# My best Shore Caught Mullet



## Sunny (Jan 19, 2010)

I wasn’t sure were to go, I just wanted to go fishing !!!

I wasted a few hours just trying out a few new locations.  My first disaster of the day was to pick up a shore anglers trace whilst following the river channel upstream….. I saw him shouting and swearing and I thought it couldn’t be me…I was too far out and mid channel; so I carried on till it got too shallow and I pulled up the engine to start rowing.  It was then that I found the guys trace and shock leader around my prop.  I returned them to him and apologised …..  
	

	
	
		
		

		
			










We had a good old chat about fishing and I then pressed on.  

A couple of spots I stopped at I managed to get the odd fish feeding but couldn’t seem to get a hook bait taken…finiky devils.  Then I get a text from Snoopy (Clive) saying that he has just caught his first of the season… what a result…. Well done mate; completely happy for you.  I know the effort he has put in and the number of fish he has lost to obstructions…so spot on mate  :-/ :-/ 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




My first fish of the day was a tiddler … pocket sized…. but very welcome as things were not going my way.






The duck broken it seemed that every fish thereafter just got better and better.  No2 was a better fish and I felt that I could at least show my face  :






Next stop was under a pier head… Mullet love these places; but using a rod within the confines of the piles is a nightmare.  Especially as light lines and barnacles really don’t mix.  Still I managed to lose only one and landed 3; giving me a tally of 5
















The last fish was a stonker and although I didn’t weigh it she must have been 6Lb.  
So I was reasonably happy with my day so far and decided to head on to pastures new.  It was a very good decision…no it was a bloomin miraculous decision.  Although I didn’t think so at first as I wandered around trying here and there.  Then just as the light was dwindling and I thought I would have to settle for what I had already caught I saw a feeding Mullet.  I baited and cast in…. only to miss the take as it mouthed the hook bait  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




I re-baited the hook and as I cast the fish caught sight of the rod – spooked – and was gone… aaaaaaaaagh – idiot   
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	










I thought I had blown it… then two minutes later she is cruising close by and so I cast out and wait patiently.  The take was gentle and purposeful… no messing about…. It had decided that it owned the bread and that was it……except for the hook it would have been just another easy meal !

I straightened the line, pulling the rod tip around in a steady smooth strike; the hook set and the fish went mad…. Steaming off to find deeper water and all the time violently shaking its heads to throw the hook.  I saw the fish and I knew that there was not a cat in hells chance of me landing this fish.  There were to many obstructions around and this was a big fish.  They are like super tankers when they get to this size and go where they want to.  The fight was incredible and there seemed to be no end in sight as we battled each other; tackle straining to the limit of its design and me using the years of experience gained in fighting Mullet after Mullet.  The fish was using its awesome strength and endurance.

Several times she surged towards pillars and boats and each time I managed to hold back the surge to the point that the line must have been so close to parting that it was unbearable.

How could I win this contest…it all seemed so one side and yet slowly but surely I managed to hold out until finally she was broken and inch by inch I moved her away from the dangers of the boats.  Then at last finally and completely she was mine…. And beached with the help of a passing angler.

He was as excited as I was and helped to revive her in the net; before unhooking and taking the photos.  He shook my hand and went back to his Bass pursuit

You’ll have to excuse my excitement… I don’t normally post more than one photo of a fish… but this puppy deserves them all 
















*My new PB Thick Lipped Grey Mullet*

Another angling dream fulfilled


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## Parker Phoenix (Jan 19, 2010)

Sunny, you are no doubt the mullet master.


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## swamp hunter (Jan 19, 2010)

Sunny, I know it,d take the sport away , but can you Chum them up and Cast Net them? How about Snagging them? By the way , We got lots of Mullet around here, but I ain,t never seen any that big!. good Job Mate!!!.


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## Sunny (Jan 19, 2010)

swamp hunter said:


> Sunny, I know it,d take the sport away , but can you Chum them up and Cast Net them? How about Snagging them? By the way , We got lots of Mullet around here, but I ain,t never seen any that big!. good Job Mate!!!.



I'm strickly a sport angler for the Mullet mate...don't eat them at all; no one does.  We have much better eating fish here...Bass, Cod, Plaice, Whiting and Mackerel by the ton  

We're not lucky like you guys, we don't have much wilderness left.  The hunting is non-existent; and all we have left to challenge us is fishing.

The Mullet are very hard to catch, so most fellas give up.  But once you understand your quarry and you can master the techniques then the rewards are great..... brings out the hunter-gatherer in me I guess


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## Swamprat (Jan 19, 2010)

I'll take a smoked or fried mullet over cod and mackeral any day of the week.

Good job on the mullet....in brackish almost fresh water around here we will catch a few using worms when we are panfishing.


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## PROLINE JIM (Jan 19, 2010)

Man that's a nice Mullet. I've tried to catch some but have had no luck. They are a very spooky fish and my hat's off to you for being able to catch those.
 Also, very good story, you should be a writer if you're not already.


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## Sunny (Jan 20, 2010)

PROLINE JIM said:


> Man that's a nice Mullet. I've tried to catch some but have had no luck. They are a very spooky fish and my hat's off to you for being able to catch those.
> Also, very good story, you should be a writer if you're not already.



You're right about the Mullet being shy.... they drive us all to distraction 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




I have caught them all over the world though...same tactics.  The size varies from country to country though, depending on local predators and commercial pressure.

Not sure how you have approached them, but I use 4lb flurocarbon line, size 8 barbed hook, suspended under a very small waggler float.  Bread flake using the cheapest supermarket sliced bread I can get.  The cheaper loaves tend to be doughier and hold better on the hook.  Bread flake no bigger than a pea.  I try to use floats that will set with the weight of the bread alone...no shot required.  That way the fish gets no resistance to the take. 

Depending on the water colour I will fish around 6 foot down; deeper in clear deep water.  You can also try ledgering bread for them on very light kit.

Is this how you guys fish for them ?


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## Parker Phoenix (Jan 20, 2010)

Sunny, very informative post. As per norm I enjoy your post, always nice pix and you have a way with words.

Mullet do not get much pressure at all here in the States, they are fished, but not hard.


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## fishdog (Jan 20, 2010)

I have never seen one that big. They kind of look like a Bone fish a little bit, I'll bet the fight is close to the same.


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## swamp hunter (Jan 20, 2010)

Most of the Mullet fishers round here Chum with Oat Meal and fish with Cane Poles and a piece of Canned Bisquit dough. If your Serious bout gettin a bunch Then Chum and Cast net. Best on Cloudy Days or late and early . They,ll spook if they can see the net good.  You can go out after dark with a real bright Spot Light and they,ll jump all over . Some get in the boat , And some hit you in the Head . We pin them against the Shore Line and Idle the Boat along it bout 10/15 ft. off and they come flying . We got Millions of them, Come Winter Giant Scools migrate down the Coast to warm waters.


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## grouper throat (Jan 20, 2010)

We catch them by snatch hooking in the local rivers when they come in on those freezing nights in the winter. Most are close to spawning and full of roe (black mullet) and fight like a upper slot limit redfish when hooked. They come into the rivers and are normally stacked in the deep water holes by the thousands. That's the funniest type of fishing IMO because it's fast and furious to fill coolers with mullet. 

You can run a small motor/trolling at night while shining a spotlight and literally see the whole river stacked from 30ft deep to the top of the water column with giant schools of mullet; it's quite a sight to behold.  

By the way, a fresh fried mullet fillet is hard to beat in my book.


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## smitty8765 (Jan 20, 2010)

Some cheese grits and hush puppies are in short order.


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## PROLINE JIM (Jan 21, 2010)

Sunny, I was trying with a flyrod and small flies. I had read an article about catching mullet on a fly , chumming with chicken feed, and when they came to it try the fly. They did come to the feed but they didn't want any part of my flies. 
 Thanks for the info on how you catch them . When it gets a little warmer I'm going to give it a try. I can catch them in a cast net but there's no sport to that. I hear they are Great fighters. Around here they jump out of the water a lot, do they jump when you catch them on a hook?
 I love to see your pictures and read your articles. Some of those fish in your other post are very interesting to see, keep them coming.


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## Sunny (Jan 22, 2010)

PROLINE JIM said:


> Sunny, I was trying with a flyrod and small flies. I had read an article about catching mullet on a fly , chumming with chicken feed, and when they came to it try the fly. They did come to the feed but they didn't want any part of my flies.
> Thanks for the info on how you catch them . When it gets a little warmer I'm going to give it a try. I can catch them in a cast net but there's no sport to that. I hear they are Great fighters. Around here they jump out of the water a lot, do they jump when you catch them on a hook?
> I love to see your pictures and read your articles. Some of those fish in your other post are very interesting to see, keep them coming.



