When And Where

Timing the migration can be a skill of its own. The main thing that pushes the bait is the weather. From the end of August into November, bait that is off the coasts of the Carolinas and Georgia head south to Florida.

Large storms, cooler weather spikes, and winds have a huge effect on the timing of their movement. A small spike in any of the above variables can kickstart the bait movement.

West winds will lay down the seas but in return push the bait sometimes a little too far off the beach in deeper water if it’s a consistent wind.

The rougher the seas the more sparse and broken up the pods will be.

Consistent light winds, slightly cooler temps, and calmer sea state make for the best time to find larger pods of mullet!

The Fish You Are Going To Encounter

This is the fun part, the answer is everything. The best part of the mullet run is encountering all the different fish that follow the mullet.
To name a few fish that you might encounter:

• Blacktip Sharks
• Spinner Sharks
• Bluefish
• Jack Crevalle
• Snook
• Tarpon
• Ladyfish
• Spanish Mackerel

All of these fish target mullet in their pods and can be targeted inshore and off the beach.

Some offshore species like kingfish get involved as well.

This blogpost is going to focus on the fish targeted in the intercostal and off the beaches but if you want to target the king mackerel, sailfish, mahi-mahi, wahoo, and more – give Capt. Scott Hamilton a call and he will have your drag screaming with some pelagics in no time.

Fly Rods

The first thing we’re going to look at is rod size. There are really three solid options depending on what fish you want to target: a 9, 10, or even an 11 weight.

The 9-weight is ideal for calmer days or when you want to throw smaller flies. It’s perfect for jacks, snook, ladyfish, and Spanish mackerel—or really any action you can find with a lighter pattern.

The 10-weight is my bread-and-butter mullet run rod. It’s got just enough backbone that, if you hook a good one, you still have a fighting chance. At the same time, it’s light enough that you can blind cast all day without getting too fatigued. Plus, it can throw a good-sized fly when you need it.

The 11-weight is for anglers specifically chasing full-grown tarpon—or looking to tangle with the man in the gray suit (sharks). When you need serious backbone or want to launch a full-size hog-leg mullet pattern 80 feet, this is the tool for the job. I wouldn’t typically carry just an 11-weight, but having a 9-weight with an 11 as backup is never a bad idea.

Reels
When it comes to mullet run reels, this is where I wouldn’t skimp. These fish pull hard, and the conditions they live in are unforgiving. Between saltwater, sand, and tough fish, it can be a recipe for disaster if your gear isn’t up to the task.

A few key things to look for when choosing a reel are backing capacity, durability, and a solid drag system.

You might be wondering about sealed drags (that’s a whole blog post on its own, but here’s the quick version): some of the best reels on the market—like Tibor and Abel Rove don’t have sealed drag systems. They’ve been used for years in harsh saltwater environments without issue. These reels work by compressing cork, which effectively seals the drag.

If you’re targeting large tarpon or sharks, I highly recommend getting the best reel you can afford.

Reels like the Tibor Everglades are among the best for a 9-weight setup. Abel also makes a fantastic SDS model if you’re looking for a top-tier option. For a more budget-friendly choice, the Orvis Hydros and Redington Grande are excellent reels that still check all the right boxes.

Having a reel with at least 180+ yards of backing is almost essential.

Lines, Leaders, And Bites

Fly Lines

A full intermediate line is going to be what you want. We use it specifically to cut through any chop on the water without slack in your connection to the fly.

If you’re going to be throwing larger top-water flies, we recommend the Scientific anglers amplitude smooth grand slam

The intermediate line will also get under any seaweed on the surface when stripped with the rod tip pointed down in the water. The best line currently out is the Sonar Intermediate

Leaders And Bite Tippet

There are a few different setups you can run depending on what you want to target and the size of your gear.

For the 9 weight. A 20lb 9-foot leader with a 30lb bite when targeting anything that wants to eat is generally a good starting point. The exception is when there is a lot of mackerel around. Then I would highly recommend the Orvis Retwistable Haywire Bite Guard in the 4″ 38lb option.

For the 10 weight. A 20Lb 9 foot leader with a 30-40lb fluorocarbon bite is going to work best when targeting the larger jacks, some 40-50lb tarpon, and big snook.

