Here They Come!

Anglers are anxiously awaiting the east coast mullet migration.

The frantic baitfish protested as I implanted the second stinger hook in an upright position just ahead of its tail. “Time to catch your breath”, I said to the slippery mullet as I gently lowered him into the oxygen rich waters for a few quick gulps. I explained that the hooks were doctor’s orders, that it was all a part of his role in life and that nirvana was coming soon.

It did not seem to calm him down any. “Alright, head back here toward the stern and I’ll explain what is going to happen”, I said to my angler. I tossed the little guy about fifty feet behind the boat as I instructed this soon to be lucky angler of his duties. “Your job is to keep a sharp on the bait, keeping the rod tip up as we slow trolled him along”. Just as I finished my sentence the water erupted in a huge boil. Within just seconds our helpless mullet met his maker. “Wow!, is the fishing always this fast?” asked the man, as the estimated 100 lb. tarpon screamed in the opposite direction, already on the hunt for his next victim.

I pontificated on the use of the words “always” and “fishing” in the same sentence as we watched the giant, silvery fish violently shaking through the air. The food chain in all its glory was unfolding right before our very own eyes. What happened that day is a common occurrence when prey unintentionally cross paths with predatory species. In our case, the predators were big shiny tarpon and the prey was large groups of migrating mullet who like millions of ‘snowbirds’, were heading south for the winter. No other baitfish seems to excite the natural instincts of both inshore and offshore predators like the mullet. It seems almost magical that keen eyed fish seem to throw caution to the wind when mullet wiggle by, shaking their inviting little black tails. But more than that, the whole mullet migration is a legendary story all in itself. A scene straight from the playbook of God: A step by step account of the distribution of this backbone food source up and down the east coast of the United States and culminating in south Florida.

The opening scene is the south shore of Long Island in early fall. The days are growing shorter and the first push of arctic air is finding its way south. Though mullet are quite the versatile creature and able to inhabit various extremes of salinity, from fresh water canals all the way to the deep blue sea, they are not very fond of cold water, regardless if its salty or not. The adults are completely herbivorous, eating all manors of aqueous plant life ranging from algae scum on the bottom to weeds and sea grasses on the surface. At some instinctual triggering point only known to them, all the striped mullet in town (mugil cephalis - what we call black mullet) decide to head south, siphoning out of the rivers and bays by the millions. The only thing we can figure is that the cold front boundary brings barometric pressure change and coupled with northerly winds, drives the water temperature below a comfortable mark and off they go. Further to the south, their cousin the white mullet (mugil curema - what we call the silver mullet) has already left, having less of a temperature tolerance. With each passing cold front, the bait schools push further and further south. Colliding, the smaller groups inevitably form staggering size schools. In between fronts, the massive amounts of baitfish find shelter in the many estuaries along the way.

By October, waterways in the northern part of Florida, like the Indian River Lagoon, are already so congested with mullet you could almost walk on them. In the southern portion of the state, the first indication of the fall bait migration is the influx of huge schools of finger mullet. By late September early October, massive numbers of three to six inch mullet pour down the ICW and down east coast beaches. These clouds of bait may be as small as a car or as big as a house. With them, come a commensurate number of predators.

As with many aspects of fishing, the size of the prevalent forage also determines the size of the predators. Along the southeast coast, this initial run of bait translates into a light tackle bonanza for baby tarpon, snook, jack cravelle, Spanish mackerel, ladyfish and bluefish. The mullet migration is what surf fishermen have been waiting for all year. A beached angler need only tie on a 2/0 live bait hook on to a length of 30 lb. shock material and it’s time for action.

Fishing from the beach will always be best where the heavy surf causes what is called a “longshore current” which in turn creates a “longshore bar”. This is the result of the relentless wave action hitting the beach at an angle and subsequently leaving a deep trough parallel to the coast. On the outside edge of this trough will be a sandbar. This ‘small river’ between the bar and the beach concentrates both the mullet and their predator’s path of travel, making them easy targets. Severe longshore currents are called undertows, so surf fishermen need to exercise caution on windy days. Additional prime hunting grounds for beach fishermen are the various rock formations you may find protruding from the shoreline along with the many inlet jetties. Fishermen who have their feet planted in the sand should also not overlook the first hundred yards or so of beach front property on either side of an inlet. Surf fishing from the beach with live mullet is easy. Under the darkness of night, simply cast your hooked bait out and keep the slack out of your line, but allow the fish to swim naturally. During daylight hours, the addition of a 1/2 oz. sinker just above the hook will help solicit a bite.

For boaters and land based anglers fishing the inside, the ICW bridges, seawalls and canals offer plenty of action, especially when the outgoing tide coincides with dusk or dawn. Remember that mullet treat individual canals just like a river or bay, moving up with the flood tide and out with the ebb. Therefore, fish the far reaches of the canals on the high incoming tide and the mouths of canals during the lower tidal stages. Once these key ambush points are located, focus your efforts in that area and let your baits naturally swim into the strike zone. Ideally, in the shallow inland waterways your mullet should be swimming just below the surface, leaving a small wake in its path. Hooking your mullet to the rear of the dorsal fin will provide the proper presentation. During the initial finger mullet run, experiencing double digit tarpon and snook bites is not unusual. Most of the predators feeding on the finger size mullet will usually be 10 lbs. or less but you can expect continuous action when the conditions are favorable. Keep in mind 12 to 15 lb. tackle is mandatory when fishing around bridges and pilings to reduce cut offs by the crafty snook.

