Species › Mediterranean › Grey Mullet

Saltwater

Grey Mullet

Chelon labrosus · thick-lipped grey mullet, thin-lipped mullet, golden grey mullet

Water temp
61–77°F
Peak season
May–Sep
Best light
Daytime
IGFA record
—
Grey Mullet (Chelon labrosus 01 by dpc.jpg)

Photo: David Perez · CC BY 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

OverviewWhere & WhenHow to CatchGearRegulationsRecordsForecastCatches

Overview

Grey mullet are torpedo-shaped, large-scaled silver fish with a small mouth and two separate dorsal fins; the thick-lipped (Chelon labrosus), thin-lipped (Chelon ramada) and golden grey (Chelon auratus) are the three anglers meet from the British Isles through the Mediterranean. They graze algae and detritus from mud, weed and harbor walls, shoaling in estuaries, marinas, lagoons and canals in summer and tolerating near-fresh water. Slow-growing and long-lived, a 5 lb (2.3 kg) mullet is a trophy that demands fine lines, small hooks and patience, which is exactly why specialist anglers love them.

Typical size1–3 lb (0.5–1.4 kg); 12–20 in
Trophy5 lb+ anywhere; 7 lb+ is exceptional
Table fareFair — clean-water fish are good; harbor fish taste muddy

Where & when

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Mullet arrive in estuaries and harbors as water passes 55°F (13°C) in spring and feed through October; the Mediterranean season runs longer at both ends.

Venetian Lagoon, ItalyVast brackish lagoon with huge mullet shoalsChristchurch Harbour, United KingdomDorset estuary; the UK's best-known specimen mullet waterRia Formosa, PortugalAlgarve lagoon system with year-round mullet

How to catch

Float fishing breadPre-bait a harbor or estuary swim with mashed bread, then fish a small flake of bread on a size 10–12 hook under a light waggler set 2–4 ft deep. Strike only when the float slides positively away; mullet mouth a bait repeatedly before taking it.
Spinning a baited spoonFor thin-lipped mullet in estuaries, retrieve a small Mepps-style spinner trailing a 2 in length of ragworm on a short trace slowly through brackish channels. Fish the top of the tide and strike at the first solid pull.

Gear

Rod11–12' light float or Avon rod, 1–1.5 lb test curve
Reel2500–3000 spinning
Line4–6 lb mono mainline; 3–5 lb fluorocarbon hooklength

Lures

small baited spinnerstiny bread-fly patternsmicro soft plastics (rarely)

Baits

bread flakeragwormmaggotsfish-pasteharbor ragworm (maddies)

Regulations

No license is needed for sea angling in the UK or Ireland, while most Mediterranean countries require a recreational sea license and set minimum sizes for mullet. Specialist anglers release virtually all mullet because the fish grow so slowly.

Records

IGFA all-tackle world record: not listed. State and regional records are kept by each fish & wildlife agency.

Frequently asked

Why are grey mullet so hard to catch?

They feed mostly on algae and tiny organisms sucked from mud and weed, so they have little reason to eat a conventional bait, and their soft lips and small mouth let them test food repeatedly before committing. They also see well in clear water and spook at line and shadow. Pre-baiting with bread so a shoal learns to eat it, then fishing fine and striking late, turns the odds in your favor.

Bite forecast — Grey Mullet

Recent catches

Posted by anglers on the live map, filtered to Grey Mullet.

Pin: