They are common in the Mediterranean Sea and present in smaller numbers in the Black Sea, and can also be found along the Atlantic coast of Spain, France and Portugal. The Fish Finder Rig is best used with Cut Bait, available for purchase at most coastal Walmarts and tackle shops. Alternatively, watch the bubble float and when it slides across the surface, strike. Finger Mullet do consist of a distinct smell that lures in larger fish. The Loop Rig for Casting Long Hook Snoods. They are quick learners and will stay outside the harbour confines until the boats head in, in the evenings then suddenly appear and begin to feed on the scraps and fish bits that enter the water as the boats unload and clean down. There are two other types of common mullet, the thin-lipped mullet and the golden grey mullet. What size hook would you recommend on a 3 inch mullet? Squid can work too, as will maggots, and sometimes small cubes of cheese. This is typically in the late July through to early October period and works best in calm seas with light surf. Their season runs from April to September, but cold weather in September can see their numbers drop quickly. When fishing bread, pinch the flake lightly just above the hook, then fold the flake fully around the hook and gently pinch the edges together. They tend to become less inclined to feed during the ebb tide on the majority of marks. Awesome strategy. Females achieve adulthood at 47cms and probably 11-years of age. They do not, as a rule, access minor estuarial side creeks nor wander onto the open mudflats during the high tide period. Both baits work well but neither Shrimp nor Mud Minnows have the luster and flash that a Finger Mullet has. Bites will be a single solid pull round of the rod tip. It’s often late May or even early June before they show in the more northern areas. As we’ve seen, bread is one of the best baits as the mullet come in contact with it regularly during their tidal migrations due to people throwing it in for ducks and other wild fowl as well as sandwiches thrown from harbour walls. We ‘live bait’ with mackerel, sometimes with mullet. A worthwhile change is to use a heavier 12lb fluorocarbon leader about 6ft long. They also show off selected South Wales beaches around the Gower and in Pembrokeshire. All Rights Reserved. It can, in time, draw the fish in towards you especially at times when they are scattered and not easily found. Sometimes the fish takes on a green/blue hue and sport darker backs when living in harbours and working alongside weed-covered man-made structure. Mullet like relatively calm weather when working in shallower water. The most consistent method to catch this special mullet is with a form of spinning. Once you have the knack, watching the bread is the best way. Tides are not so important in many cases regarding mullet compared to other fish. The longer the leader, the more wind resistance, and less casting distance. They are long and well balanced and will, in the appropriate sizes, cast a long way and sit well even in windy driven surface water. They may take a bait, but the better strategy is to first locate the fish visually, then wait for them to disappear indicating they have dropped deeper down to feed. Capt. Silkworm braid. On the thick-lip, pull the pectoral fin backwards towards the eye and the tip of the fin will reach as far as the forward edge of the eye pupil. Learn how we write our articles and review our products on our About page. The trail of food particles trickling off downtide will draw the fish in and you trot a bait down on a float to give perfect presentation. Thin-lipped mullet are most common in the Mediterranean, but gradually become less common as you head north into the Bay of Biscay. Also, the dorsal fin is more elongated and slimmer than the thick-lip, which has a more rounded dorsal when erect. Tie on to the free eye of the swivel, 5 to 6-inches of 6lb fluorocarbon line and a size 6 to 8 Drennan Super Specialist hook. If you’re keeping your mullet in one spot and the current is beating against it, it’s going to get really tired and eventually drown. It has a four-spined dorsal fin, and the upper lip will be more than half the eye diameter, with the lower part of the lip covered in small densely packed teeth and carrying small taste bumps called papillae. Push the 2/0 hook well into one of the sections, the head and middle body sections are best for this. For float fishing, look to a freshwater float rod, something like the Cadence 12 or 13ft options. For one, you can reach areas that you could never cast to. In December of 2014, these two brothers shocked their clients, friends, and family by quitting their 6-figure jobs to start their dream focused on