slice, again make sure your hook is central.. I’m a firm believer that the curve of the hook acts as a vane an assists casting distance and accuracy. I like to fill up the belly slice and coat the hook point with Vaseline ensuring that the hook can cleanly move through the lure when a fish bites, also if skinning the hook point in the lure will allow for a clean application. Also Vaseline comes in all colours and flavours, here I’m using the Rose Vaseline creating the impression of stomach in the lure. Plus the added flavour?? Who knows it might help catch a few fish. You will be surprised at how long Vaseline will remain inside the lure.. I’ve used the same lure for around 60 casts and that belly is still full..

When I’m feeling on top form again I shall show how I rig an weight this set up out on the water..

Just a quick update on the new Quantum EXOpt reel… I’ve had no problems what so ever with this reel, 3 months of heavy use and the reel is still dead smooth and the line lay fantastic, I haven’t had one wind knot with Nanofil or YGK PE braid. All was going well until this happened…

From what I can see looking at the replacement provided by Chesil Bait n Tackle there is a single snap ring holding the casing and bearings in place.. I have no idea what could have gone wrong, maybe the snap ring was a lose fit.. I would have reassembled the casing but all the internal parts ended up in the drink.. Doh!

Until the next time guys I got a bad case of man flu to nurse..