Getting past "pest" fish

[Kieran Hanrahan]

Not often this happens but I was fishing a little known wrasse mark on Achill Island - bit of competition going for the biggest wrasse between three of us - and we were inundated with mackerel, pollack and coalfish. Even a garfish.

 

Every cast (float fishing ragworm at 30' depth) got intercepted on the way down. I shifted to a jellyworm on a long trace and of course the pollack ran riot - even had one over the shore specimen grade of 8 lbs which was nice but we were after wrasse!

 

At that stage, we even tried legering on the bottom (it is a terrible foul mark) with big junk leads on rotten bottom links except the baits never made it to the bottom!

 

Honest to God, not a single one... Don't get me wrong, we were laughing out loud... it was great fun but if it was a competition, we were stuffed.

 

Eventually the tide turned and a few hours after that (!) we caught our first wrasse.

 

So the question - from shore or a boat, how do you get past high or mid-water "pests" to the target species below, and specifically wrasse.

 

Thanks

[fishy1]

Hello Kieran,sorry to bust in to your post but I tried to post on your site, all the submit got was Page not available.I'm holidaying in Tramore co. Waterford 13/09/03-27/09/03,have down loaded your marks info for that area,but wondered if there was any more about bait collecting(lug,rag and crab)and the best marks for that time of year tight lines, Fishy1

[hembo]

have you tried using small hard shelled crab

[Kieran Hanrahan]

Hi Fishy 1 - your post did get through - saw it there this morning. Hope you get some replies...

 

Hi Hembo... hard shelled crabs - interesting. Never tried it. How do you hook them up etc?

 

Thanks

[hembo]

quote:

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there is an article in august edition of sea angler; allthough it doesnt mention how to hook them . i will go through all my back editions as i am certain that there is more in depth info available . i am shortly fish ing portland bill which is very similar to where you fish so will contact you when found .

[fishy1]

as you are not power casting try laying hook on crab's back and wind an elastic band round both, or use bait elastic., don't remove crab legs

[Jim Roper]

I have seen Portlanders using hard crab for Wrasse bait. They removed all the legs to get the hook through. They reckoned that the Wrasse's jaws were not strong enough to tackle hard crab baits until very late in the year(not sure why).

Cast your bait out and let it reach the bottom. Just take up the slack line very gently without moving the lead. When retrieving, lower your rod tip, taking up as much slack line as possible, then strike like you have just had the bite of a life-time and wind as fast as you can until the bottom tackle is out of the water.

Use the same tactics for conger.

[Kieran Hanrahan]

Thanks for the advice guys....

 

Had loads of fun today float fishing for smaller ones on a mark in Achill Island .. until the snorklers came along! Where are those damn great white sharks when you need them ! jk.

 

Will try the hardback crabs next time we go out.

 

Any point in using American circle hooks for them?

 

RSVP