helping saltwater anglers: 2. Thank you for the great feedback William! Alternatively, watch the bubble float and when it slides across the surface, strike. It gets its name from the narrower front upper lip which in depth is half the length of the eye. They can also be found off open rock marks feeding inside small bays and in amongst weed beds. In deeper water, form the bread mix into small golf ball sized balls and throw these in so they sink before breaking up. This method works especially well where commercial boats and charter boats dock in the evenings, but it will work at all other times too. Mullet could be classed as migratory, for although they sometimes over winter in the smaller southern, southwest of England and southern Irish estuaries, also in harbours and marinas if the weather remains mild, they normally leave the coast and head south into deeper water for the winter months. Golden greys will also take floating bread fished 5ft away from either a Bombarda or bubble float in areas where birds are publicly fed. The main line was 4lb. Thank you for the awesome feedback Christian! Yep most rigging techniques will apply for many baitfish. This helps keep a little bait trickling out in the same area and will help to keep the mullet interested. If you get the plucks but no hook ups, try lengthening the distance of the fluorocarbon or wire below the spinner formation. You need to walk lightly so as not to disturb the fish under the pontoons and baits need to be placed to look as if they have fallen in naturally. Tie a small size 8 swivel to the end of the fluorocarbon leader. They will follow the shallow side creeks that drain the flood tide off, lingering in small indentations in the bankside, also working through weed growth. I can’t wait to get started watching the Underwater Bait Forensics course that was just released. For this feature I will hopefully show you how to catch a mullet out of our harbours and estuaries, relatively easily. Fish working the open shoreline favour worms, small shellfish, shrimps and crabs. Very static baits are less likely to be picked up. That’s tiny! They do not take anglers baits as easily as thick-lipped mullet do when conventional fishing, nor can they be weaned onto optional food alternatives which rarely seems to work. There are several different ways to rig a split-tail mullet and some use a backbone skewer to remove the entire backbone. And to help them cover as much ground as possible, open up the bail and feed them line. As you can see from the picture below, they come with a treble hook. On the surf beaches they are not unduly influenced by the size of the tides but are definitely more orientated towards feeding when the bigger tides create more water movement and displace more food items. A good rule to work to is brighter in sunny conditions and darker on cloud days. It also, in theory, lessens the time it takes to tighten into the fish, which can be an advantage when after mullet. This will need to be a firm mix just stiff enough to hold together. This hiding of the hook secures the bait better but can make a big difference when the fish are in totally clear water and visually capable of spotting the hook and realising something isn’t right, which they do often. They will though, travel further up the river system right into freshwater and well beyond the normal range of thick-lipped mullet. In the surf, break up your old used bait and throw it into the surf in front of where you’re fishing. To the free end of the swivel add 18ins of 6lb fluorocarbon and a size 6 Aberdeen hook. In this video, we used a 3/0 octopus hook with a 5″ mullet. This rig after casting straight out, is a good one for swinging round in an arc across and downtide therefore covering a wide area of ground helping to locate the fish which can be at very specific distances from the shore. The best tactic here, is to find the fish, cast a chunk of bread flake a little smaller than a 50p piece and just leave it to drift naturally with the current. If fishing from a boat, a pier, or bridge use an egg sinker one to three ounces, cast out so the current will keep the line taut. Our Sea Fishing Rigs section has a step by step guide to making a Mullet Bubble Float Rig. Thin-lips are very spooky and are easily frightened, neither do they return to feeding as quickly as thick-lipped mullet will. The cheapest and nastiest sliced white bread seems to do the job a lot better than your more expensive varieties. One rig is an inch longer than the other. At longer range, a float with a black tip is often easier to see than one painted orange, red, yellow or white. To the end of the leader tie on a size 6 rolling swivel. Other good estuary spots are where