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Go Fishing With Finger Mullet

Mark Armstrong
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Fishing with finger mullet can be relatively easy and make for a pretty lucrative fishing trip. There are plenty of fish that will eat finger mullet and they can be found in many coastal waters and tidal areas in the USA.

But what can you catch with finger mullet and how do you get started? To answer some of your questions we’ve put together some useful information, so the next time you head out fishing you can give this live bait a try, and add it to your tackle box arsenal.

Go Fishing With Finger Mullet - Pinterest ImagePin

What Are Finger Mullet, Why Use Them And Where Do I Find Them?

Finger mullet is a small schooling fish that can be found in many areas, from bays and estuaries to coastal rivers and along sandy beaches. They can often be found at all times of the year but it can be easier to find and catch them during the Fall Mullet Run.

Bait Fish

Finger mullet is known for being the prey of choice for several fish, including redfish, bluefish and flounder. At the end of the summer and through fall, these predatory fish will be out looking to catch some of the many finger mullet.

So, once you’ve caught your finger mullet and are using it as bait during the fall run, you could have a greater chance of catching redfish and other predatory species.

How To Catch Them

One of the simplest ways to catch finger mullet is by using a cast net and throwing it into the area of the water where you’ve seen the fish.

This Betts net (or similar) can be used.

This allows you to catch several fish at once, so you can take what you need and release the ones you don’t.

Video: How To Cast Net Finger Mullet

You may find it’s easier to see them if you walk along the water’s edge or gently walk into the shallows from a beach. 

How To Use Mullet As Bait

Live Bait

When you’re fishing with live bait you are going to want to keep it alive for as long as possible. So it can be a good idea to use a live well or make sure that your bucket is aerated to maintain oxygen levels and the water in it is kept clean.

Placing a bucket in the water where you’re fishing, as long as it has small holes in it, such as a floating bait bucket, can be useful as it can let new water flow through. This might be a good option if you’re leveraging a fishing kayak or small boat.

However, it is possible to use the finger mullet as bait even if it’s dead, so all is not lost if one or two die. These can be cut up and used as bait for catfish.

Hooked

You can hook finger mullet either through the eyes or through the lips. But depending on the currents you may want to hook it through the tail. Remember that your live bait may be more likely to come off as you cast your line, so you may need to adopt a gentler approach when you cast.

Video: Finger Mullet – Live Bait Tips

An egg sinker can be also ideal for fishing with finger mullet, as it can give the illusion of a more free swimming fish, rather than feeling the resistance from the line as it takes the bait. This can be useful when the bait is live.

> Bullet Weights Egg Sinker

It can also be a good idea to be mindful of the size of your bait when choosing your hook. If you have a small finger mullet, you don’t want the hook to be too large or it will likely weigh the bait down, causing it to tire and potentially die. For a 3 inch mullet, a 2/0 hook may be a good choice.

Make A Catch

If you’re fishing for redfish, it can be advisable to keep a hold of your rod rather than leave it in a rod holder, as the redfish will tend to hit the bait fast and strong. So it can be good to know when there’s a bite so you can reel it in.

If you’re fishing a little deeper, in search of flounder, it might be worth noting that flounder will tend to take a little longer to take the bait, so you may want to hold off on reeling in right after the hit.

Remember also, that live bait is more delicate so you don’t want to rip it away and risk losing both your bait and your catch.

Wrapping Up

Fishing with live bait can be a different experience if you’ve only been used to artificial bait in the past. But fishing with finger mullet can be an easy option to use, as it’s often frequently available and there are plenty of fish out there that want to eat it.

If one style of rig doesn’t work for you, don’t be afraid to try different ones or hook the bait in a different place.

Maybe you’ve had more success with a specific type of rig or you’ve had better luck with a particular species of fish? Let us know. And remember to share this with your coastal fishing buddies. 

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