Mullet minimum sizes how to tell for live bait????

[crazywalrus]

Hi

I have been reading through the new QLD minimum size limits and have been trying to work out which mullet you are able to use as bait. I can see there are many different species but how do you tell them apart so you are not doing the wrong thing when collecting live bait?

Mugil cephalus (Sea Mullet)

Liza vaigiensis (Diamondscale Mullet)

Aldrichetta forsteri (Yelloweye Mullet)

Liza argentea (Goldspot Mullet)

Valamugil seheli (Bluetail Mullet)

Other Mugilidae

I know in NSW there are allowances made for Poddy mullet "The term "poddy" refers to the juvenile of a particular species. Poddy mullet are very popular with anglers for use as live bait, especially in estuaries and around river mouths for flathead and off the beach when targeting tailor and mulloway/jewfish. However, it is difficult to identify the various species of mullet, particularly when they are juveniles. As a result anglers may take any species of mullet, for use as live bait only, provided they are less than 15cm and the total number does not exceed 20."

So can anybody tell me what to do so I am not in trouble with the fisheries dept?

Cheers Ted

[dassa]

Hey ted found this on qld fisheries web site I hope this helps

http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/28_14917.htm

Where about's in nsw do you come from?

[crazywalrus]

hehe no no I am a Queenslander, was FNQLD now Brisbane, I find the NSW DPI a much better site for information. Thanks Dassa, I did find that one on the QDPI site however both of them are 30cm minimum. I find the poddy mullet in the creeks looks a lot like the sea mullet. A 30cm live bait is a pretty big bait.

[Joel Eadie]

has anyone ever been asked by fisheries about mullet when they check your catch?

not that that makes it right if they dont just wondering

[marlin magic]

I got pulled up on the weekend and i had about 50 pody mullet and herring and they had a look and said nothing that was in the mary river mouth at river heads he was more interested in prawns had them 2

Cheers Brett

[rastus]

So the qld dpi site has 2 types of mullet both minium size of 30. There is no mullet in qld waters I can use as live bait?

[marlin magic]

mine were only about 150 mm to 180mm long and had no probs them

[dassa]

Hey ted big baits big fish hahahahaha

[crazywalrus]

yes Dassa my brother always says that

MM thanks for that. I still think if they wanted to enforce it they could. Maybe they do not know what the mullet are as well

[crazywalrus]

Rastus - There are other species but I can not tell them apart, hence the question to the forum.

[marlin magic]

crazywalrus wrote:

MM thanks for that. I still think if they wanted to enforce it they could. Maybe they do not know what the mullet are as well

[thousandyards]

its the kind of thing where you hope commonsense will rule with whoever's inspecting at the time......then again.......

if you keep them in a live well can they book you??

[elops]

Sea mullet Mugil cephalus can be Identified by their adipose eyelid this is a thick clear jelly like coating over the eye. B&F Patrol can identify mullet and do fine people if they find them with undersized sea mullet.

[crazywalrus]

ok thanks for that Elops I will have a look and see if I can see the eyelid - thanks for the reply

[Whiskers]

This is a topic I'm very interested in but I haven't really heard a straight answer yet so.

Is there any mullet in qld under 30 cm that can legally be used as bait?

Ta

Cam

[ellicat]

Yes - any apart from Diamondscale mullet and Seamullet.

The hard bit is determining which is which

/>http://www.sydneyfishmarket.com.au/Information/SpeciesInfo/tabid/91/xmmid/620/xmid/767/Default.aspx

[elops]

http://fishbase.sinica.edu.tw/Summary/speciessummary.php?id=785&genusname=mugil&speciesname=cephalus Sea Mullet

/>http://fishbase.sinica.edu.tw/identification/SpeciesList.cfm?famcode=359&areacode=

All Mullet

/>http://fishbase.sinica.edu.tw/keys/Allkeys.php?famcode=359 Identification Keys click on Western Central Pacific (Key No. 181) Then Open Key.

Have fun

[Whiskers]

Hahahaha ta for that but I'm starting to regret even asking :laugh:

Cam

[Mr FeLiX]

Whiskers wrote:

Hahahaha ta for that but I'm starting to regret even asking :laugh:

Cam

Hey mate,

I used to cast net for live mullet quite reguarly, and I've found the bulk of my catch look like yellow eyed mullet, with only very few being sea mullet.

I'm yet to see a diamond scale mullet from the areas I reguarly fish.

[crazywalrus]

elops wrote:

/>http://fishbase.sinica.edu.tw/identification/SpeciesList.cfm?famcode=359&areacode=

Wow I have looked through most of these guys and I find it hard to see much of difference to between them.

I just spoke to the fisheries guy at Pinkenba and he said that in relation to the juvenile ones it is hard to tell them apart and as long as they are for bait they do not take a lot of notice.

[Whiskers]

It's definatley a tuff one rules like this really make it hard for fishos trying to do the right thing but seriously now how do we justify size limits on mullet when you can legally keep huge breeding threddies? What's next Forktail catfish closed seasons LOL

Cam

[crazywalrus]

crazywalrus wrote:

I know in NSW there are allowances made for Poddy mullet "The term "poddy" refers to the juvenile of a particular species. Poddy mullet are very popular with anglers for use as live bait, especially in estuaries and around river mouths for flathead and off the beach when targeting tailor and mulloway/jewfish. However, it is difficult to identify the various species of mullet, particularly when they are juveniles. As a result anglers may take any species of mullet, for use as live bait only, provided they are less than 15cm and the total number does not exceed 20."

I agree, I feel if they are not going to police it they should put in place a similar rule as NSW above. At the end of the day the bag limits and minimum sizes are not in place for the honest concerned fisho, just the scum. Cheers Ted