Dead Mullet Fishing for Tarpon, Snook, Redfish and Speckled Trout
Dead mullet is the best bait for catching tarpon, snook, redfish and speckled trout consistently because these fish conserve energy by scavenging on easy meals. Trophy sized predatory fish would much rather eat a dead mullet than chase a live one in order to expend fewer calories acquiring a meal.
This is one of the simple facts that so many fishermen forget when it comes to targeting a personal best sized fish. Fish are like humans because they get wise with age and have learned to take it easy. They have figured out that one big meal is better than a whole bunch of little meals to keep them happy and healthy.
This is why dead bait like cut mullet chunks are the perfect choice for anglers searching for trophy sized fish.
The author of this article is a FISHING CHARTER CAPTAIN on the Treasure Coast of Florida. He has been fishing the grass flats, oyster bars and mangroves all over Florida for more than 40 years. In the article below, we will talk about the different ways to use dead mullet to catch MONSTER tarpon, snook, redfish and speckled trout.
Let's get started.
Watch the video below to see how to catch HUGE tarpon with dead mullet.
Dead mullet is the best bait for catching tarpon, snook, redfish and speckled trout consistently because these fish conserve energy by scavenging on easy meals. Trophy sized predatory fish would much rather eat a dead mullet than chase a live one in order to expend fewer calories acquiring a meal.
This is one of the simple facts that so many fishermen forget when it comes to targeting a personal best sized fish. Fish are like humans because they get wise with age and have learned to take it easy. They have figured out that one big meal is better than a whole bunch of little meals to keep them happy and healthy.
This is why dead bait like cut mullet chunks are the perfect choice for anglers searching for trophy sized fish.
The author of this article is a FISHING CHARTER CAPTAIN on the Treasure Coast of Florida. He has been fishing the grass flats, oyster bars and mangroves all over Florida for more than 40 years. In the article below, we will talk about the different ways to use dead mullet to catch MONSTER tarpon, snook, redfish and speckled trout.
Let's get started.
Watch the video below to see how to catch HUGE tarpon with dead mullet.
How to Use Dead Mullet as Bait for TARPON
Tarpon are my favorite game fish to target when I am fishing for fun. These fish are called the silver king because they are the hardest fighting inshore fish that you will ever have the privilege of having on the end of your line.
A typical tarpon will jump multiple times trying to dislodge your hooks as they shake their heads vigorously. It is a heart pounding adventure to catch or even hook a large tarpon.
All of the biggest tarpon that I manage to catch are caught with dead mullet or lady fish combined with a small sinker to keep it still on the bottom. That simple rig will also catch you many MONSTER tarpon if you fish it in the right places.
The best places to fish for tarpon with dead bait is in deep channels. Tarpon love to run up onto the grass flats or sand bars to eat a live bait of some sort in the mornings and evenings. BUT if you want to catch a big tarpon during the rest of the day, then you will want to fish for them down deep with dead bait.
Look for deep cuts around islands, boat channels, tidal creeks, bridges and marinas, inlets........
This is when the big chunk of fresh dead mullet will be your best bet to catch a tarpon. You can also use a big chunk of ladyfish, bluefish and even a catfish with the fins snapped off but a fresh dead mullet chunk is my go to bait.
Dead bait is my daytime favorite for catching big tarpon but once it gets to be night time the sharks rules the channels so lures or live bait will be a better way to catch big tarpon.
WANT TO CATCH A TARPON? BOOK YOUR FISHING CHARTER TODAY!
Sharks rule the night and they take a long time to reel in. Don't waste your time night fishing with dead mullet for tarpon. You will catch some but you will almost always catch more sharks.
DEAD MULLET TACKLE SECRETS---
I like to use a 7 foot long medium/heavy rod coupled with a 5500 series reel. You can go up to a 6500 series reel if you want to put a little more pressure on the tarpon and have more line capacity for those big runs.
I use an 80 pound braided line and a 50 to 80 pound mono filament leader and a 5/0 inline circle hook.
I like to use the lightest weight possible to keep the dead mullet pinned to the bottom so the tarpon can figure out where it is more easily. My go to is a one ounce egg sinker that is free sliding right above the hook.
