Wrasse attacks!
After a good night’s sleep it was time to hit the coast for day 2 our final chance to make it happen. It was clear we chose the wrong location for day one and although the micro fishing was fun it was time to get serious.
I picked out a new location about an hour away with a lengthy walk on top, a bit of a gamble. We arrived to small tides, clear and calm water. It looked amazing but we had to do something different. Wading out to some rocks near deeper ground we hit the jackpot.
The water was alive with mullet fry and tiny sand eels. The wrasse would be near-by so I rigged up an 8cm 11g TPE Minnow. The TPE Minnow makes the perfect wrasse snack. Being weedless they offer some protection from the rock and kelp. The TPE materiel is extremely tough. Wrasse have powerful jaws and teeth that make short work of regular soft plastics, TPE can withstand the damage. Short casts to nearby rocks and bottom jigging would be the tactic. In many ways it’s similar to perch and zander fishing.
When wrasse hit you strike firm and fight them hard. They want to get back into the rock and kelp, testing your gear to the limits. I was using the 8,3 5-21g finezze softlure 20lb braid and 20lb flouro & with the rod at maximum curve they take line and often try to snag you. It’s adrenaline fueled stuff, uncertain whether you can tame the fish and just what size or unique colour will pop up. In the end it was an amazing and memorable trip. My one regret the 6 ½ hour drive home.
