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South West Mullet - not good for your health

dodders

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SE Cornwall
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Set out to try to catch a thick lipped mullet this morning and went to a fairly local estuary quite a way up from the sea. I got there about 3 hrs before high water as I wanted to be set up before the first push of tide.
On arrival I found a very comfortable spot with the now fresh water stream only a few feet infront of me. All was looking good, the village was quiet, no plastic toys on the water and only an occasional dog walker about.
When the tide began to come in, a few mullet arrived immediately. I swung out a small feeder full of mashed bread with my breadflake hookbait behind. Only six yards away I watched two mullet start to attack the feeder and devour the bread…..how could I fail !! …..but they completely ignored my hookbait. Throughout this my quiver tip was bouncing as they nudged the feeder.
Next cast immediately attracted another sizeable mullet which made a beeline for the hookbait. When it got about a foot away, it froze and then shot off, clearly very disturbed by something I had done wrong!

The water now started colouring up as the tide rose, so I had to rely on the quiver tip for indications from the fish. I changed to a smaller hook (size 14) with a smaller piece of flake in view of the last fish’s reaction. I didn’t want to go any lighter on hooklength as I was already only using 6lb flouro hook length

I ended up trying everything I could think of – long hooklength, short hooklength,smaller hooks, hook point hidden, hook point showing, hookbait in feeder, bolt rig with extra weight on feeder, no feeder, freelined etc etc but caught nothing but had a quiver tip bouncing round every cast, until I assumed they had emptied the feeder. When I swapped to a plain lead they showed no interest

Totally beaten by the bloody Mullet!!
Hopefully next time I go there I'll be able to post a fishy picture !
 
Try using thinner line or fluoro carbon line.. 6lb seeped way too much for a fish that weighs no more than 2lb.
 
Great report Mick, shame the Mullet weren't playing ball. "If at first you don't succeed" and that! ????
 
Unlucky Mick, thick lips are orrible buggers to go for, thing is using the same tactics another day and your bag up, finicky fish.
 
Sounds like a script for a mullet session. The thing is once you hook one, its all very, very, worthwhile! Not much to beat them on light gear. Agree that on the next day it can be very different. Thanks for reporting, just going to check the tides!
 
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