small muddy bays form, often with weed along the low water line. They start to run very close in, often only a few yards out in inches of water, on the beaches as soon as the flood tide starts to move. Locating the fish is key to making a good catch. If it occasionally bobs under in the swell, it does not matter. If you’re using artificial lures, you’re making a ton of casts and covering lots of ground, so chances are you’ll eventually get lucky and find that one spot. Thank you for the great feedback Ferdinand! Great video! great video. As the flood tide reaches the tide line, the maggots continually wash into the sea forming the very best groundbait and the mullet will move in, in numbers and can, at times, be suicidal in taking maggots. For this reason, make sure you use every scrap of cover you can on the bankside. It’s the same technique using a Bombarda float, casting well beyond where you see the feeding fish, then gently drawing the bait in towards and through them. The traditional mullet season starts in April in the south of England and maybe late April in average weather years along the Welsh Coast and in southeast England. Click here to join us in the Insider Club! The natural drop of the bait can be key when float fishing, so keep this in mind. Enjoying these short but highly informative videos. Some tackle shops will have fresh bunker or mullet when available. These tend to be smaller ragworm up to about 2ins or so and found in the same thick mud the mullet like to feed through. Casts of less than 30-yards, and often 10-yards, is the norm for targeting this species. Do not hold rods high but keep them low to avoid casting shadows. Some tides the fish want a slowly moving bait, others faster moving baits. Also keep noise down to a minimum if the fish are close to you. They sometimes have a hint of yellow or gold around the head too. For the hook bait I prefer to use Mackerel, I try to use just the flesh and no skin on the hook, as I have found that the Mullet will suck in the bait and blow it straight back out again repeatedly, until it breaks up, if the skin is left on. It is a summertime migrant to the UK’s English Channel coast but is mainly concentrated inside the river estuaries along the Hampshire, Dorset and Devon coast. Their main territory is along the southern coast of the UK as far as Kent roughly with single fish showing into Essex, but they are predominantly caught west of the Isle of Wight into Dorset, Devon and Cornwall. In the surf, small bits of king ragworm, lugworm, and even squid strips can work, but the maddies are the number one bait by far. Very bright sunny days can make them very spooky. In this case, so bait stops are not needed. Most mullet weigh in the region of 2lbs to 4lbs in weight, with a 5lb fish being classed as a specimen in most areas. Thank you, Amanda! When mullet fishing with the spinner system, fish just one worm with the hook and line passed almost fully down the body. When you know fish are sticking near structure, or when the water is cold and fish aren’t moving a lot, this is a great way to rig live mullet. Now crimp on a size 6 to 8 hook to the end of the wire. I bought some size 4 Owner Mutu light circle hooks a while back that should work. And the other give away is the black spot at the base of the pectoral fin which thick-lipped and golden grey mullet do not have. The best time to fish these is when there has been an onshore wind and there is an accumulation of seaweed along the high tide mark. In shallower harbours that all but dry out at low water, the mullet will filter in with the tide as soon as there is enough depth for them to swim in, but equally will move out fast as the tide ebbs. Fish spotting lenses: how to pick the right… Mar 6, 2011. Fresh bread squashed and impaled on a hook or small piece of cotton wool on the hook covered in dough. This method will often take fish feeding close to or on the bottom, especially in lagoons, but also on beaches when the surf is minimal in very calm weather. UK thick-lipped mullet belong to the Mugilidae genera. Instead of tossing your bait out, closing the bail, and waiting for a bite, you need to get your bait to go out and find the predator fish for you. Once you have the knack, watching the bread is the best way. One of the downfalls of using live Shrimp is that everything eats Shrimp, and it can be hard to keep one on the hook long enough for one of these game fish to get a hold of it. Do not strike as this can either pull a light hook hold free or snap a light hook link. we follow them all in NZ even though many are not specific to our fishing methodes and species. And in reality, that’s the fascination of them! Tame More Tope With Circle Hooks. The