The Mullet Run Is On! Explaining The Phenomenon

Fall is right around the corner and that means a lot of great things are coming. Football season is here, the air is getting crisp, and… the mullet run is ON! From the end of August into November, the common saltwater baitfish known as mullet leave their summer haunts off the coasts of the Carolinas and Georgia to head south to the tip of Florida. Once the mullet have made it to the southern tip of Florida, they move offshore, where they school up and spawn. This yearly migration makes for some insane footage of enormous schools of mullet busting at the surface and most importantly, incredible fishing.

Many saltwater anglers look forward to the mullet run all year just waiting to capitalize on the hot bite. The mullet run attract all kinds of saltwater predators from “smaller” game fish like bluefish, mackerel, jacks, snook, and flounder; to true giants like blacktip sharks and tarpon. Lucky for us, right now (Mid-September) the run is in full effect and the bite is on fire.

Where To Fish During The Mullet Run

As the mullet make their way south, they pass through every beach on the Atlantic shore between the Carolinas and Florida. Meaning that given the right timing, any beach could be the best fishing in the entire southeastern coast. Rather than just fishing random beaches, you can maximize your chances during the mullet run by fishing high percentage areas like jetties, piers, and especially inlets. Inlets funnel large groups of mullet into small spaces, condensing the bait and the predators and giving you a better chance at hooking up to a giant.

What Baits To Use During The Mullet Run

If there was any doubt, you need to be throwing a live mullet. This time of year, saltwater predators are keyed in on mullet more than any other source of food and there’s no better way to imitate a mullet than just using a real one. Hone your casting net skills and get some of these mullet to throw for tarpon and other salty predators.

You can rig your mullet on a stout hook and reel it across the surface for a topwater strike or add a sinker to your rig if you’re needing to get it down deeper. If you’re targeting larger fish like sharks and tarpon, use the biggest mullet you can get a hold of to increase your odds at catching that monster.

More Mullet Run Footage