Wrasse Fishing FAQ

Yes! Lure fishing is an effective and fun method for targeting Ballan Wrasse. Fishing soft plastic lures is the best approach. If you’re looking for some encouragement and confidence in targeting wrasse on lures, what better place to find it than on this very wrasse fishing blog!

The best lure to catch wrasse can vary from day to day. However, soft plastic lures are consider the best choice. The best style of lures include, worms, creatures and fish shaped baits. More information about choosing the best lure for wrasse can be found in our Ultimate Guide to HRF.

For Ballan Wrasse, throw lures that measure between 1 and 5 inches (25 to 125mm). Lure size should be matched to the size of the expected target. Wrasse have relatively small mouths so, although a medium sized Ballan Wrasse will no doubt attack a 5-inch bait, it is unlikely that the hook-up rate will be very high – especially if using a weedless presentation. The lure needs to be small and supple enough to have a reasonable chance of being ingested by the target fish.

Wrasse can be caught all year round in some parts of the country but many anglers consider wrasse fishing as a summer activity. However, the Autumn is considered the best time for a specimen sized fish. In terms of time-of-day, the best time to fish for wrasse is within daylight hours.

From an angler’s perspective, no, Ballan Wrasse are very unlikely to feed after dusk. In fact, there is a noticeable decline in wrasse catches as the light starts to fade. In winter, successful lure fishing for wrasse appears to be linked to the available daylight. Brighter days appear to fish better than darker, overcast ones. This seems to imply that Ballan Wrasse are not equipped with the right eyesight to actively hunt in low light conditions. This theory is further supported by the relatively shallow depths that the species is found.

The British records for Ballan Wrasse currently stand at 9lb 7oz 12dr as the boat fishing record and 9lb 1oz for the shore fishing record. The entire British record list for sea fishing can be found on the Angling Trust website.

You can eat what you like but, wrasse doesn’t have any commercial value as an eating fish. All wrasse species are considered as poor eating quality. There are much better options more readily available and easier to prepare. We consider Ballan Wrasse as a sport fish.