A CRUSH IN CRAWS
Why you must try creature baits for wrasse.
In recent years, there has been a huge growth in the number of people fishing soft lures for wrasse. It took a while, but it has become an accepted fact that the previous ‘bait only’ species do in fact demolish a lure, when presented correctly. Controversial as this may sound, the wrasse may be the hardest-fighting fish, pound-for-pound, to tackle on lure gear in our waters.
In my fishing calendar the summer means taking a small selection of lures, hitting the coast with lure rod in hand and roaming the gullies, reefs, ledges and boulder fields in search of these hard-scrapping rock pigs.
Wrasse, in feeding mode, are notorious for their brute force as they strike a lure. Some people encounter them almost by accident when bass fishing with soft lures. However, for those targeting them specifically, the usual fodder tends to be senkos, small paddletails and creature baits.
I love fishing large craw baits due to the savageness of the strike and the all-round, general hard-hitting attitude with which they treat this type of lure. Why do they attack these lures harder than others? In my opinion, it revolves around a simple theory that these lures have claws or pincers of some form and the wrasse have to hit the bait with enough force and aggression to disarm or kill instantly to avoid unnecessary harm to themselves.
This is merely a theory based on spending hours flicking all sorts of lures around the coasts of the UK and Ireland. I am convinced that the craws get a lot harder greeting when they enter the domain of a big wrasse. You will note that I also said ‘big’ wrasse because I find that by fishing these larger craw-style baits it tends to produce larger fish.
This can be a double-edged sword because you may be potentially passing up on numbers just for those slightly bigger (3lb-plus) fish.
CRAW STYLES
These lures come in many shapes and sizes, all of which can be a tad overwhelming when you start looking at what to put in the tackle box. I use three simple variations of the craw – one with floating claws, another designed for swimming, and lastly a hybrid between a craw and a tube-style bait.
The best place to seek examples of these lures is to start with an internet search of the freshwater bass market in Japan, USA, France or Italy. These countries have been using craw-style lures for decades. It may even pay off to watch some videos of the tactics and techniques that freshwater bass anglers deploy when using craws, and then think about how you can bring these into your approach for wrasse.
■ DEFENSIVE: These are craws with floating or pop-up claws. When fished on a simple Texas rig, these tend to sit with a claws-up/defensive posture, making them very visible.
I pitch or flick these into areas where I expect wrasse to be lurking. I allow the lure to settle and give the rod tip a few very short, sharp jerks and let the lure settle again. Then I retrieve or creep the lure towards me slightly and repeat. The strikes usually occur on the pause after you have agitated the bait.
These can be effective when fishing large boulder fields or isolated reefs where the fish tend to patrol and cover is quite light.
■ SWIMMING CRAWS: As the name suggests, these are designed to have a fluid, swimming motion when moved. Once retrieved, the claws flap, making this style of lure great when covering large areas of water or heavy cover.
You can bring the lure back with a slow retrieve, interspersed by some pauses, allowing the wrasse to follow and investigate.
I use these when trying a new zone to quickly identify concentrated areas of fish or if I am fishing over heavy kelp. Having said that, I tend to avoid areas like this, as while they may hold fish, they are not conducive for presenting a lure.
■ TUBE CRAW: The final type is the rather beastly tube craw, which is a hybrid between a craw lure and the American freshwater bass tube lure. This has perhaps been my go-to lure for wrasse over the past two seasons. Not only has it pulled some really nice fish, but also it just looks super cool. I fish these with a heavy 10g or 12g cone lead weight and in a similar way as the floating claw craws, with deliberate sharp twitches. Even when this lure sits static, the claws and tentacles make it appeal to a curious wrasse.
The first time I got my hands on these lures I fished them with a degree of scepticism, given their size and bulk. However, I remember pitching the lure at a large cluster of rocks in the middle of a shallow bay, letting it settle and giving it a few twitches. Before I had picked up a little of the slack, I had a sharp knock and had a fish on. Needless to say, that was me hooked and my confidence levels shot through the roof. It maybe takes a leap of faith to tie on a large lure, but try it and you will see what all the fuss is about.
KNOWING YOUR COLOURS
Lure colour is the subject of much debate. As a general rule, I stick to natural-looking, subdued colours that match the terrain. Most prey species try to remain hidden from predators, so most of the creatures in a rock pool, for example, have colour schemes to match their surroundings. It makes sense to match these shades and hues in your lure choice. One example is the use of black with blue flake, which I deploy around musselencrusted rocks or ledges. It always proves popular with the resident rock pigs. For my wrasse fishing I stick to these simple variations – pumpkin green, pumpkin green with black, pumpkin green with blue flake, watermelon with red flake, black, or black with blue flake. These ‘flakes’ look like small pieces of glitter and add something extra. This list should prevent you taking too many lures when you hit the coast, allowing you to stay mobile in your search for active fish.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT TOOLS
When fishing these craws, I pick a fairly stiff rod that enables me to animate the lure using short, sharp taps of the tip. A softer lure rod will not control the lures as quickly, while recovery time will be much slower. It is important when fishing in and around heavy cover, like boulders or ledges, to have a powerful rod capable of stopping wrasse in their tracks and with enough strength to tease them up from their snaggy sanctuary below. I fish with either my Illex S 210 M Stalking Special (5-21g) or Illex S 198 M Nitro Finesse (5-28g). Both are the perfect tool for tackling large fish in heavy structure, providing the right balance of sensitivity and power. Once paired with a nice light reel, like a 2500-sized Daiwa or 3000 Shimano, these rods become the ultimate wrassing wands. In terms of braid, I often use a 20lb, fourstrand with a long 20lb fluorocarbon leader attached using a FG knot. The long leader gives that extra bit of protection when pitching craws around rocks or sharp ledges. For weights and hooks, I carry a range of 7g, 10g and 12g cone leads. These may seem heavy, but I like to have these craws pinned to the seabed. I use quite large, wide-gape hooks around the size 3/0 mark because my craws have quite chunky bodies. Therefore, having a big enough gape is critical for a solid hook-set. Crush the barbs on the hooks to make it easier and safer to remove them from the fish. Using a barbless hook does not result in more lost fish. When you consider the pressure and tension on the gear throughout a wrasse fight, there is no possibility of a hook popping out due to slack line. Lock up the drag and fight them hard. My gear is carried in a small backpack, sling bag or hip pack, allowing me to explore the coast with ease. Besides all my lures, it holds my pliers, spare leader material and a camera. A rubber-meshed landing net is carried for safely landing, unhooking and releasing a fish. Staying mobile is key to finding the best sport, as some areas fish better on an incoming tide and others may fish better on the drop.
CRACKING THE CRAW
If you don’t already carry some craws in your box, this article will hopefully convince you to add them to your arsenal and flick them over a ledge next time you hit the coast. My fishing over the past two or three seasons has definitely changed for the better with the addition of these lures to my box. It has got the point now where I fish almost exclusively with them on some specific marks where craws are simply devastating when wrasse move in on the flooding tide. Perhaps you will have somewhere similar. There’s only one way to find out.