Mullet masterclass

[no-one in particular]

This should be in sea fishing but Mullet are freshwater as well. This is from the Angling Trust, a video of Mullet fish in in Sussex.

some useful tips here for anyone who wants to try. Also I could not resist this picture of a Gilthead bream, a bit less snotty than our favorite fish but the size of it is impressive and caught from the shore, this hot weather might bring them close.

 

[mikench]

Not hairdressing then! Mullet are stunning fish and I have spent many an hour fruitlessly trying to tempt them with floating bread. I was once watching some french guys of North African origin lure fishing for them in the small estuary of the Var. They caught at least 6 good sized fish for the pot within 30 minutes and were off. I returned to the exact spot and time of day a few days later and caught none.

The Dourade or Dourade Royale( Gilt head bream) is delicious and a Mediterranean favourite.

 

[bullet]

Got a feeling that Gilt might be the British record fish...

 

[no-one in particular]

Got a feeling that Gilt might be the British record fish...

Impressive fish, I caught one a bit short of a record many many years ago. Wouldn't mind that snapping my float fished bait up when next I go off the pier or beach. if there is any chance of them close inshore which there might be in these Mediterranean conditions, got to be worth thinking about. John likes to lure fish, you never know John! I have only caught them off a boat but could be a good chance of one now from the shore. And good eating as Mike has pointed out. Looking at what they are charging for one the size of two mouthfuls in the supermarket, could be a cheap meal. However, I would put one that big back, I couldn't kill a fish like that, it has survived for a long time and many hazards, I couldn't end its life; it deserves a better end than my stomach;anyone else feel the same? I have put a few good back. I am more inclined to this than an undersized fish, just for sentiment, nothing else.
Its been too hot for me but the sea has looked liked glass, might have a go once it cools down a bit; getting a bit fed up with the fresh water. I wonder if any red mullet are about, I caught one by accident once in these conditions, that ended up in a marine-life aquarium but there could be all sorts of interesting fish about with this weather; actually I have just talked myself into it, next time that's where I am heading, give the sea float fishing gear an outing. Bloody impossible tench and river mullet can do one, poxy things, give me a headache.

 

[mikench]

I have returned the few fish caught from the shore as they were not brought up from the deep and would survive. I caught a rascasse once and gave it to a French guy who gave me the live crab bait I caught it with.

 

[bullet]

They're not scarce in certain locations around here in summer, namely river estuaries and Rias.
Never got round to trying for one, but I'm told they are very good fighters.

 

[bullet]

who gave me the love crab bait I

I hope that's not a euphemism, Mike...

 

[mikench]

No. Just my iPad or me. I have corrected it now.

 

[tigger]

I've never been interested in fishing for mullet for some reason.

Regarding bringing fish up from depths, I have caught quite a number of zander from 100ft plus and their swim bladders were all popping out of their mouths. To return them we threw them in the water head first and hard, this stimulated the fish to bolt straight back down and pressure did the rest. I think I had two which their eyes had popped right out and they just floated back up to the surface. It didn't matter as I wanted one or two for a friend of mine to eat.
In reality we should have knocked them all on the head since they are an invasive species!

 

[bullet]

Yeah, that's a problem with channel wrecking...generally fishing in 200ft or so of water, and everything that comes up is jiggered, except congers that seem to tolerate it.

 

[Clodhopper]

It's an interesting point that the OP makes about wishing to return larger fish. Conservation measures tend to focus on returning small specimens but I have heard it suggested that the long time it takes for bass, in particular, to reach adulthood means that more damage may be caused by removing a large specimen, than a 'schoolie'. I don't know anything about the time it takes for sea bream to mature but I always suspect that the return of a fish of 3lb may have more impact on stocks than a couple that just reach 'takeable' size.

 

[bullet]

Yes, that's true, a large female also produces a lot more eggs pound for pound.

 

[Philip]

By coincidence I am fishing for Mullet (and bass) in the Med at the moment. I caught the fish below last night…I thought it was a gilt head when I caught it but looking at the photo now I think its another species,...Sharpsnout Bream ? ..or similar.

Mullet are brilliant fish & a great crossover for Freshwater anglers to target. I usually have a few days after them each year and they always come up with new ways to surprise you. I am very slowly starting to get a grip on how to catch them consistently, although I used the term “consistently” in its vaguest sense ! I have had a few over the last few days…I will stick a post up on the HDYGO thread when I get a moment.

 

[no-one in particular]

It's an interesting point that the OP makes about wishing to return larger fish. Conservation measures tend to focus on returning small specimens but I have heard it suggested that the long time it takes for bass, in particular, to reach adulthood means that more damage may be caused by removing a large specimen, than a 'schoolie'. I don't know anything about the time it takes for sea bream to mature but I always suspect that the return of a fish of 3lb may have more impact on stocks than a couple that just reach 'takeable' size.

