Cork mullet

Just wondering what the mullet situation is like in Cork harbour following the netting of the aggregating fish outside the harbour at the end of last year?

Plenty of them down east Cork direction.

I seen 100s down the east area 2 weeks ago.

yeah there everywhere down here...driving me stone mad

Funny I haven't seen a mullet in the north channel of the lee this summer (working next to it) and usually would see large shoals of them

Funny I haven't seen a mullet in the north channel of the lee this summer (working next to it) and usually would see large shoals of them

that is a strange one alright pat...every summer i use to see shoals all over the lee too...this year not so many..well they're presence isnt as blatant as previous years for sure in the city...

I seen shoals of mullet down there a few days ago, some crackers in the mix nearly as big as my leg

On my list for this year is a good mullet , any clues more than east cork would be very gratefully received !!!! I have been having a look around but lack of local knowledge is getting in the way , cheers

There are parts of the harbour devoid of mullet - eg: carrigrennan.
East Ferry Marina has at least 50% less than normal. There was some new arrivals in the last couple of weeks....up to that it was bleak.

In Cork Harbour, my spot is a 5 minute walk down the road. Personally, because I don't drive anymore, it was an very handy spot to experiment with fly patterns etc. because there was always a shoal of mullet to try out on.

It was netted at the end of April 2014 and I have not seen a SINGLE mullet there since.
Given the mullet's slow life-cycle, if you are seeing mullet in your spot - it has not been netted - as YET.

Draw your own conclusion. You can have a short term commercial mullet fishery (and from what I have witnessed in the 1960's - extremely short) or you can have a long term 'catch and release' sport fishery - but you CANNOT have BOTH.

As anglers, have a long and serious look at who exactly is representing your fishery interests in Ireland.

I strongly suspect - No-one.

Couple of weeks ago at a one of my bass marks at near darkness I was wading knee deep. One swam about two foot past my leg! Seem to be loads at all the well known bass marks -but no bass (for me anyway)

I was told by a fishery officer recently that the ifi have granted licences in cromane to net mullet... It's 100% fact! the same lad did not agree with but it was done...

I could be wrong - but unlike having a licence to catch various species like salmon - it is open season on mullet if you have registered fishing boat.
And therein lies the problem - licences and proper management will only come into play here - when the horse (or mullet) is gone.

An update on my spot this week -- clear water flat calm 3 mornings - Not mullet fin to be seen. I have never ever seen that before in this location at this time of year.