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The Lure of Winter Mullet

Out chasing the elusive fat winter thick lipped mullet with wingman Brett who has shown a big interest in the head-doing and sometimes utterly frustrating pursuit of Mullet fishing!

The addiction started here for Brett

Brett had a few small mullet in the Autumn at a local creek and was instantly hooked on bagging a proper thick lip.

Humbled beginnings

I have been a Mullet addict for over 20 years in between my Bass fishing and was lucky enough to be schooled by Martin Larkin a nationally renowned Mullet angler, Martin used to take me to some productive spots and I still Remember him screaming at me not to touch a screaming reel on my first big open coast Mullet, needless to say I did try and slow the spoil and lost my first whopper!

You have to get into a different mindset when targeting the greys, I’ve tried to instil to Brett that DON’T EXPECT TO LAND ALL THE FISH THAT YOU HOOK!

With this in mind we set out to bag a hard fighting winter Mullet, the odds where stacked against us with poor conditions dirty water and a small tide.

We tried for an hour without a single bite, I was on the move scouting around almost out of site when Brett starts shouting HELP HELP I’VE GOT A FISH ON!, I was there within 30 seconds and could see immediately that this was a good fish.

Brett was fishing in a tight spot with not much room for manoeuvre and the fish was doing lightning direction changes never easy if your not used to it, after some rather frenzied loud coaching the fish was under control and on the surface ready for the net brilliant stuff Wingman and a nice starting point in your Mullet career mate 3 pounds of muscle and hustle and the smile says it all!

Delighted angler

I went back of coarse and managed a few smaller fish when the weather and tides where right great sport on the new TronixproHTO ROCKFISH ML a light sabre rated 7-28g!, even smaller fish are epic on this little rod, I’m reviewing the longer version very soon ?

[wpvideo Pueug9Xw ]The highlight of my campaign came at the end of February when an opportunity came in the form of a perfect dropping tide and weather window which led me to an insanely TIGHT spot no bigger than 3 square meters!

I know this area can hold fish but usually only on certain parts of the tide if the weather is right which it was so I dropped in a single hook paternoster rig and waited for a tell tail bite.

I didn’t have to wait long before the rod started to rattle yes the ground bait had drawn in a fish or two, I only re-baited twice before a big fish got a bit to cocky with my bread flake and I struck into a belter!

My powerful-oversized Baitrunner was locked up almost tight and I held on trying to control the fish with hardly a couple clicks of drag so I had to try and absorb the lunges with only the short rod and my arm never easy but I managed to keep just clear of tight mooring ropes and floats

These tactics often end in tears but my luck was in and the hook held firm the fish now thrashing around on the surface I lunged quickly with the net and scooped her in still very green and going mental YEEHAH?

4lb 13oz specimen Mullet

I was buzzing from the experience my only regret was thatthe fish wasn’t played out and did a performance in the net and lost some scales from thrashing around not good but well happy just a shame the fish had spawned loosing many ounces!

March also produced specimens but again catching big fish post spawning takes the icing off the cake as you know the fish has not only lost crucial egg weight also heaps of conditioning weight!, still very happy with this one though a very long fish

Another hard fighting specimen

Mullet fishing is all year round here in the South West take my word for it!

Thanks for looking

Tight lines

Paul Bassman ?