Do mullet affect bass fishing?

[Terzy]

I fish a canal that is overloaded with big mullet, the average mullet I see probably 3- 6 pounds. I was just wondering if anyone knew if this hurts the bass fishing?

[Darren.]

I'm afraid they do. If in this form:

[soflabasser]

50 minutes ago, Terzy said:

I fish a canal that is overloaded with big mullet, the average mullet I see probably 3- 6 pounds. I was just wondering if anyone knew if this hurts the bass fishing?

Some bass fishermen think mullet "scare bass away" but that is incorrect. Mullet are not predatory fish that eat other fish like bass do and mullet tend to be peaceful fish, unlike bass.Bass eat mullet, so it would be a good idea to use finger mullet (or mullet imitating lures) in a area you know bass are eating mullet.

[WRB]

Mullet are normally a salt water coastal fish that can transition to brackish water and into fresh water. The fish we call LMB can't survive in salt water, can live in brackish and fresh water and that is probably the area both fish cross paths. Unless the mullet are small under 6" the bass more than likely will not target them. 

Tom

[Turkey sandwich]

3 hours ago, Darren. said:

I'm afraid they do. If in this form:

 I was beaten to the punch. Well done. 

[soflabasser]

The belief that largemouth bass won't go after mullets over 6" is incorrect.Most Florida bass fisherman know this,its no secret. I have caught several bass on mullet much bigger than 6" while targeting brackish/freshwater snook.

[WRB]

I don't believe there are high populations of bass big enough to eat 10" to 12" mullet in brackish water, could be wrong. What I am saying is you will catch more bass using 6" mullet, still a good size meal for a 4 lb bass. If the bass are eating 10" to 12" mullet then use a big swimbait. Snook are a very different fish then LMB.

Mullet and crocker are considered brown bait and rarely used as live bait out west.

Back on topic, I would say the presence of mullet would be a positive affect on bass fishing.

Tom

[soflabasser]

14 hours ago, WRB said:

Unless the mullet are small under 6" the bass more than likely will not target them. 

Tom

Have caught several bass on 8-10" mullets while fishing for snook.Most of these bass where under 6 pounds ,so a bass doesn't have to be that big to eat a decent sized mullet(just like a sub 6 pound bass can eat a stocked trout in California waters).Sub 6 pound bass are common in Florida, at least in the places I fish. Snook and bass have very similar habits, a bass fisherman can use many types of bass lures to catch snook. 

1 hour ago, WRB said:

 If the bass are eating 10" to 12" mullet then use a big swimbait.Snook are a very different fish then LMB.

Back on topic, I would say the presence of mullet would be a positive affect on bass fishing.

Tom

Been using swimbaits for both snook and bass for many years,they work quite well down here.I agree with you that the mullet have a positive effect on bass fishing since bass will eat them if they are in the size range they can be eaten. 

[the reel ess]

I caught plenty o' bass when I had a big mullet.

[Onvacation]

I am just intrigued by a place where you can catch bass and snook at the same time. I am assuming I have not made it far enough south in Florida yet, but it sounds like heaven. 

[soflabasser]

24 minutes ago, Onvacation said:

I am just intrigued by a place where you can catch bass and snook at the same time. I am assuming I have not made it far enough south in Florida yet, but it sounds like heaven. 

Have you been to West Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade Counties?

Snook and bass can be found living together in the spillways,canals, and landlocked bodies of freshwater. I have caught snook as far inland as a canal that is extremely close to Lake Okeechobee.People catch snook in Lake Okeechobee every year,which must be quite the surprise to someone who is specifically targeting bass. We also got tarpon and other "saltwater" fish in canals that are 100% freshwater.There's a specific canal that I have caught snook,tarpon,largemouth bass, peacock bass,and various exotic fish all in the same day,so yes South Florida is a fishing paradise for anyone who enjoys multi species fishing. 

[crypt]

2 hours ago, Onvacation said:

I am just intrigued by a place where you can catch bass and snook at the same time. I am assuming I have not made it far enough south in Florida yet, but it sounds like heaven. 

it is heaven…………...

[Onvacation]

I've been to Miami a couple times, but as far as fishing is concerned, Toho is as far south as I have gone.  I will be back in Orlando in early February and have a couple days booked on Toho and I'll be hitting some local lakes.  When I plan the next trip, what's a good time of the year to take that snook/bass challenge? I'd love to get in on some peacock bass too.  I just love Florida. 

[Wayne P.]

Mullet colored lures:

https://www.walmart.com/c/ep/mullet-fishing-lures

[hawgenvy]

Have caught many LMB, and flounder, in the same water, surrounded by flying mullet. In the gulf of Mexico, when the river is high. In Venice, LA. That's diversity, too.

[DogBone_384]

Dunno. I've not had a mullet since forever....

[Alan Reed]

On 11/20/2016 at 10:12 PM, Darren. said:

I'm afraid they do. If in this form:

Haha exactly what came to my mind 

[stk44]

On 11/21/2016 at 1:55 AM, Turkey sandwich said:

 I was beaten to the punch. Well done. 

So was I...

[TnRiver46]

A little of topic but I cleaned and cooked a mullet once. It was bad. I feel like I had some at a restaurant once that were deep fried and pretty good. The one I caught was striped and nasty flavored 

[davecon]

Crypt, not to brag but to give you an idea of brackish water possibilities.

I'm in the Tampa Bay Area and fish brackish water often. One great day for me was two summers ago. It was July, hotter than you can imagine with tremendously high humidity. In one stretch of the river I caught one redfish of 33 inches, four bluegills all weighing over a pound each, four bass between 4 and 5 each, 4 juvi tarpon all between 30 and 40 lbs each, and about 30 snook, most of them small, between 18 and 22 inches, but 3 or 4 pushing 30 inches. All caught on the same lure in a stretch no more than 200 yards long. Had the boat back on the trailer at 11:00 a.m.. Fishing died as soon as the tide changed.

While this was a banner day and nowhere near common, it does show the capability of brackish water under the right condition.

Is it a slice of heaven ? You bet ! But with the heat and humidity it's also a little bit of hell.