Specimen Wrasse, Donegal Bay 21/September/2016

With a heavy crop of berries weighing down the branches of the mountain ashes, it seemed like autumn was settling in so it was a good time to target a few harvest wrasse. Rather than be tormented by small wrasse and coalies shredding worm baits, I decided to go hardback crab only. I mentioned in a previous report how my usual crab spot had been destroyed by somebody not replacing the stones as they were so I tried a different location. I had to waterproof myself as the rain had started in earnest but I struck lucky; lifting one flattish rock exposed about 2 dozen perfectly sized crabs. I managed to catch about 20 of them and thought that would be plenty, it was certainly a lot handier than digging lug. The tide had 1 hour of ebb left as I set up a float rig and cast out a short distance and within minutes the first wrasse attacked, a ballan about 1.5lbs. A couple of corkwings and several more small ballans followed and just as the tide turned the rod heeled over hard as a good fish crunched a crab. A few determined dives and surges and the wrasse came up to the surface to thrash about. Finally, tired out, I was able to slide him onto a flat rock and lift him clear. It registered 4lb 12oz on the scales, just on the specimen weight and a new p.b. for me, well for the next 20 minutes. After a couple of missed bites, the next fish pulled the scales down to 5lb 4oz, another new p.b. and specimen. A few wrasse around the 2lb mark and then another good fish at 3lb 15oz showed up in a different green colour scheme. By now I had run out of crab bait so I packed up the wrasse rod and set up the beachcaster with mackerel strip for bait. This produced 4 dogfish, a few small coalfish and a small dab. The mackerel head and guts were fished in close for conger and after a few inches of line were pulled from the reel, I picked up the rod in readiness. Nothing more happened so I reeled in to check the bait and hanging on to a trailing gut was a long spined sea scorpion. It’s not often that the bait is bigger than the catch. By now it was getting cool so I decided to pack up and as I reeled in the flapper, a 1lb 10oz pollack grabbed the bait making a total of seven species for the session. Hopefully I’ll get another turn or two at those wrasse.

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As usual, a few more pics.

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Cracking report johnwest! Trying to get a break in the bloody wind so I can justify a day off work and head up that way for some big Pollack and wrasse before winter.

There great size Ballan, well done on the pb and specimen, great time of year for the big heavy fish, i'll be down myself next week in the hunt for one!!!

Another fine report Johnwest and some perfect photos
mickser

Wow unreal jw. Stunning fish I can only imagine the scrap from those brilliant stuff. I haven't broke the 5lb yet but mostly lures I'm using now for them find them as good or better than bait

Great report man. Some lovely wrasse there. Broke my personal best this year to with 5.9lbr. Some scrap off big wrasse on light gear

Really great session! Nice report JW.
Those wrasse are brutes. And that wee scorpion fish is class too, never seen one marked like that before..
Great stuff

You're on a roll JW,great stuff.

Great wrasse sir. A fish over 5lb is a fantastic pb and a wrasse that may be hard to beat

Really great session! Nice report JW.
Those wrasse are brutes. And that wee scorpion fish is class too, never seen one marked like that before..
Great stuff

Yeah, the scorpion looks like he's crossbred to a frog.

Great wrasse sir. A fish over 5lb is a fantastic pb and a wrasse that may be hard to beat

Last year I lost a much bigger one at the same spot right at my feet, still hoping to make that acquaintance again

You're on a roll JW,great stuff.

Usually when I'm after wrasse, I'm on a rock!

Stunning wrasse John and as usual great report. I have never tried crab as a bait for them so a couple of questions. What sort of size are the crab you are using? 50p size? Palm size? Are they soft backed or just hard backed?
Many thanks
Paul
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Stunning wrasse John and as usual great report. I have never tried crab as a bait for them so a couple of questions. What sort of size are the crab you are using? 50p size? Palm size? Are they soft backed or just hard backed?
Many thanks
Paul
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Thanks for your comments Paul. I use hardback crabs, much more abundant and wrasse are about the only thing that will take them. Small coalies and the like will take softbacks. I have added a couple of photos of the size I use, most wrasse will take the smaller size with ease, the bigger crab is no problem for a good wrasse. I generally don't go any bigger. I remove a back leg and insert the hook through the socket and out through the belly side, if you try to pass the hook through the tougher back, it will often shatter the crab and it is then easily removed from the hook by a variety of small fish.

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Thanks John. I must give them a go though it will be most likely next summer before I will get a chance to target them. Good luck through the winter months

Unreal wrasse John, well done!