This configuration is called a knocker rig by some anglers. Call it whatever you want but that simple rig coupled with a big chunk of dead mullet will catch the heck out of BIG, HUGE, TROPHY SIZED tarpon on a consistent basis.
There is a completely FREE online fishing course that you can use located on this same website. You can see the many educational videos for the Tarpon fishing course by clicking right here.
Watch the video below to learn more about catching HUGE snook with dead mullet.
How to Use Dead Mullet as Bait for SNOOK
Snook are another one of those bucket list fish species for many anglers. The good news is that they are voracious predators and you can catch them on just about any lure, live bait BUT the big ones like to eat dead bait just like the tarpon do.
I hope that you are noticing a trend in my writings. BIG FISH LIKE DEAD BAIT!!!! It is really that simple. Big snook are similar to big tarpon in that they prefer to scavenge during the daylight hours.
They will hit lures and live baits very readily during early mornings, sunset and during the night but in the day time the big ones like to eat dead mullet.
The placement for these dead baits is a little different from the deeper channels that the tarpon like so much. BIG SNOOK like those channels too but my favorite place to target them during the day is around mangroves during the higher parts of the tide.
Snook love to cruise in and around the roots of the red mangrove tree to look for food and to hide from predators like dolphins and sharks.
You can catch them around dock pilings, sea walls, bridges and inlets too but I prefer the mangroves.
For whatever reason the heads of the mullet work better than the rest of the mullet. Maybe there are more nutrients in the brain or eyes or something but the head of the mullet is a much better bait than the rest of the fish.
This does not mean that you should discard the rest of the dead mullet because it works great too. All that I am saying is that the heads work the best.
The key to catching snook in the mangroves is to get the bait within a foot or so of the actual mangrove branches. Snook love to cruise in the shade just under the ends of the roots and branches with the incoming and outgoing tides.
You have to get your bait right up close or you won't be in the strike zone for most of the bigger snook. Yes, some will smell it and leave the cover of the mangroves but many will ignore it if it is too far away.
A large piece of lady fish or a hand sized pin fish are also great baits for catching huge snook. The fresher the bait is the better it will work. You need the odor molecules of the fish to disperse all through the water column.
Dead Mullet on the Beach for Snook---
Another great place to catch monster snook with dead mullet is the beach. Dead mullet fishing off of the beach is a fantastic way to catch snook when the mullet schools are around.
The snook will often stalk the trough that the waves make right next to the beach sand. This is a great place to pitch a huge chunk of fresh dead mullet if there are no waves. If there are waves then you will have to cast further out or the waves will just wash your bait up on the beach. You will also have to use weights to get the bait to stay in one spot.
Calm days at the beach are the times to fish dead mullet chunks in the trough for snook. You typically won't even need to use any weights heavier than an ounce because your dead mullet will usually stay in the trough.
DEAD MULLET TACKLE SECRETS---
You can use a 4000 to a 5500 series reel and get most of those big snook out of the mangroves just fine. Some of the bigger ones will still cut you off on the oyster encrusted roots of the mangrove trees but those sized reels will usually do the trick.
A 7 to 8 foot medium/heavy rod is a good choice for this kind of snook fishing.
I like to use 20 to 30 pound braided line and a 40 or 50 pound mono filament leader with a 5/0 inline circle hook. You can often get away with no sinker when you are up against the mangroves because the tide is usually not as strong up among the roots. If you do need one then use the lightest one that will keep your dead mullet pinned to the bottom.
There is a FREE online snook fishing course that you can access right on this same website. All you have to do is click on this link to see there various tips and techniques to catch tons of snook.
Watch the video below and learn how to use dead mullet to catch huge redfish.
How to Use Dead Mullet as Bait for SNOOK
Snook are another one of those bucket list fish species for many anglers. The good news is that they are voracious predators and you can catch them on just about any lure, live bait BUT the big ones like to eat dead bait just like the tarpon do.