I've never had a hooked fish clear the water, but the figh is about as good as a bonefish.  Some go 25 minutes on light lines and its a real fight ...unlike say Sea Bass or Trout (which I guess are common to us both).  You know how Trout put up a couple of spirited runs and then flap to the net....well Mullet are the complete opposite...it aint over - for sure - until the net goes under them.  Yeah the fights vary in intensity from fish to fish.  I've had some big fish who give in after 10 minutes and then you'll get an averaged size specimen who seems to be on steroids 

But thanks for the compliment.  Its great to share our angling adventures...and reaching across the pond is whole new experience.  The internet is a wonderful thing.


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## THWACKG5 (Jan 22, 2010)

swamp hunter said:


> Most of the Mullet fishers round here Chum with Oat Meal and fish with Cane Poles and a piece of Canned Bisquit dough. If your Serious bout gettin a bunch Then Chum and Cast net. Best on Cloudy Days or late and early . They,ll spook if they can see the net good.  You can go out after dark with a real bright Spot Light and they,ll jump all over . Some get in the boat , And some hit you in the Head . We pin them against the Shore Line and Idle the Boat along it bout 10/15 ft. off and they come flying . We got Millions of them, Come Winter Giant Scools migrate down the Coast to warm waters.





I have caught tons of Mullet in Florida this way, just off boat dock right in the channel. Once you chum'em in you can clean up town!!! You gotta be quick though, soon as the bobber twiches you gotta yank'em up!! Great fun, and good eatin!!!


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## Nicodemus (Jan 22, 2010)

Nice fish! Gill net, and get the grease hot!! Those things are fine eatin`!


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## BigBass114 (Jan 22, 2010)

Those are some nice mullets. I plan on trying to catch some this summer in florida.


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## Swamprat (Jan 22, 2010)

Proline Jim....if you can make a fly that resembles a small pink worm you might have some success.

There is alot of folks....mostly African-American who fish for them around Lake Monroe in Sanford just North of Orlando that use what we call blood or sand worms for bait. They are a very tiny pink or red  worm about 1-2"long that buries in the white sand of any lake, pond, stream etc.

They will chum an area with dry cat or dog food and put the cane poles to work. In Astor, Florida we have caught quite a few while fishing for panfish using either a red wiggler or pieces of a nightcrawler.

Pretty sporting on a small open spinner with 4lb test.


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## PROLINE JIM (Jan 22, 2010)

Thanks Swamprat and Swamphunter, I'm going to give all these methods a good try . I did have a fly that looks like a red wiggler about an inch and half long but they didn't want it . I raise wigglers, so I'll take some small ones with me. I'll chum with oatmeal and dry dog food and try bread , dough, and small worms on very light tackle something should get their attention. 
 When will the mullet  be getting back to the bays and up in the shallow water? I will mostly be fishing the Mexico Beach area, East Bay, St. Joe bay, Indian Pass, and Crooked Island Sound. All these are loaded with  mullet.
 Sunny , if the mullet here pull like the ones you describe then, I'll be a "Hooked on Mullet" fisherman, when I find the right pattern for catching them.
  THANKS for all ya'lls help!


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## Swamprat (Jan 22, 2010)

Proline...I think the biggest problem you might have as far as chum is the tides. The people I knew about who chummed did so in either brackish or almost fresh water with no tide influence. Swamp Hunter might have a different take.

As far as Mexico Beach it might not be till April or May before the mullet really show up. I always go by when I start to see fingerling mullet for bait...usually the bigger ones are not that far behind. 

The bait I mentioned seems to work in brackish/fresh water, not sure of a more coastal salt water influence. Anything is worth a try and any day fishing is better than none. Now on the coastal areas I just prefer a 10' cast net for my mullet.


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## jdgator (Jan 24, 2010)

Great fish, fella. 

By the way, you have a 2nd generation brit here. My last name is Shropshire. Both sets of my grandparents are British.  I'll have to cross the pond and try fishing on your side some time.


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## swamp hunter (Jan 25, 2010)

Yep , Far inland Brackish water , No real tides to speak of................ Yep , That 10 ft. Cast net works wonders outside, Takes a MAN to throw it more than 5 times!.


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