Finger mullet are often overlooked as bait when it comes to targeting trout. Many anglers commonly use shrimp and mudminnows because they are readily available in local tackle shops. Some feel that finger mullet are too large for the smaller trout we catch this time of year, but the truth is that even a small trout can handle a 3”-5” mullet with no trouble. We’ve caught trout on a bait that was almost as large as they were and could not believe such a small fish would hit a bait that size. We’ve also come to find that many times the larger trout will come calling with a larger bait out there.
If you know how to throw a castnet you have the ability to catch and use live finger mullet for bait. You can find them cruising along the banks of just about any river and they are easy to spot when the schools are swimming on the surface. One of the best things about live finger mullet is the fact that the small “trash” fish that show up in the late summer will not bother your bait. Unless you put your live shrimp in front of the trout a small croaker or sailor’s choice will beat them to it and you end up feeding them instead of catching fish. With the exception of bluefish cut-offs, most of the time a strike on a finger mullet ends up in catching a fish. Finger mullet are also a big part of the diet for redfish, flounder, ladyfish, and bonnethead sharks. Another great quality is the hardiness of mullet. They do not require a lot of water and live much longer on the hook.
Rigging your bait under a float is one of the more popular ways to fish. Not only will the float let you know when you have a strike, it will also guide your bait along the path of the current and right past the ambush points of hungry trout. Some folks also rig them on a hook with a small split shot and cast and retrieve them like a grub. Next time try throwing a few finger mullet in the bait bucket when you head out for trout.
Andy Pickett,
CharlestonFishing.Com</font id=“blue”>