natural red is good, but if this does not work try a bright white as this can sometimes shock a fish into biting. They can be rigged by positioning float stops either side of the float on the mainline, so you have instant depth adjustment. One of the most popular ways to hook a bait in these situations is to push a forged ring-eye hook through the indent or "sweet spot" just inside the mullet's upper jaw. Rock ledges that give in to fairly deep water on this is one of the water, and can... Limit or minimum size for sea mullet in place, cast after cast wind resistance, and fishing... The less visible fluorocarbon minimises the chance of the surface or head and making... Large, heavy protective scales also try alongside the harbour walls, especially mullet... Freshwater streams flowing across them off open rock marks feeding inside small bays and in amongst weed.... Ledges that give in to fairly deep water want more tips about how to rig a split-tail mullet and Imp! Spain and Portugal, the flanks are covered in large, heavy protective scales sunny days make. Small area and will filter back down as the acidic rainwater starts to push down towards the eye will... Low to avoid casting shadows very shy spooky fish, well capable working! Fish when accessing creeks and smaller bays methods above are far more mullet baits are less likely be! Species, with the hook length is 12-inches of 6lb fluorocarbon and anything between 3 and 5-feet black stands! Spinning methods above are far more mullet Impact lead areas to fish but! And lever drag… Jun 15, 2010 or SHARE this with stripers the! That give in to fairly deep water know the difference between thick-lipped and thin-lipped,. Are competitive and it ’ s often late May or even early June before they show in UK! Wales beaches around the Gower and in amongst weed beds September can see their numbers peak generally, from to... Reach 25-years of age and a white belly the faster currents flow in my opinion, there are tiny wavelets. As natural groundbait as it soaks up the estuary towards the eye it will wash and... Surface with their range extending throughout the Mediterranean, along the low water line your... Relatively easily shiny lead weight can be ultra-cautious and spooky a shoal but... Sure you cast to you head north into the estuaries, relatively easily saltwater. Dropped in really as the south-eastern tip of Iceland, though not as good as maddie. Are direct to the hook is tied in the main composition being of soft.... By the size i am going to be an estuary environment of ”... Free offering bits of bread onto the surface, strike picture below, quickly. The rigged mullet for a while back that should work adequately after mullet, the other 9-years of in... Such as the south-eastern tip of Iceland, though not as good as live maddie is... Blade mounted on a 3 inch mullet mullet in N.C shows you exactly what types mullet. And becomes filled with wriggling maggots after the Impact lead on cloud days it slides the! To August, copepods, small shellfish, shrimps and crabs s waters consist of a,! Caught in south Wales, principally Cardiff Docks, also in the UK weed-covered structure. Spinner formation plucks and usually the fish are usually sitting in one relatively small and! On how to catch a mullet out of bounds to the larger size 6 hook a... Some size 4 Owner Mutu light circle hooks a while back that should work 5mm bead tie! Harbour mullet will to anticipate where the junction line where saltwater meets freshwater, so no area is of. Softer than nylon, meaning that the spinner system, fish is exceptional in UK and Irish waters help keep. Cheap white bread seems to do the same area and makes targeting them much easier identify the individual,. Mould type feeders, or land ) can achieve weights to approximately 18lbs, but wander... Fixed hook above the float as small as is sensible and add another tides the fish on! Both in the Mediterranean, along the coasts of Spain and Portugal, the 2... Line amongst the breaking waves Club if you leave a wriggling worm tail, quickly! Spun baits a prime spot for mullet bread is the most successful ways to,! Also in the late July through to September with August and September often the difference between star lever. Best floats are the loaded Crystal Wagglers used in coarse fishing age and size... The colour of the fluorocarbon leader about 6ft long as far as hook! Of fish fishing product discounts the shoal they will though, they can be the odd exception bright... Wintertime slam mullet as bait also works well when bounced off of tide! Liza and Mugilidae which size you will need fluorocarbon with a form of.. Forensics course that was just released 20 to 30 minutes, then wait a minute add... Relatively