What's the next best bait for "Grey Ghost"

[MulletFan]

I am tired using bread, or may I say I'm fed up feeding the swans.

 

So what is the next bait I can try?

 

Corn, Mackeral strips and prawns have all failed.

 

MF.

[Alan Taylor]

MulletFan:

 

So what is the next bait I can try?

Cooked chicken Leg worked for me.

 

 

 

 

 

Alan

 

[ 29. August 2004, 09:44 AM: Message edited by: Alan Taylor ]

[Leon Roskilly]

In Australia, we used to catch them in a creek, with some silkweed on the hook (lightning fast bites though, they suck it in and spit it out instantaneously, presumably having cleaned it of the micro-organisms they are really interested in before ejecting it).

 

Some of the literature tells of macoroni and boiled cabbage stalk as being alternatives.

 

When the mullet (and bass) are feeding on seaweed fly maggots, a maggot on the hook will work. (Usually in warm weather when rising springs collect the rotting weed from the beach left by the last set of high tides).

 

I've also heard of cotton wool, soaked in bread mash working (stays on the hook better than bread).

 

When using mackerel flesh, be sure not to include any skin, just the flesh.

 

Some places, off the beach, they will take harbour rag.

 

But I've yet to find a bait that consistently works as well as bread.

 

Tight Lines - leon

[Norrie]

Hiya, As Leon said try a maggot or two on a hook, I've had Mullet on them, either on a float or freelined and thrown out a few feet,great fun....

[H.A.]

Without reading through the whole thread .....

 

Thick lipped mullet ...... bread on light gear (waggler etc)..... they need a few days of groundbaiting if they're not used to it.

I've also had them on slivers of mackerel flesh (not skin). Seaweed maggots deadly when you can see them close in feeding on them.

 

Thin Lipped mullet ...... small Mepps spoon with a single hook behind carrying maddies or small ragworm.

 

Golden Grey mullet ..... open water mullet which will respond to 'fishy groundbaits'with a float or 2-hook paternoster size 8 hooks. Maddies for bait.

 

'First find them' is the most important rule.

 

[ 29. August 2004, 03:51 PM: Message edited by: H.A. ]

[*Ant*]

Out of interest: why not skin on the mackerel bait, and isn't it a pig to hook without the skin?

[H.A.]

I haven't worked that one out myself.

 

I don't think Thick-lips are predatory, but are partial to a bit of fish offal, especially if you groundbait with it.

 

Small sliver of fresh mackerel flesh on an 8 or 10 works for me.

 

Perhaps 'mulleteer' Leon can throw some light on this?

[Leon Roskilly]

*Anthony*:

Out of interest: why not skin on the mackerel bait, and isn't it a pig to hook without the skin?

Mullet naturally feed on 'flocculent' (fluffy) material.

 

Probably because they grab bits of fluffy flotsam (weed, bits of algae etc) as it drifts by, suck it in, suck out the micro-organisms and eject it.

 

If they find the fluffy stuff is OK in itself, they learn to swallow it, and look for more.

 

So they will feed on bread, and fish flesh (and what comes out of the sewer pipe) etc.

 

I've often seen them happily mopping up free offerings of bread in the water, yet ignoring the bread on the baited hook, or at least approaching it in a very suspicious manner.

 

Perhaps that's why some skin on a piece of fish flesh makes them unwilling to take it.

 

Or perhaps it's just that their digestive system, with it's huge intestine that is designed to slowly pass harbour mud, whilst the algae and micro-organisms and other nutrients are slowly digested, is not designed to digest fish skin, so they give it a miss.

 

Putting some fish flesh on the small hooks used for mullet fishing, and keeping it there, isn't so different to using bread.

 

Anyway, that's my theory!

 

Tight Lines - leon

[H.A.]

Taa Leon ......

 

a pal of mine has a different problem ....

 

he's baited up a load of decent sized thick-lips on bread .....

 

but bass 2 - 6lbs beat 'em to the bait!

 

I'd quite like a problem like that.

 

:confused:

[*Ant*]

Cheers Leon