queensland Best time to catch finger mullet from Brisbane river

[ubnt]

Hi friends,

Recently at night I use castnet to catch my bait fish herring, prawns and etc from various boat ramp and jetty in Brisbane river. However what I am looking for is little mullet and I couldn't catch any. 

What is the best time to catch them? Day or night? Tide Running in or out? I caught quite a lot last winter but since then I had no luck. Please help!

[Jono4500]

Hi ubnt 

I catch my share of mullet for bait in castnet, sometimes targeting sometimes as bycatch. Though I'd say I've never noticed a pattern, caught them before and after sunrise, high and low tide. A few specific conditions do stand out though, I think they usually hold high in water column, spook easy with boat traffic and head to shore, and on runout tides hang around run-off, drop off points. When struggling for bait Il walk/ cast up stream maybe every few metres ahead of me shallow, then again out deeper to cover ground. If quiet and undisturbed you can find mullet in ankle deep water foraging. Keep throwing you'll catch something! 

 

[ubnt]

Thanks Jono, very helpful information and I will try your methods to get better results!

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Hey @ubnt

Assuming that the jetties you are netting from are all relatively close to the port, mullet won’t be that common. The main thing you will get will be (banana and tiger) prawns, herring, glassies, and the odd anchovy/bony bream.

If you want mullet in the river you will need to find a relatively shallow mud bank, creek mouth, or sandy beach. A berley bomb or two won’t hurt either. I find that mullet school up more when the water is slightly cleaner, and they are more scattered when there is a lot of rain.

Assuming you are fishing for threadies or jewies, prawns and herring will work great as well.

Cheers Hamish

[ubnt]

Thanks Hamish for giving me more tips, interestingly i have been staying the same spots and last year i was catching heaps of mullets but few herrings, this year is completely opposite. That's why i suspect i fish different time this year. I will definitely try using herrings for jewie and thready from now on.

[Jimmyjack]

Herring will school up whereas generally you will get poddy mullet a te mouths of narrow gutters, on the drop off of sandbanks and yes, for sure on flats sand and mud. If you have a tinny you can go up little creeks and cast net by sight when you see them trying to get past.

[Sunny boy]

Thanks Jimmyjack!