While I have only caught a couple of Ballan (and corkwing) wrasse in the few years that I’ve been sea fishing, I’m interested in chasing more of these fish in the coming summer months. The tricky, snaggy reefs, in which they live deep within, have always proved challenging for me to fish. Generally, I am more at home with fishing higher in the water column for other species, like bass. So far I’ve only caught my wrasse dropshotting small worm lures and Isome, but I’ve found this method fairly restrictive as I’ve felt forced to fish the margins of the weed or else get snagged.
A wrasse caught on a dropshot rig
Naturally, the plan for the summer is to focus on an offset hook system, set up to be as streamlined as possible, so it can punch through cover to the bottom every time. Also, precision is needed when flipping into promising gulleys and weed beds. Here, I could use a Cheb or Texas rig, but they tend to glide and pendulum on the fall, so I’m going to be trying to master the Jika rig.
It is usually composed of an offset hook, connected to a split ring with a skinny weight, but you can also attach the weight via a snap connector. The dropshot-style weight rivals the weed-penetrating power of much heavier bullet sinkers, meaning that this rig is more applicable to light setups. The characteristic advantage of the rig is that it sinks straight down upon entering the water and then the soft plastic can freely move. I intend to rig creature baits and curly tail grubs in this way, to mimic the crabs, lobsters and other creatures that are all food for big Ballans. As for retrieval, the general consensus is that this versatile rig can be worked in many ways, but I believe it will shine when shaken with the rod tip, whilst static on the bottom.
A Nories Escape Little Twin 4″ in ‘Light Green Pumpkin’
A Molix RA Grub Twin Tail
When I have access to the sea again this summer, I will report my experience with the rig on my Instagram
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