For the 11 weight. A 20lb 9 foot Leader with a 40-80lb bite section while targeting the large tarpon (drop as low as you can to get the bite). For sharks a 9ft 20lb leader with a 2-foot section of Rio Powerflex Wire Bite Tippet in 40lb.

Mullet run flies

The flies you’ll want may seem like an obvious choice—mullet patterns work extremely well.
Below are some individual flies we highly recommend having. We’ve also created an assortment box that provides a complete setup for success throughout the migration. While mullet patterns are very effective, sometimes switching things up with something different—such as the EP Mullet Bronze over White to imitate a croaker, or a darker gray pattern for overcast days—can improve your bite ratio.

Large poppers like the Blue & White are also incredibly fun during the mullet run, especially for jacks and tarpon. In the early mornings, when you can’t sight fish and there’s not much surface action, make some noise with a popper—something will find it.

Tips And Tricks

Here are just a few tips and tricks to help you have more success and a more pleasurable experience during the mullet run.

Cast on the edges

So when the bait gets pinned and corralled, predator fish will swim along the edges of bait and take turns blowing up along the edges. Tarpon and snook will normally find the straggling bait on the outside of the corralled pod and pick them off. That’s where you should be placing your fly.

Fish low and slow

Dredging through the middle of the pod, but deeper than most of the bait is what I’m talking about. With that intermediate line, we spoke about earlier, make a cast through the pod and wait a good 10-15 seconds before stripping it back in. Slow long strips almost making your fly kick up sand on the bottom, snook go crazy for this.

Adjust for the situation

Often pods of mullet have a higher concentration of certain fish. Whether it be jacks, mackerel, or a mix of tarpon and snook. Simply adjust your gear to the fish you are seeing. Carrying two rods is not a bad idea. A 10 weight rigged for jacks and snook, and an 11 weight rigged for large tarpon or sharks depending on what mood you are in.

Birds up in the sky

This is a pretty common one and should be used in general fishing throughout the year. Always look up, finding birds up in the sky or diving down is a tell-tale sign or an easy way to locate the school you have been looking for.

Be prepared to move

If you really want to have success during the mullet run, the only way to do it is to find the big pods of mullet. Be prepared to walk far or run the boat alot. Have plenty of water available for hydration.

Sunglasses are a must

If you want to see exactly what’s going on, you need to get yourself a pair of quality polarized sunglasses. Glare is a killer when it comes to seeing in the water. This allows you to see the fish, your fly, and the bait much better. To make it an even more effective combination, throw on a black under-brim hat for more glare prevention.

Jack attack

I’m throwing this one in there just for me. Over the years fishing the mullet run, one of the most fun things to do is throw big poppers for big jacks that are smashing baits. Fish them as aggressively as possible, make as much noise as possible. You will get the most incredible eats and they pull like freight trains. Focus on seawalls on the intercostal and pods of mullet getting attacked.

The sun helps

Finding mullet down the beach can be extremely easy sometimes. But overcast days make it tough if nothing is blowing up on the pod. The sunny, bright 12 o’clock hour makes it easier. Also, think past the time of 2-3PM – the sun will be behind you and not glaring in your face. It makes sight fishing a whole lot easier.

Other Gear To Help You Out

There is not much worse than realizing you have nothing to cut your line. Nippers are a life saver and way cheaper than a dentist visit.

Long nose pliers help a bunch when it comes to all the toothy critters you might get into. Mackerel, bluefish, jacks, and sharks will tear skin if you get too close. Please, use extra caution when dealing with mackerel and sharks – if you have to cut the fly, do it. (Pinch down your barbs, it makes things easier for everyone in involved!)

If on foot, washed up seaweed can be a pain to walk with your line stripped out. The Linekurv stripping basket has you covered on the days that are covered in seaweed. This item is not a must but on the days that there is a good amount of sargassum, you are going to be extremely glad you have it.

We’re Here To Help

Fly fishing the mullet run can be the most exciting and visual fishing of your year.

We want to make sure we have you prepared for anything you run into out there.

Give the shop a call or use the live chat feature and we will outfit you for your specific needs!

Mullet pics courtesy of Joe Uribe