By late October through mid November, large schools of big black mullet migrate down our shores. Throughout the fall, mullet run maniacs will be watching weather reports very carefully, timing their fishing excursions with the passage of each front. A strong north wind is the crucial pushing force. These migrating bait schools can be mammoth in size. A friend and long time south Florida resident, George Copeland, owner of T&R Tackle in Fort Lauderdale, remembers seeing millions of mullet in schools the size of football fields cruising down the beach. Copeland and other long time residents recollect watching tarpon cartwheel through the air amongst these gigantic schools of big black mullet, showering hundreds and sometimes thousands at a time into the air. Mullet schools of this magnitude rapidly declined in the late 80’s and early 90’s, leaving south Florida with just a trickle of what use to be. Perhaps those days are gone but there remains good reason for hope. Hope that acre sized schools will again return.

For those of you who are new to the Florida fishing scene, something significant occurred on the November 1994 ballot. Through the work of the Save Our Sea Life committee and anglers like you, the state of Florida passed an amendment to ban gill nets and entanglement nets which had greater than 500 sq. ft. in net area. This proposal raised the ire of the commercial fishing community and resulted in heated debates, and with good reason. At the time, mullet roe was considered a delicacy in oriental markets, fetching as much as $12.50 per pound. The mullet carcass was then sold, usually for cat food at 10 cents a pound: A gross waste of resources. The amendment resulted in a 60% decrease in mullet roe sales immediately after the ban. Although it is true that urbanization and habitat destruction combined with decreased water quality or redirection of natural fresh water flow do contribute to the decline of all species of fish and wildlife.

But nothing compares to the massive and thorough slaughter of entire populations of fish through commercial fishing. Roughly ten years later we are finally beginning to see a turn around.

To locate the hordes of migrating mullet, head out your inlet in the late afternoon and pick a direction. As a good rule of thumb, when the wind is from the southern quadrant, head north, up the beach. Keeping clear of the boat exclusion zones and backstroking Canadians, look for the tell tale signs of dark bait clouds or diving pelicans as both are dead giveaways of a hefty mullet concentration below. The bigger the school of bait, the better the chance of large predators being hot on their tails. If the school is moving fast, fishing techniques will be limited. The best bet will be to ‘bait and wait’. Anchor or drift ahead of the pack and fish a fresh chunk or two on the bottom. Along with the bottom baits, free line one or two more live mullet with no weight at all. Wait for the cloud of bait to approach and in short order you should be hooked up to one of the many pursuing predators. Using wire trace is often the way to go as marauding tarpon aren’t very shy of wire and there are plenty of big sharks and ‘cudas that will be participate in the fun.

If the school of bait is not moving very fast, which often occurs right before sunset, several techniques apply. The first is to work the perimeter of the concentration by drifting or slow trolling. The second is the previously mentioned bait and wait technique and the third which happens to be my personal favorite, is to cast to the crash. While many would tell you not to throw a fat live mullet directly into the school, I would encourage it; done properly that is. First, don’t run your boat right through the center of the bait. The mullet have enough to worry about and don’t need your boat on top of them! Secondly, you will notice that even though there are what appear to be millions of them, the mullet are mostly stacked on a thin layer just below the surface. Therefore, adding a 1/2 oz. egg sinker in front of your hook, will force your bait to swim below the rest, appearing wounded and vulnerable. Pay close attention to your mullets every move, and when the line goes tight and starts screaming off your reel, lock it up and let him have it!

As the fall season comes to an end, the closing scene of the entire drama begins to unfold. Three months have passed and mullet both big and small have managed to make their way to the southern tip of Florida. All the major estuaries are now choked full of bait for weeks to come. As mysteriously as it all started, the mullet migration now abruptly comes to an end as the huge schools of sexually mature black mullet (greater than 14 inches) find there way to the deep blue sea. Heading out some 5 to 20 miles, they begin their annual spawning rituals. The grand finale has large females each releasing up to 4 million eggs.

Fertilization then follows by the free drifting milt courtesy of the males. Until they are actually about an inch long, the larvae continue drifting in the deep blue water. Next, they will make their way into one of the many estuaries lining the Eastern seaboard. The strong northerly currents offer the perfect distribution mechanism, pushing the larvae north as they make their way toward shore to start the cycle all over again. Surprisingly, biologists tell us that mullet start their life as carnivores, feeding of the myriads of microscopic animal life found in the ocean. Once in the shallow water, algae thriving on the hot sun makes the perfect renewable resource.

All bait migrations offer excellent opportunities to the observant angler. Whether it is glass minnows, pilchards or the lesser known spring mullet run, each brings with them a host of food chain fun. So coming to a beach, a canal, or a pier near you, keep your eye out for my favorite friend, the mullet. He’ll be heading down with a cloud of his closest friends, ready to assist in your sport fishing fun.

Jon Cooper is a full time South Florida flats fishing guide, an IGFA Certified Captain and an FFF Certified Fly casting Instructor. He takes fishing charters from Fort Lauderdale and Miami all the way to the Keys, including the beautiful flats of Key Biscayne in Biscayne National Park. He fishes for bonefish, tarpon, permit, sharks, barracuda, jack cravelle, snook and a host of others. Capt. Jon welcomes bait and fly fishermen from beginners to seasoned veterans. Go fishing with Captain Jon Cooper, one of south Florida’s premier flats and backcountry fishing guides. Capt. Jon can be reached at 1-800-224-9967 or by visiting www.CaptainCooper.com