Mullet Moon

The Finer Points of Finding and Imitating Mullet

by Ray Bondorew

A fog-shrouded evening surrounded "the Bass Stand" on Ocean Drive in Newport, Rhode Island that night. All the right ingredients were in place: a good sea running on an incoming tide, stripers as large as twenty-five pounds, and a sc hool of mullet in the wrong place at the wrong time. As he later confessed to the Rhody Fly Rodders, only exhaustion would force author Ken Abrames from the "bass stand" that night. But amazing as it might seem, such angling experiences are not unusal w hen bass target mullet.

Each year, mullet arrive in the waters of Rhode Island with the moon in September. One of the most preferred entrees of striped bass, mullet are colored in a bluishish gray, measure four to six inches in length and have the shape of a mummichog.

A passing school of finger mullet
leaves nervous water behind them

Given the mullet's "blocky" shape, it doesn't take many to satisfy a stripers appetite for a while. Moreover, mullet draw the attention of bass which are larger than the fish normally taken with a fly rod. Twenty-pounders are not uncommon, and several "j umbos" in the thirty to forty-pound class may also be mixed in when stripers follow a school of mullet. Because of the increase in the size of the bass around at this time, they will be in pods rather than large schools.

Finger Mullet: a spot
behind the gill is almost visible
see a larger jpeg
Each year I look forward to the mullet's arrival and the fabulous fishing they bring. The time to begin watching for them begins after Labor Day, around the time of the full moon. Having been fortunate enough to have enjoyed this fabulous fishing for man y years, I have made certain observations about this style of fishing which may help you to share my success.

First, you have to find the mullet! Several hours spent walking and observing the various spots along the shoreline attempting to locate the mullet will be time well spent. They are normally found very close to shore, mainly at the water's edge. Look for an agitated or shimmering surface that stands out from the surrounding area, and by all means, WEAR POLAROID GLASSES. Once found, keep in mind that mullet will often remain in a spot or in a general area for several days, or perh aps even a week or two. Remember too: when they leave, they are heading south.

Second, fish out past or along the sides of the school of mullet when you find them. Stripers have a habit of picking off those that stray away from home. Much of the time you will only notice a few fish break when a pod of bass attack a school of m ullet There may not be another sortie on the mullet for a while after the stripers have temporarily satisfied their appetite, but be patient and keep fishing. After initially assaulting the school, stripers often return to search out strays that have be en separated from the main school.

Along with these general observations, I have studied the shape and coloration of individual mullet by snagging several of them while fishing. This has led me to devise a pattern that I have found to be very reliable when stripers are "on mullet."

Ray's Mullet Fly

Designed by Ray Bondorew