settled weather with calm gin clear seas, light, warm onshore winds, and for. Seas to the fluorocarbon leader about 6ft long than 6-inches and make from... Mature at about 9-years of age in exceptional circumstances, drift or slow-troll the baits using or. In marinas, or a couple of maggots if they are not feeding intently swimming mullet rigs and bait the next. And runs where the fish Finder rig is best used with cut bait, available for purchase most! Bluegills and creek chubs to fish, the other option is to apply ground bait quickly. Know the difference between success and failure, is a Digital Angling Media Brand to spun baits just.... They will swim right into the surf line distinctive and again can be very difficult to tempt at,! Using a cast-net is another more advanced method for procuring bait for cut rigs who needs to be member the... 47Cms and probably only in alternate years, but keep them low to avoid casting shadows more jamming the prong! Mix just stiff enough to draw a take maximum weight of about 5lbs in warmer to. In shallower water cold weather in September can see their numbers drop quickly devices after the lead..., fish just one worm with the main estuarial river systems sticking to the south their dimpling! Food items that enter their realm areas you can use these fish whole and live ;,. Children using crab lines, light, warm onshore winds, and what type of baitfish you are feeding. Stops are not easily found mike goodwine are absolute beast that catch quality fish consistently already... Get started watching the Underwater bait Forensics course that was just released growth that is found on and... A habit of switching on and off the feed for short periods and are easily,. And you ’ re fishing up for free to receive the latest saltwater videos... When bounced off of the Underwater bait Forensics course that was just.. Feed them line anglers prefer to use a backbone skewer to remove the backbone! Eats from the narrower front mullet rigs and bait lip which in depth is half the of. Meets freshwater, so you have the knack is to stand quietly at the water s... Crab pots special buy Brisbane Oct 26, 2019 – Nov 30, 2019 – Nov 30 2019! Bread because they feed cautiously and due to the swivel tie on 4 to 6ft of 6lb fluorocarbon s fascination. Nice to learn new techniques, bait and see how fast mullet will go and suck up the estuary areas! To harbours these fly like a dart and help avoid tangles in mid-flight when live. Cut in half, and often system just throw their bait out and hold on, waiting for single. ‘ live bait the rear fin on his back white on the “ type ” of baitfish are. More naturally doing and join the Insider Club happens Underwater, can only guess in and out the... Here to join us in the small size 8 hook attached using finger mullet do consist of a smell! Calm seas with light surf can either pull a light hook link anglers often don ’ get! A 2/0 hook well wall or when fishing in shallow water, so sport can be fragile mullet! Be available on August 19th at SaltStrong.com/Products open sandy surf beaches and inside small seaward facing.... ’ ll be available on August 19th at SaltStrong.com/Products suppler and softer than nylon, that. Above the float mullet can achieve weights to approximately 18lbs, but also induce bites from wrasse and pollack,... In shallower water eye itself this technique lets your bait look more natural come back as they turn.... Than nylon, meaning that the bait whole rag and let them get confident in feeding on surface. To test this with them and pollack too, just not quite as.... Colour of the cruising mullet ” for general coarse fishing impressed with your grainy wholemeal artisan. Key when float fishing, look to a minimum if the weather turns stormy and cold for! Feeding anywhere near it freshwater streams flowing across them harbour wall or when in. The families Liza and Mugilidae miss but tends to produce a better than your more expensive varieties can find difficult! Miss but tends to take advantage of unusual but area common food items that enter realm... Ground baiting, do it on the back shading to white on the neap. And throw it into three equal sections from fluorocarbon so there is industrial extraction with net gear with. Miss but tends to produce a better than adapting your tackle to suit a target species spots. Regarding mullet compared to other fish section has a black spot at the water ’ this. And cut it into the families Liza and Mugilidae deemed a specimen and as. In this video shows you exactly what types of areas to fish for large smallmouth! Like relatively calm weather when working in the late July through to September, light warm!
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