Windang bridge frustration

[DaveBM]

Went down last weekend for a stab at whatever was about.

Caught 2 undersized flatties quickly enough (one comically so!), then noticed a veritable carpet of nice sized mullet swamp the place. Water was fairly shallow and clear, and they were just holding place against the runout tide, surrounding the jetty. There was no room for other fish. Couldn't see bottom anywhere.

They wouldn't take the pillies or prawns I had, no matter how I presented them. I was about to pack up and go home, then saw some big flashes out where the bottom drops off into the channel. The mullet started going nuts, then one of the big boys came a bit closer and looked like a Jewie. So I tied on a sinker and a gang and optimistically cast out a whole pillie. Soon there were at least 3-4 nice sized jews (I'm 90% sure) carving up the mullet, but that's all they wanted to eat. And I couldn't catch one for bait as I had no bread or anything else they wanted.

So, donuts. But I won't go there without bread/dough again, that's for sure. Don't mind a feed of mullet, even if the jews don't show.

[Seaurchin]

I learnt my lesson in a similar fashion.  Now I try multiple options for baiting. 

[Big Yella]

I had a near identical experience about 2nonths ago, about 300m up from the bridge. Hundreds of big mullet schooled together and I couldn't get anything. After a while, I tried throwing out a tiny whiting popper, jerking it a couple of times and then letting it float on the water above them with no movement at all. They would slowly suck it in and I ended up getting about six of them. They were huge, about 1.5kg each! 

[HenryR]

On 27/07/2017 at 1:19 PM, Big Yella said:

They would slowly suck it in and I ended up getting about six of them. They were huge, about 1.5kg each! 

Big Yella, that's the mullet that were taking your lure ????

[Regan]

pain about getting no mullet

[geshy]

Was probably salmon 

[ARC H]

How big where the mullet could you have got them in a bait trap?

[blaxland]

I often see mullet jumping and wonder if anybody has tried to fly fish for them?

Edited July 28, 2017 by blaxland

[Big Yella]

21 hours ago, HenryR said:

Big Yella, that's the mullet that were taking your lure ????

Sure was mate

[Walker568]

Yeah, the mullet are pains 1000s of them in a single spot but they don't take anything. The best chance you have is to try bread/dough. That has worked for me.

I might also try a popper for the mullet next time I'm out on the lake, sounds like it works very well, as there are always loads in the lake.

 

[HenryR]

22 hours ago, Big Yella said:

Sure was mate

nice experiment, cool result !!

I've managed to get carp to take poppers much as you described: gentle pops, long pause, the fish come up, look at the lure and then suck it in, but I've never thought to try it with mullet. I'm a bit of a mullet fan and will be throwing poppers at the next few schools of them I see There's no kudos for catching them but, for their size mullet go pretty good on a light line

Edited July 30, 2017 by HenryR
because I can ....