SHADS
The problem with Shads is Wrasse like to bite the tails off. It's a bit of a catch22 here; we want the tail to be soft so as it will work easily but not so soft that it regularly gets bitten off. If we are doing a lift and drop retrieve the tail needs to work on the drop with the size weights that we are using. Too stiff/thick a plastic and this will not happen with the 5-15 gramme weights we generally use.Too soft/thin and they will get bitten off! Below are Shads that I have found achieve this.
The ever reliable classic AGM Paddler 3.25in Green Pumpkin. See image above.They just work and have a great action. Bite sized Wrasse lures that catch small and large fish. Get some. What more can I say. There is no better Shad than the Green Pumpkin version. It has caught me a stack of Wrasse. I really have not used it enough recently. You can use them as a search bait , finding pockets of fish and then home in on that area with other baits if required.
Big Bite Baits 3.3in Swimming Jerk Minnow. Any of the Shad colours work. They are tough baits with a good action that drive Wrasse crazy. https://www.agmdiscountfishing.co.uk/product/big-bite-3-3-swimming-jerk-minnow-reel-shad-10pcs/
The legendary Diawa Duckfin Shad 3.5in is a little wider in the body giving it a bigger profile and with its legendary Duckfin tail produces a unique action which big wrasse seem to like. As they are a Perch lure you can get them in some good alternative colours like "burning Perch" which gives you more options. The Wakasagi and Gudgeon colours have been particularly good for me.
Keitech Swing Impact 3 or 4in Green Pumpkin colour. Other colours are great but if I had to pick one it's this. I really do like the dark blue colour though. It has ribs along its body and has what I think is a squid scent to it? With lures like this I like to "hot spot" the hook point with a little vaseline which i have added some fluorescent die to. It tends to focus the fishes eye and help them hit the hook point instead of nipping the tail off.
Reins Rockvibe Shad 3 or 4in is another fantastic bait and one I like many other wrasse anglers have complete faith in. I particularly like the Golden Legend colour but others work well.
B & U Flathead Goby Shad Now here is another lure I have had great success with. It has a wonderful wide/ribbed but slim profile with a tiny little tail that is absolutely fantastic on a Free Rig. The wrasse absolutely smash these lures that I believe resemble some sort of "Slatter" creature that they might feed on. You can see me use these to great effect in the video below and find them here: https://www.ffslures.com/product-page/finesse-fluke-lure
FLUKES
Big Bite Baits 4in Jerk Minnow or Jointed Jerk Minnow
Another excellent bait for Wrasse. Although it says Jerk Minnow they are essentially a forked tailed Fluke. Sometimes when I want a bit more of a subtle action but still with the profile of a small fish I turn to Flukes and this is my favourite. All the usual colours work but try the Pink it can be a killer in the right conditions. Fish them on your standard rigs but they are particularly effective on a Split Shot or Drop Shot Rig.
Zman Jerk Shadz 4in
Great buoyant bait. Come in some funky colours if you can source them. Particularly good on Cheb rigs where due to their buoyant nature they will stand up with head down looking like a fish feeding, whilst you drag them along the bottom. I like them on my adjustable Carolina rig where there is low level weed and i can adjust the hook length so as to float the lure above it making it visible to the fish.
FFS Lures Finesse Fluke: I absolutely love these lures. You can buy them in various sizes and they don't half catch fish. Tom at FFS Lures makes some absolutely cracking lures. Here are just some of the colours he sells. https://www.ffslures.com/product-page/finesse-fluke-lure
CURLY & TWINTAIL GRUBS
To be honest I do not use these lures enough. My fishing buddy Mike Weathersbee swears by them. Possibly his favourite lure of all time is the Waveworm Tiki Grub. They are almost impossible to find now, but if you can, get some and tell Mike because he is so convinced by their effectiveness he is glueing his limited supply back together, again and again. Fish them on a Free Rig or Texas rig and bounce them up and down from the bottom to get those appendages going.
CURLY TAIL GRUBS
Savage Gear Ribworms: These have become somewhat of a revelation to me of late. A reel go to and must have bait. You can buy the kits that offer a great selection or source packets. They have become a reel confidence bait that I will not leave home without. I particularly like the green glitter colour but it is difficult to source and the colours in the kit all catch wrasse.
Meredith 90mm Grubs. You will need to source these via Ebay or AliExpress. Size wise they are spot on. Long enough but not so thick that you will need to cut a belly slot. They don't really list colours but rather show the colours via a thumbnail. Pick the Blacks, Blues, Shrimp and Green colours they have all caught for me and are my current favourites. Cheap, tough and reliable.
Here is the first video I ever made and shows me using some of the lures I mention here and in the rest of the lure series:
TWIN TAIL GRUBS
Im afraid I find it very difficult to source a good Twin Tail Grub in this country so have to resort to using old stock or importing through AliExpress.
Berkley Havoc the Deuce
Another bait that is difficult to source but well worth investing in. I search ebay for these or they are very often found in the bargain basement of tackle shops. You can import them from the US but it's costly.
Below is a video that shows me using the above lure to catch a nice wrasse on the Free Rig. A Twintail Grub is an ideal bait to use on a free rig as it provides enough resistance to separate the lure and weight on the fall. I describe how to do this in the video.
AGM Twintail Grubs: I haven't used these twintail grubs from AGM Fishing yet but they look ideal as a replacement for the Berkley Havoc Twintail Grub and are readily available in the UK: https://www.agmdiscountfishing.co.uk/product/agm-3-25-twintail-grub-black-8pcs/
I hope this helps and you catch many more wrasse on the lures I have mentioned.
Comments