New & Old Tactics Wrasse 06-01-2012

Slight break in the winds down here in West Cornwall, clear morning skies, so off on a Wrasse hunt. Still amazingly mild temperatures, remember last year freezing hands and layer after layer of thermal clothing, none of that today. Whilst digging through my gear, found an old box full of 3 different flavour Xlayers mounted on rusted hooks and jig heads. Stripped them off, bagged them and decided to give them a bash, as it must have been around a year since last using them.

Fishing with a Nories Rockfish Bottom Light 7-15g, Daiwa '10 Certate with a 2500 size spool, this would be the first time out using a higher breaking strain fluoro mainline (already using lighter fluoro for LRF purposes). The line is the Sunline FC Sniper 10lb;

Rigged the Xlayers up Texas style, 4-5g sinkers and a size 2 weedless hook. Water was deep and clear, tide an hour into the flood. Fishing over 3 hours, the Wrasse came consistently, biggest was 2lb 7oz (first one below), had a total of 7 fish landed, with a few missed.

First impressions of the fluoro mainline are good, really nice feel, and totally different to braid when playing the fish, really feel the stretch in the line. First few bites were missed, but quickly learnt how long to leave before winding into the fish. Looking forward to trying out future sessions with it. As I was fishing shallower rough ground, over barnacle strewn rocks today, great confidence when hooking into a fish at a greater distance. All fish were taken on the Xlayers, they simply do work, and when it's a bag of manky old ones, don't feel so bad when they get smashed up by the Wrasse!

Don't forget, you have until the end of January 2012 to enter my competition to win some Sunline Momentum 4x4 braid (original blog post HERE) Entry is free,  all you have to do is email me the answer, and a winner will be drawn at random at the beginning of Feb 2012.