I hope that you are noticing a trend in my writings. BIG FISH LIKE DEAD BAIT!!!! It is really that simple. Big snook are similar to big tarpon in that they prefer to scavenge during the daylight hours.
They will hit lures and live baits very readily during early mornings, sunset and during the night but in the day time the big ones like to eat dead mullet.
The placement for these dead baits is a little different from the deeper channels that the tarpon like so much. BIG SNOOK like those channels too but my favorite place to target them during the day is around mangroves during the higher parts of the tide.
Snook love to cruise in and around the roots of the red mangrove tree to look for food and to hide from predators like dolphins and sharks.
You can catch them around dock pilings, sea walls, bridges and inlets too but I prefer the mangroves.
For whatever reason the heads of the mullet work better than the rest of the mullet. Maybe there are more nutrients in the brain or eyes or something but the head of the mullet is a much better bait than the rest of the fish.
This does not mean that you should discard the rest of the dead mullet because it works great too. All that I am saying is that the heads work the best.
The key to catching snook in the mangroves is to get the bait within a foot or so of the actual mangrove branches. Snook love to cruise in the shade just under the ends of the roots and branches with the incoming and outgoing tides.
You have to get your bait right up close or you won't be in the strike zone for most of the bigger snook. Yes, some will smell it and leave the cover of the mangroves but many will ignore it if it is too far away.
A large piece of lady fish or a hand sized pin fish are also great baits for catching huge snook. The fresher the bait is the better it will work. You need the odor molecules of the fish to disperse all through the water column.
Dead Mullet on the Beach for Snook---
Another great place to catch monster snook with dead mullet is the beach. Dead mullet fishing off of the beach is a fantastic way to catch snook when the mullet schools are around.
The snook will often stalk the trough that the waves make right next to the beach sand. This is a great place to pitch a huge chunk of fresh dead mullet if there are no waves. If there are waves then you will have to cast further out or the waves will just wash your bait up on the beach. You will also have to use weights to get the bait to stay in one spot.
Calm days at the beach are the times to fish dead mullet chunks in the trough for snook. You typically won't even need to use any weights heavier than an ounce because your dead mullet will usually stay in the trough.
DEAD MULLET TACKLE SECRETS---
You can use a 4000 to a 5500 series reel and get most of those big snook out of the mangroves just fine. Some of the bigger ones will still cut you off on the oyster encrusted roots of the mangrove trees but those sized reels will usually do the trick.
A 7 to 8 foot medium/heavy rod is a good choice for this kind of snook fishing.
I like to use 20 to 30 pound braided line and a 40 or 50 pound mono filament leader with a 5/0 inline circle hook. You can often get away with no sinker when you are up against the mangroves because the tide is usually not as strong up among the roots. If you do need one then use the lightest one that will keep your dead mullet pinned to the bottom.
There is a FREE online snook fishing course that you can access right on this same website. All you have to do is click on this link to see there various tips and techniques to catch tons of snook.
Watch the video below and learn how to use dead mullet to catch huge redfish.
How to Use Dead Mullet as Bait for REDFISH
Redfish are the least picky of the of the different species of fish mentioned in this article so far. Just about any cut bait will catch a redfish but I prefer using dead mullet and pin fish chunks the best.
Once again the head of the mullet is the best part of the fish to use for bait but the rest of the mullet works too.
Redfish are very focused on their sense of smell to find a meal. They have 4 nostrils to help them pinpoint where that delicious smelling dead mullet is. They will find it even if the water is very murky and stirred up. You just might have to wait a while.
Redfish are a lot like a snook but the are found farther north because they can handle cold water. Snook and tarpon cannot handle cold water. Snook rarely make if more north than Jacksonville or Pensacola, Florida and tarpon make it up to the Carolinas in the middle of the summer but don't stay there very long.
Redfish on the other hand, can be found all the way up to New Jersey and New York. In fact the largest redfish on record was 90 pounds and was caught in New Jersey on a piece of......... wait for it.........dead bait.
Dead Mullet as Bait around Mangroves and Docks
Redfish like to cruise the mangroves right alongside the snook that move with the tides within the mangrove roots. A well placed mullet head or the back half of the body with the tail cut off is a great way to catch a trophy sized redfish.
