Fish

Ballan wrasse

Maragota

Labrus bergylta

Saltwater

At a glance

Typical size

1–4 lb.

Depth

3–60 ft.

Best time

Daylight only — wrasse sleep at night.

Found in

6 areas

Spot it, size it up and learn its habits.

Identification: A thick-lipped, heavy-bodied wrasse with a long spiny dorsal fin and a rounded tail. The color varies a lot: green, brown, red or orange, usually covered in pale spots that form a net-like pattern.
Typical size: 1–4 lb.
Maximum size: About 2 ft and up to about 10 lb.
Diet: Crabs, mussels, prawns, limpets and worms crushed with strong teeth.
Behavior: Lives among kelp and rocks close to shore, holds a small home area, and dives straight back into the weed when hooked. All ballans start life as females; some later change to males.

Where, when and how deep to look.

Where to find it: Found from United Kingdom & Ireland, France, Spain & Portugal (Azores, Madeira & Canaries), Scandinavia & Iceland (Norway, Sweden, Denmark), Northern & Central Europe and Morocco & West Africa. Rocky shores, kelp forests, harbor walls and reefs from Norway to Morocco, the Azores, Madeira and the Canaries.
Habitat: Rocky shores, kelp forests, harbor walls and reefs from Norway to Morocco, the Azores, Madeira and the Canaries.
Depth: 3–60 ft.
Fishing depth: On the bottom in rock and weed.
Best season: Late spring to autumn; they go deep and quiet in winter.
Best time: Daylight only — wrasse sleep at night.
Best tides: Fishable at all states of the tide; flood tide over the rocks is good.
Best weather / conditions: Calm, clear days.

What to tie on and what to throw.

Best bait: Peeler crab, hardback crab, ragworm, prawns and mussels.
Best artificial lures: Weedless soft plastics (Texas or wacky rigs) worked slowly through the kelp.
Tackle setup: 7–9 ft medium spinning rod with a 3000–4000 reel.
Hook size: Strong #1–2/0 hooks or 3/0 weedless worm hooks.
Line: 20–30 lb braid.
Leader: 20–30 lb fluorocarbon.

The rod, reel, line and lures BigJoe would use.

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Step by step, from first cast to landing.

Go where it lives: Rocky shores, kelp forests, harbor walls and reefs from Norway to Morocco, the Azores, Madeira and the Canaries.
Rig up: 7–9 ft medium spinning rod with a 3000–4000 reel. 20–30 lb fluorocarbon.
Pick your bait: Peeler crab, hardback crab, ragworm, prawns and mussels. Lures: Weedless soft plastics (Texas or wacky rigs) worked slowly through the kelp.
Fish it: Fish crab or a weedless soft plastic tight to the rocks from shore or a boat, and pull hard the moment you feel the bite before the wrasse reaches its hole.
Time it: Daylight only — wrasse sleep at night. Fishable at all states of the tide; flood tide over the rocks is good.

Fishing techniques: Fish crab or a weedless soft plastic tight to the rocks from shore or a boat, and pull hard the moment you feel the bite before the wrasse reaches its hole.
BigJoe's tip: Use a rotten-bottom (weak link) to your lead in snaggy rock so you lose only the weight, not the fish.
Catch and release: Catch and release: wet your hands, keep the fish in the water when you can, and release it quickly. Use circle hooks and a dehooker.

Is it good to eat, and how to prepare it.

Edibility: Edible but not prized — strong or bony; many anglers release it.
Cleaning: Bleed and ice it right away. Fillet, then remove the skin and any dark bloodline.
Cooking suggestions: Soft and bland; eaten in fish soups in Spain and France, but mostly released.

Safety, rules and taking care of the fishery.

Safety warnings: Sharp dorsal spines and strong teeth; slippery, weedy rocks are the real danger.
Regulations: No sea license in the UK, Ireland or France, but some areas have minimum sizes. Most anglers release wrasse. Sea fishing rules change by country: the UK, Ireland and France need no sea license, Spain, Portugal, Croatia and Greece sell or require recreational sea licenses or permits, and Italy asks for a free online registration. All have minimum sizes, and marine reserves have no-fishing zones.
Conservation: Wrasse are slow-growing and live in one place, so they are easy to fish out. Release them.

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Sources & photo credits