Mullet fish is one of the most delicious gamefish many anglers aim to catch, sometimes also used as bait. They can be quite tough to catch and will put up a fight though, so you can’t depend on your fishing skills alone. You also need to know their activity patterns and their diet so you can catch more of them.
So what do mullet eat for bait? Read on as I talk about the mullet’s diet and what they are most likely to bite from your hook!
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What Do Mullet Eat For Bait?
The mullet is a bottom feeder, eating just about anything they find and see. Because of this, you have to set your baits lower and to the ocean floor, since this is where you can find them feeding the most. They look for food morsels at the bottom, also swimming around docks to look for something to eat.
Their typical diet depends on various factors, such as their location, water temperature, as well as the seasonal changes that affect their diet.
Usually, these animals would usually consume food sources like tiny plants, insects, flesh, and detritus. Since they have smaller mouths, they consume smaller particles of food and LOVE to eat, nibbling anything.
So, what exact baits can you use that you can easily find, hook, and cast for mullet to bite into? Here are your top five options:
1. Bread Flakes
Bread flakes are one of the best types of baits when attracting mullet fish. Hook a small piece of bread and fish below the surface, patiently luring mullets to your bait. The soft-textured foods are easy to hook and are enjoyed most by mullets.
One tactic anglers would do is to visit the same areas repeatedly for several days straight, feeding fish with bread flakes before going in for the catch. Doing these conditions the mullet to expect food in that specific area.
After a few days of doing this, attach a piece of bread to your hook, then you have higher chances of finding mullet who will take a bite!
2. Maggots
Mullets love eating various larvae and insects they find. One of their favorites is maggots, with anglers believing that maggots are a mullet’s favorite source of food! That’s why besides bread, anglers use maggots to bait these fish since they are a natural sea bait food that won’t strike suspicion.
If you don’t have maggots, you can use ragworms in exchange. Just make sure that the insects you use are small enough to fit in a mullet’s mouth for good hooking. You may need to cut the insect or worm and be careful in hooking so they are still wriggling but won’t escape!
3. Mackerel Flesh
Mullets have unusual eating habits when comparing them with other sea fish since they really do eat just about anything. However, what they do have in common with other fish is that they love the taste of mackerel flesh. They love to munch on pieces of leftover flesh, particularly those from mackerel.
However, you have to make sure that the mackerel flesh has NO skin or any other traces on it. Also, be sure to cut it into much smaller pieces to attract mullets and that the flesh piece fits in their mouths. If you use a bigger piece, then you may attract other fish species rather than the mullet.
Besides mackerel flesh, they also consume other meat sources. Just make sure that these discarded meats are clean and that you fish for mullets in unpolluted waters, especially if you plan to consume them.
Try to use other edible discarded morsels and scraps of meat sources, tossing it to the waters to attract mullets. You’re best off doing this alongside shipping vessels or fishing ports, as this is where mullets usually congregate together!
4. Algae
Mullets are actually considered to be vegetarians by nature, which is why they are attracted to most plants as food. One of the mullet’s most common meals is algae! Mullets would nibble at algae, blue-green algae, filamentous green algae, as well as green sea lettuce, diatoms, detritus, and more.
So try to use algae to entice mullet fish, or you can use whatever microorganism that’s discovered in weed or mud. These are very easy to find, as you can collect them floating freely above or beneath the waters’ surface.
When using it as bait, mullets would scrape off the plants’ nutritious particles, so try to cast near rocks and other underwater debris.
5. Fish Farm Foods and Other Alternative Baits
Your local fishing store may sell baits or fish farm foods made to attract mullets. There are natural food choices such as grain mills or rice to feed and entice mullets. Some also come in pellet form so it’s easy to throw or hook.
Like what you do with bread pieces, you can chum the waters with such baits to entice mullets to stay in that area for feeding.
Here are some types of food you can use for chumming or as a bait to hook:
- Cat food
- Oats
- Chicken mash combined with water
- Soft meats such as sausage
- Cheese
- Fridge leftovers
Remember, they eat anything and everything! Just make sure that these food pieces are at a small size, enough for them to see but still bite into with ease.
Read More: What Bait Do You Use to Catch Crawfish? Best Baits For Successful Catches!
Do you want to learn more fishing tricks on how to catch mullet? Check out this awesome video:
Wrapping It Up
Mullet fish are known for being very energetic and making chromatic leaps outside the waters! Because of this, they can put up a fight and make it a challenge for anglers to catch. But with the right bait and fishing techniques, you’ll be able to reel a few of them in.
I hope that this article answered your question, “what do mullet eat for bait?” Now that you know the answer, prepare any of the baits mentioned above for a good chance of catching mullet!