Another great place to catch a monster redfish is around dock pilings during the higher parts of the tide. The best docks are usually the older docks with lots of growth on the pilings.
A dock piling will gather oysters, barnacles, sponges, aquatic plants and other creatures that will attract prey items for redfish to eat. There are often shrimp, crabs and small fish that will also live among the dock pilings.
The redfish know this and will cruise the older dock pilings eating all of those marine creatures. That is why your big chunk of mullet, lady fish or pin fish near or under the docks will catch some monster sized redfish if they are in the area.
You can also catch them in any deep depressions between or towards the end of the docks too. Any depression is a great ambush point for predators to find some food.
I wrote another article on this website that is all about catching redfish. It is an online video fishing course and you can see it for FREE by clicking right here.
DEAD MULLET TACKLE SECRETS---
You can use the same tackle that you use for snook fishing with dead bait to catch redfish. The 4000 series reel and the medium heavy rod. If you want to step up to a 5500 series reel and 50 pound braid when you are looking for monsters around docks, that's okay too.
BUT the good news is that redfish don't have the uncanny ability to find any structure to wrap you around and cut your line like a snook will.
Don't get me wrong, sometimes they will run you straight into the dock pilings, oyster bars, mangrove roots.... but that is just dumb luck. They are just running once they feel the hook. Snook on the other hand will run straight towards structure the second that they figure out that they have a hook in them.
Watch this video to learn more about catching speckled trout with dead bait.
How to Use Dead Mullet as Bait for Speckled Trout
Many anglers see speckled trout as a grass flat species of fish. This is true but they will leave the flats and hunt the mangroves, docks, beaches and deep channels to find some food.
These spots are a great place to find a record trout for your personal best bragging rights.
Big speckled trout are actually decent fighters unlike the smaller ones. The smaller ones are usually a good fight only if you are using light tackle like a medium action rod and a 2500 series reels but the big ones will actually put up a great fight.
You will need to beef up your tackle if you are fishing around some structure for big speckled trout. A 4000 series reel and a medium/heavy rod are the way to go for those big trout. You will want to have 20 pound braided line and a 20 to 30 pound mono filament or fluorocarbon leader when you are fishing around structure.
I like to target BIG, HUGE speckled trout right where the mangroves end and drop off into a deeper depression or channel. Those big speckled trout love to wait in the deeper water where their spots have them perfectly camouflaged to ambush unsuspecting shrimp, crabs, and fish that swim between them and the mangrove roots.
BUT guess what? They would much rather eat a delicious freshly dead mullet than chase one all over the place. Your job is to find a good ambush spot and put your dead mullet there and wait for it to attract a MONSTER trout.
You can find a full how to catch a spotted sea trout online fishing course that I created right on this same website. You can see the online fishing course by clicking right here.
Conclusion:
The bottom line is if you want to catch huge tarpon, snook, redfish and speckled trout then your best bait choice is dead mullet or dead bait of some kind. Just remember that big fish like big baits. DEAD ONES!!!
You have to be extremely patient if you want to catch huge tarpon, snook, redfish and speckled trout. You might sink some dead baits in the perfect spot around the mangroves or a channel and wait for hours to catch a monster fish.
This technique is a good way to get skunked too. You are placing your entire bet on one good spot waiting for one good fish. BUT it will be well worth it if you manage to get one of those MONSTER sized fish on the end of your line.
There is something magical about catching a huge fish that has grown to a size that is amazing. Those fish have beaten the odds to reach those proportions. A 10 pound bass is a one in 5,000,000 survivor. Just think about the odds of a snook, redfish, trout or a tarpon growing to those record book monstrous proportions.
Bass don't have to worry about sharks or dolphins or the dozens of other predators that saltwater fish have to worry about.
Those huge tarpon, snook, redfish and trout are the perfect breeders for the continuation of the species. In a world where survival of the fittest is the rule, they have won. Please let them go if you catch one of these monster fish. They have earned it.
A picture lasts a lifetime but a filet only lasts for a few minutes.
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