# The mullet hole



## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

Fished a mullet hole yesterday morning, only boat there. Bite was real slow but we managed to boat 18, and lost many which is not unusual. Bait was everywhere and big fish were after them. We snatched many pin fish, croakers, and Alewives. Buddy had a speck rod and set it out with snatched bait. Twice something big grabbed the bait and took off like the drag didn't mean a thing. Both times the line broke at the leader knot. Brand new 15 lb. leader and 15 lb. Fire Wire braid. We figure most likely they were redfish. We did get one 16 inch speck. Incidentlly, last night I made a fish sandwich out of two big croakers. Delicious.


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## chaps (Aug 31, 2009)

Fantastic. Would you mine offering a couple tips on fishing for mullet with a pole? I've only snagged them when trout fishing.


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## sureicanfish (Sep 30, 2007)

I've always been curious about that too!


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

chaps said:


> Fantastic. Would you mine offering a couple tips on fishing for mullet with a pole? I've only snagged them when trout fishing.



Sure, but talk to 10 mullet fisherman and you will get 10 different answers on rigs, techniques, poles, line, bait, etc. Some will swear their method is world class and nothing else works for them. 

My version is a 10 or 11 ft cheap Academy composite crappie pole ($19.99), cheap bait caster reel, 25 lb. line, 20 lb leader, 4/0 treble hook on bottom of leader, #2 gold hook about 8 to 12 inches up the leader, about 16 to 18 inch leader to swivel and swivel to main line. On the main line a 1/4 or 3/8 oz egg lead.

Tip one hook on each treble with a pea size piece of merthiolate color plastic worm.

Bait the hole with any type of dog food that sinks. Some swear only a particular brand is best but I haven't seen that to be the case. I also use range pellets about the size of your thumb mixed with the dog food. Whatever you use must sink.

Chunk your line out in the chum area and wait for the tip of your pole to jiggle just slightly, then snatch. You might get a pin fish or you might get a mullet. Some say you must learn to snatch before the bite!!!

It does take some practice for a new comer. Some catch on faster than others. I have had both types fish with me. I get a big kick out of watching a new comer snatch their first mullet then get a few more. It can become addictive if the bite is consistently good. 

Over here on the river are a few known mullet holes that get a lot of pressure. No telling how much bait has been dumped in the hole. These holes are where I fish. There area known holes in the Milton area as well and folks do well. Of course there are good days and bad days. I have fished 2 hours or more without a mullet in the boat. Some days are zero!. Yesterday we fished about 1 1/2 hours before the first mullet was caught. 

When it comes to tackle and method whatever might develop over time that you are comfortable using will become your own style of fishing mullet. It will become the method that gives you confidence.

Incidentally, if you fish the holes frequently you will meet up with the same people from time to time. Get in a conversation with a seasoned mullet snatcher and they can be very helpful with information. Of course some won't give you the time of day.


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

When my paw n law took me, we used bream busters with a sinker on the end of the line and 3 gold bream hooks w/ a white piece of rubber grub, corn will work too. Have a bobber and when you see it twitching, snatch it a bit..... He used an an old burlap sack with a weight fer the dog food.....


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## sureicanfish (Sep 30, 2007)

What makes a good "hole"? Location or just repeated use/baiting? I'm guessing not too far up the river?


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

sure said:


> What makes a good "hole"? Location or just repeated use/baiting? I'm guessing not too far up the river?


I have never tried to start a hole myself. I just fish the established spots since they are constantly fed and mullet know where the food is. Some days you might be the only boat and the next day 5 or 10 will show up. 

I believe mullet are creatures of habit and come back to the hole from time to time or maybe just hang around for periods of time. Just guessing!

The holes over here are very near the mouth of rivers close to the bay. However, at one time there were two holes about 4 miles up the Choctaw. People stopped fishing there a few years ago. 

A friend of mine in Georgia fishes a spot about 15 miles from saltwater and kills them. They use animal salt blocks, 2 or 3 for a day trip. Mullet are naturally way up rivers from saltwater. The salt blocks apparently attract mullet to the salt area. Interesting technique that works in Georgia.


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## Dmoney (Feb 19, 2017)

I live approximately 150miles from salt water. We have them here in the Black and Tensas River near my house. Folks say they are different from salt water mullet but they are not. They are striped mullet just like we catch in the gulf or bays. I usually just try to throw a net on them .Thanks for your report and the great info Walton and Jason. "Keep a line in the water" Fishin'Don


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

sure said:


> What makes a good "hole"? Location or just repeated use/baiting? I'm guessing not too far up the river?




The Milton hole is not far from the shell landing in Bagdad- I seen them all sittin there but never stopped


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

Went back to the mullet hole yesterday. Slow, slow, slow....only 12 in the box. Plenty of baitfish in the creek and something was feeding on them very well. We snatched a few Alewives and pinfish and threw out tightlines. Hung a couple of big somethings that got off but landed a 25 inch Jackfish (chain pickerel)

Hoping to cash in on all that activity this morning we swapped the mullet gear for a castnet. Got some live bait, fished the creek, bayou, and bay for specks and reds. Never got a decent bite on live bait or plugs.