I do it out of sentiment more than anything else. I think to kill a fish that against all the odds has attained a great weight has earned the right to finish its life naturally. I just can't do it for the sake of a meal and they don't taste as good as smaller fish anyway, the smaller the fish the sweeter the meat.
Interesting point about taking bigger fish may have more of an impact on stocks than smaller fish, I have never considered that but I think it could well be possible, I am just trying to work it out. If we took the small fish to eat, these would keep being replaced by successive breeding of the larger fish but what happens when the big fish die? As long as enough of the smaller fish are left to gain maturity to keep it all going, would it work.? Another thought is given those large fish have proved to have good survival genes, not just dodging anglers but also nets, predators and diseases are they improving the stocks in quality by producing stronger genetically improved offspring which in turn might mean more of them survive to produce more as well. I don't know, bit out of my depth but given me another reason to put them back.

 

[bullet]

Here's a link related to Bass, there's probably an argument for having a "slot size" like they do with a lot of US species.

https://images.app.goo.gl/q4xa2LbcMyoooneb9

 

[no-one in particular]

Here's a link related to Bass, there's probably an argument for having a "slot size" like they do with a lot of US species.

https://images.app.goo.gl/q4xa2LbcMyoooneb9

Thanks, interesting-If I have that correct it shows large bass produce a lot more offspring than small bass. It could be the case for slower growing fish as well.

 

[Clodhopper]

It's a very good thing that markg posted this thread under General Fishing because further perusal of YouTube from the original link lead me to this interview with Colin Macleod who, it seems clear, has carved a niche for himself as a specialist on the subject of 'mullet on the fly':

(I hope that works).

This interview has led to me ordering some Macleod-designed mullet flies from Selectafly! However, I would especially draw members attention to Mr Macleod's assertion at 19.45 minutes, that discovery by commercial fishing fleets of winter breeding grounds of Thick Lipped Mullet, in or around 2014, has led to the decimation of the species in certain areas. If true, this event calls into question the potential efficacy of inshore Marine Nature Reserves (commented upon in another thread).

Does anybody have further information about this?

 

[mikench]

I think your fish could be a white bream Philip.

 

[rubio]

I thought annular bream but no expert. Gilthead are great to catch and eat and can be as fickle as any roach when bait fishing.
Not managed a mullet in a couple of years. They should feed up now ready for the return south so still hoping.

 

[Philip]

There are a few species of Bream that all (to my inexperienced eye) look pretty similar, I thought sharp snout but I think Mikench might be closer with a white Bream.

About Mullet, I usually get one of two opportunities each year to try for them. After initially struggling I have become -realativly- consistant at catching them..I am usually quite confident I am going to catch at least one in a short session now. They are very contrary fish. Sometimes seeming impossible to get to take a bait then all of a sudden they will switch on and you will catch a couple then it goes dead again.

Nowadays I dont even bother in the heat of the day when they are crusing round on the surface as we often see them do around boats and ports and the like. I have spent too many hours trying to get them to take a bait like that and although it can happen its just not worth the effort.

I now try and fish early and late, they are allot more vunerable and confident when the light levels are low. A bit of a current can help too as they have less time to make their mind up on whether to take it or not. If I see a group swimming along I will try and get upriver of them then trot a shallow bait down to them to try and intercept them. Plonking it on their heads is less likely to result in a take.

Bread is my principle bait although they will take loads of stuff …bit like a Chub of the sea. Another thing I have noticed is that often when float fishing I will see the float constantly trembling and bobbing. I used to think this was down to tiny fish attacking the bait, which it often can be- but now I have had a chance to observe in very clear shallow water good sized mullet causing these indications by nibbling at the bait with the extremity of their lips. Using a much smaller bait and hook can make a difference here as can just leaving it till one of them decides enough is enough and wolfs it down and the float zooms under like a torpedo.

Fantastic fighters…right up their with the best for me, they just never give up …you think its about to go in the net then it rockets off again in a series of last ditch escape bids. They have very bony mouths so your always going to lose a few.

One of the things on my bucket list is a few years ago I visited a town with the river running through it. There were allot of restaurants setup along the river. Anyway the mullet had learnt to go there to get any scraps thrown in ..and they were absolute monsters. I didn’t have any tackle with me but I watched these huge Mullet with my mouth wide open. Some of the fish were surely into double figures. The current was very strong and access to water level limited so it would not be easy but I made a mental note and one day I hope to get back …I am sure they will still be there and next time I will have a rod ;-)