# Mullet numbers are down



## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

This years hey-day for catching mullet with hook and line appears to be on the downhill slide. It's been a heck of a ride for the past several months, but recent trips the numbers are way down . Two trips last week it was 10 and 11. However, yesterday afternoon it was 6. But, overall it's been my best year in several for numbers in my cooler.. For me I attribute my good fortune to the gold hook method of fishing.
I'm still a disciple of the little gold hook, but snatching with a treble is still the prefered method for the majority. Still, when snatchers see what I'm doing their curoisty gets the best of them and they just have to inquire. I'm always happy to accomodate and may give them a few hooks to give it a try. These little gold hooks from China are dirt cheap although they tarnish easily and have to be replaced after only a couple of trips. There are better quality hooks available out there but they may be hard to find. 
The current cool snap will encourage interest in crappie fishing on the Choctawhatchee River. Also, the cool weather speckled trout folks will start getting in the mood. In a few weeks many will put their rods aside and head to the woods for the hunting season. That's the cycle each year that keeps the outdoors folks happy from year to year.

Now, lets go fishing. I'm headed to the river this morning with earthworms to do a little bottom fishing.


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## LITECATCH (Oct 2, 2007)

Do you chum them up?


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## billyb (Aug 22, 2012)

Yes we do.


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## kingfish501 (Oct 7, 2007)

Mullet are forming the big schools to head offshore and spawn. Now is when we castnetters will shine. 2 quick throws to get your limit and then back to the house.


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

LITECATCH said:


> Do you chum them up?


Yes, but how much varies. Sometimes it's hardly necessary. Other times more is required, and sometimes nothing works.


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## LITECATCH (Oct 2, 2007)

I tried chumming them up here in Polynesian canals and it didn't seem to do anything. I used old roy dog food. Will it work in saltwater? I heard it works way better in brackish water.


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## jack2 (Mar 19, 2010)

i have limited experience with mullet. however, i have heard that if mullet aren't feeding, then they won't touch anything.
the sinking fish food works, twin pet canned dog food works good. we used to bait with cotton seed meal.
jack


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

LITECATCH said:


> I tried chumming them up here in Polynesian canals and it didn't seem to do anything. I used old roy dog food. Will it work in saltwater? I heard it works way better in brackish water.


Just about any kind of animal feed that sinks should work. I don't know about pure saltwater. Where I catch them is brackish. They are known to be caught miles up freshwater rivers from salt water.


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

jack2 said:


> i have limited experience with mullet. however, i have heard that if mullet aren't feeding, then they won't touch anything.
> the sinking fish food works, twin pet canned dog food works good. we used to bait with cotton seed meal.
> jack


I have seen them thick on my fishfinder when they don't bite. . In that case snatching may be the best method. If they brush your line you will know it when the tip of pole jiggles or the bobber moves. Sometimes this movement is barely noticed. it that case you jerk a split second before they 'bite'. 

But yes, sometimes nothing seems to work when fishing with hook and line....that's fishing.


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## jwilson1978 (Mar 23, 2021)

FishWalton said:


> Just about any kind of animal feed that sinks should work. I don't know about pure saltwater. Where I catch them is brackish. They are known to be caught miles up freshwater rivers from salt water.


There were 2 swimming along the bank at the Demopolis Yacht basin about ten years back blew my mind! Had know idea that would come up that far I've seen them below Coffieevile damn and blue crabs to. Would not had believed that ether until I saw it.The lock master said they catch bull sharks below the damn there in the summer when its dry.


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

jwilson1978 said:


> There were 2 swimming along the bank at the Demopolis Yacht basin about ten years back blew my mind! Had know idea that would come up that far I've seen them below Coffieevile damn and blue crabs to. Would not had believed that ether until I saw it.The lock master said they catch bull sharks below the damn there in the summer when its dry.


 A hundred miles up the Oconee River in georgia they put a cow salt lick brick in the water on a sandbar and catch the heck out of the them with a small hook and tiny bit of worm.


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## jack2 (Mar 19, 2010)

FishWalton said:


> A hundred miles up the Oconee River in georgia they put a cow salt lick brick in the water on a sandbar and catch the heck out of the them with a small hook and tiny bit of worm.


imma have to try this up here in selma on the ala river. if no local steals it, i might have some luck
jack


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## photofishin (Jun 26, 2009)

come to Texas and you can have all you want...you just likely won't ever eat mullet again. I can only guess there's a difference between the mullet you catch and what we use for bait.


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## LITECATCH (Oct 2, 2007)

A big difference!!


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

photofishin said:


> come to Texas and you can have all you want...you just likely won't ever eat mullet again. I can only guess there's a difference between the mullet you catch and what we use for bait.


I have family in Texas and they say their mullet is not fit to eat. same goes for Louisiana. Mississipi eastward it's another story.


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## spearfisher59 (Jan 3, 2016)

FishWalton said:


> I have family in Texas and they say their mullet is not fit to eat. same goes for Louisiana. Mississipi eastward it's another story.


i live in mississippi and i eat mullet regular


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## jack2 (Mar 19, 2010)

so why do ala. and miss. people eat mullet and texans don't?
jack


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## kingfish501 (Oct 7, 2007)

jack2 said:


> so why do ala. and miss. people eat mullet and texans don't?
> jack


The ones in Mobile Bay didn't use to be fit to eat either, unless you liked mullet flavored with diesel. Bottoms in Louisiana and Texas are polluted with oil and byproducts. Mullet feed on tiny worms and such in the mud, vacuuming it up. Ever seen the insides of a mullet gizzard? When you have oil in that mud the mullet is getting that, too.

Mullet will also come to the top gulping air and things floating on top...like oil and diesel.


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## jwilson1978 (Mar 23, 2021)

kingfish501 said:


> The ones in Mobile Bay didn't use to be fit to eat either, unless you liked mullet flavored with diesel. Bottoms in Louisiana and Texas are polluted with oil and byproducts. Mullet feed on tiny worms and such in the mud, vacuuming it up. Ever seen the insides of a mullet gizzard? When you have oil in that mud the mullet is getting that, too.
> 
> Mullet will also come to the top gulping air and things floating on top...like oil and diesel.


I was thinking it had something to do with their cost lines (shallow muddy always dirty) what your saying makes since


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## photofishin (Jun 26, 2009)

kingfish501 said:


> The ones in Mobile Bay didn't use to be fit to eat either, unless you liked mullet flavored with diesel. Bottoms in Louisiana and Texas are polluted with oil and byproducts. Mullet feed on tiny worms and such in the mud, vacuuming it up. Ever seen the insides of a mullet gizzard? When you have oil in that mud the mullet is getting that, too.
> 
> Mullet will also come to the top gulping air and things floating on top...like oil and diesel.


our bays are NOT polluted with oil/byproducts. The shallow muddy water makes mullet unfit to eat


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## kingfish501 (Oct 7, 2007)

photofishin said:


> our bays are NOT polluted with oil/byproducts. The shallow muddy water makes mullet unfit to eat


You think you don't have polluted bays because of how they look now. The oil and chemicals from years back settle into the mud.

When they dredged Bayou Chico out, the bayou was clean enough to have shrimp, tarpon, specks, redfish, black snapper, etc in it. When they dredged the bayou, the dredgings had to be handled as toxic waste.


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