mullet fishing

i am a keen sea angler but one species that i have never targeted is
mullet, mainly due to a lack of understanding of how to fish for
them. i regularly read reports relating to the sport and challenge
involved but to be honest i am confused.
i am aware that ground baiting is often required to entice them to
feed but do not know how to prepare or present this ground bait.
i am also puzzled about the tackle required to fish for mullet, will
a spinning rod suffice, what size mainline/hook lenght/ hook size do
i need to use also what sort of rig is best used for these mystical
fish.

also any venues for this time of year wold be appreciated
anybody able to help?????????

Do a google for National Mullet Club. Loads of answers there on how to do it!

As for venues, the great and frustrating thing about mullet is, most often you can see them even when you cannae catch them!

[fishinmidget]

Here are a few pointers where mullet are concerned.

Tackle>A spinning rod will suffice, but make sure it isn't too stiff or too soft. Any spinning reel will do but it must have a smooth drag.This must be set light to begin with. You will see why i said that if u hook one :lol:

Bait&Groundbait> First, you must look to see what the mullet are doing. By that i mean standing and seeing whether they are going in a pattern of sorts or just randomly swimming about. if they are swimming in a pattern, then they are prob on patrol for food. In this instance groundbait is usually kept to a minimum. If they are being random however, they are probably waiting for the tide or something like that and then heavy groundbait is necessary to get their attention. bait is usually a small piece of mack or bread. For groundbait just put 2 sliced loaves in a bucket add some water and mash the lot into a thick slop. if you can stomach it add some rotten mackerel. then just throw in handfuls of the stuff.

End Tackle>Reel line 6-10lb and a coarse fishing float capable of taking 5AAA shot. i use a size 6-2 hook. others may say smaller but i like to use a hook that gets a good hold in the fish. like to set the float quite shallow, about 2 feet so i can see the bait. the point of seeing the bait is you can usually get a better strike on bites u would never usually see.

I cant help with the venue, but there are some useful pointers for ya :D

Last edited by fishinmidget on Fri Feb 09, 2007 7:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.

thanks lads
thats seems like some good advice, hope it works.

Hi Paul,

there's a good article in Total Sea Fishing this month about what tactics were used on Sark Island for Mullet, bread and light gear seems to be the norm.Not sure how common they are this time of year though.Some good spots in Waterford near Tramore /Dunmore during the summer but I've never targeted them, Coaster from this site has had a few but he probably fouled hooked them :D spinning for Doggies!!

Some nice Bass down there too, nice one! or two!

well i just hooked 11 today so there is no shortage.

can mullet effectively be targeted at this time of year? if so does anyone know where on the east coast this can be done at the moment

You could try the outlet from the Power station at Ringsend and along the South Wall at Poolbeg. The hot water influence here meakes it the only place in Dublin that will hold mullet at this time of year. I must add that I have not fished it during winter for a number of years and am going on past experiences.

Hopefully going to target mullet this year alot more. some great advice there alex. cheers

Coaster from this site has had a few but he probably fouled hooked them spinning for Doggies!!

jealousy wont get you anywhere. If you can get a weekend pass I will show you how to do it

i might give them a bash this year but its finding a spot on the Antrim coast to get them would be my big problem but i have a question here. what kind of ground are they normally found on rocks or muddy ground i know of 2 or 3 rag beads close to me and have been told that there is mullet there but i am not sure. its nice to see kstaff and coaster having a bit of crack on the forum sure that's what fishing is all about :lol:

try this website out i just found it and it seems to give some good info

http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/authors/leon22.htm

In all fairness merv, although alot of that is good info, I've removed that bit lads because 1)try to think of a more appropriate way to express an honestly held opinion and 2) I've fished with Leon, he doesn't deserve a comment like that. Tanglerat . you dont need a special rod and you certanly dont want to fish size 10 hooks. what i said in my prevoius post i have all discoverd myself after trying the soft rod and small hook approach.

well i dont know alex its only i web site i found ok dont get at me i know nothing about mullet fishing i just was thinking that it might have been helpfull. next time i will not bother ok

No, i didnt mean it that way. what i meant is that u should not believe everything in that website. do continue to post because you input is valued. i was just pointing out some mistakes in the site.

i can get a wee bit grumpy some times alex its just the way i am sorry :oops:

hi merv, u should try the down coast for mullet, plenty of them. once they start showing i'll pm u. i know a spot that isn't far from u that produces good sized mullet, carrickfergus harbour. check the quiet, still areas of the harbour and u'll c some mullet drifting about. they'll probably show themselves actively from may onwards, good luck!!

Hi Merv,

You can get mullet the size of your arm at the Ballycarry bridge just going into Islandmagee. I have seen them loads of times whilst fishing for flounders there. Mostly in the summer it seems. I have not fished there for a good few years but I am pretty sure they will still show there.

Cheers,
Trev

You get a lot of mullet at the mouth of the Dodder joining the liffey. Saw a few guys targetting them behnd landsdowne there last summer.

I wonder are the mullet in yet down here? anyone know anything?