Bay slick as glass until about 8am, only a ripple at 9, got hot and we quite and came home a 10:00 empty handed. All that activity yesterday with big fish action disappeared overnight. That's fishing!

A couple of bird photos from today.


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## Lieutenant ZKO (Jan 19, 2015)

That's a bit different technique than I've seen. It's so crazy how things change from region to region. The mullet anglers over on St. Johns river chum with a mixture of dough and chicken feed. Then they drop little pieces of white plastic lures on a bobber off a cane pole and catch 2 or 3 at a time. Dog food must bring all sorts of stuff. 

I would love to come fish with Mr. Fishwalton. Always seems to enjoy the water.


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

Lieutenant ZKO said:


> That's a bit different technique than I've seen. It's so crazy how things change from region to region. The mullet anglers over on St. Johns river chum with a mixture of dough and chicken feed. Then they drop little pieces of white plastic lures on a bobber off a cane pole and catch 2 or 3 at a time. Dog food must bring all sorts of stuff.
> 
> I would love to come fish with Mr. Fishwalton. Always seems to enjoy the water.


Thanks for sharing that technique....interesting. Not far west of here folks use sabiki rigs. I tried that one time and hooked everything in the boat, including myself, with 6 hooks flying around in my small river Jon boat. 

I'm interested in the dough and chicken feed method if you have any details?
I just got a bag of cotton seed meal to mix up a concoction of some kind.

Want to fish....I'm always open to meeting new folks and wetting a hook together. I'm primarily a river rat with an occasional foras to bay saltwater.


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## billyb (Aug 22, 2012)

I am going to Milton in the morning. Going to try something different. Saw a guy at the hole last week and all he was using was a 10/0 treble with an egg sinker. He was catching more than me. A box of 25 10/0 hooks cost me $40.


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

billyb said:


> I am going to Milton in the morning. Going to try something different. Saw a guy at the hole last week and all he was using was a 10/0 treble with an egg sinker. He was catching more than me. A box of 25 10/0 hooks cost me $40.



My mullet partner uses same rig but a smaller treble. He does very well.


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

Mullet snatching sounds more complicated than crappie fishing.......difference is all you end up with is a mullet. I ate so many growing up I never crave them anymore


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## billyb (Aug 22, 2012)

Some people crappie fish, some bass fish, others target catfish and then there are the bream fishermen. I like to snatch mullet and a lot of my clients get fresh fish to eat.


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## lees way2 (Oct 7, 2007)

I love fresh mullet,what do I need to be a client.Heck Ill be a student if you would show me what to do,


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

billyb said:


> Some people crappie fish, some bass fish, others target catfish and then there are the bream fishermen. I like to snatch mullet and a lot of my clients get fresh fish to eat.




Yes... I know - just saying that it seems there are lotsa ways and techniques to snatching mullet. That's all


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

billyb said:


> I am going to Milton in the morning. Going to try something different. Saw a guy at the hole last week and all he was using was a 10/0 treble with an egg sinker. He was catching more than me. A box of 25 10/0 hooks cost me $40.



billyb....how did the 10/0 work out?


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

Try'n Hard said:


> Yes... I know - just saying that it seems there are lotsa ways and techniques to snatching mullet. That's all


Yes....many ways....mullet fishing around the world with a hook is whatever the tradition has been in a particular area. Many ways work. YouTube has a good bit of interesting videos on mullet fishing.


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## Lieutenant ZKO (Jan 19, 2015)

billyb said:


> Some people crappie fish, some bass fish, others target catfish and then there are the bream fishermen. I like to snatch mullet and a lot of my clients get fresh fish to eat.


I like to do em all :yes:


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## Lieutenant ZKO (Jan 19, 2015)

fishwalton said:


> Thanks for sharing that technique....interesting. Not far west of here folks use sabiki rigs. I tried that one time and hooked everything in the boat, including myself, with 6 hooks flying around in my small river Jon boat.
> 
> I'm interested in the dough and chicken feed method if you have any details?
> I just got a bag of cotton seed meal to mix up a concoction of some kind.
> ...


Sure Mr. Fishwalton, I'm down to do what ever kind of fishing. I grew up freshwater in TX chasing crappie and cats. I mostly saltwater now but that's because it is closer than Choctaw and BW rivers. I have shoal right here but never cared to try it. I see LOTS of trailer at 85 launch though. Must be something in there for the boys to go after.

Not sure if my boat will do well in Choctaw. 18ft G3 CCT. It has float pods so it draft really shallow but might still be too big for the river. Fishes comfortable though. I'm ok with fishing the bay around 331 too not familiar with it but I'm sure it'll be fine. 

As for the chum, they just mix 1 part flour/or cornmeal or both, oats, chicken feed, and water to a moist dough consistency. Not too dry or it will sink to the bottom. Not too wet or it will dissipate away. Want it to dissolve in the middle column. Start with a big chunk, then just feed it with little balls while you're fishing. Small hook with a piece of white soft plastic bait or even seen em use a piece of white tshirt right in the middle of where you threw the dough ball. Not sure if it will work in these holes since they've been fed with dog food so much but a new holes might work.


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