# Why the Sea Mulet rarity?



## hugehail (May 25, 2013)

To further elaborate on the Sea Mullet, after initially appearing on April 3rd and then kicking into high gear on April 11-13th, I believe that the prolonged windstorm that started later on April 14th and persisted through early on the 20th may have had adverse effect on the Sea Mullet bite.
I cant think of another reason. The 18-19th were particularly bad down hear with 30-50 mph winds. Why would the storm affect Sea Mullet long after the storm is gone? I dont know. Do fish go offshore during storms? If so, then maybe they stayed offshore for a long time after the storm? But the Bluefish came back by the 25th, so why not the Mullet? Spot normally bite like crazy about 2 days after a fall wind storm. Why didnt the Sea Mullet do the same? Is the spring different somehow? Anyway, Im trying to learn from this experience.


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## AbuMike (Sep 3, 2007)

Water temps and clarity....They will return.


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## gshivar (Aug 29, 2006)

Not trying to be a smart a**, but fishing from one pier you have no mobility. If no sea mullet are around where you are, obviously you won't catch any. I fished lower CFR bout 2 wks ago and caught a few small sea mullet and many very tiny croaker. A few days later friends caught nice size sea mullet and in numbers (60+ fish). Have heard good reports (and bad) scattered up and down the NC coast. Guess the old saying :"You gotta be in the right place at the right time" will always be true. Again I do not mean to be too negative - Best - glenn


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## Loner (Sep 9, 2009)

...well this plot thickens again....last fall after 100 yrs or sea mullet all over Wrightsville bch...suddenly THEY WON'T THERE.....The best sand flea fishermen on the island could seldom manage more than 12 for ALL DAY fishing vs. the usual 65-100 normally landed.....citation size was down and folks were wondering ....WHERE'D THEY GO???
Has anyone considered that just maybe WE HAVE CAUGHT THEM????....
From Nags head to the SC LINE THERE ARE MORE SEA-MULLET FISHERMEN THAN EVER BEFORE...12 MONTHS a year.....RIVER RIGS....SAND-FLEA RAKES AND CELL PHONES ......
N.C. WATERS ARN'T LIMITLESS.......
Use to be very few SEA MULLET FISHERMEN beach to beach....now its a science...
We are just gonna have face the fact that we have OVER-FISHED SEA MULLET.....U KNOW kinda like KINGS, SPECKLED TROUT, FLOUNDER......SPANISH.......ECT AND WHATEVER...
It DON'T HELP NONE THAT THERE IS NO SIZE LIMIT ON EM...if he's long as a french fry he goes home to FRY.....


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## AbuMike (Sep 3, 2007)

Loner said:


> ...well this plot thickens again....last fall after 100 yrs or sea mullet all over Wrightsville bch...suddenly THEY WON'T THERE.....The best sand flea fishermen on the island could seldom manage more than 12 for ALL DAY fishing vs. the usual 65-100 normally landed.....citation size was down and folks were wondering ....WHERE'D THEY GO???
> Has anyone considered that just maybe WE HAVE CAUGHT THEM????....
> From Nags head to the SC LINE THERE ARE MORE SEA-MULLET FISHERMEN THAN EVER BEFORE...12 MONTHS a year.....RIVER RIGS....SAND-FLEA RAKES AND CELL PHONES ......
> N.C. WATERS ARN'T LIMITLESS.......
> ...


Really bud?????? The sky is falling, the sky is falling......PSA.....STOP USING RIVERRIGS IMMEDIATELY...


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## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

Loner said:


> ...well this plot thickens again....last fall after 100 yrs or sea mullet all over Wrightsville bch...suddenly THEY WON'T THERE.....The best sand flea fishermen on the island could seldom manage more than 12 for ALL DAY fishing vs. the usual 65-100 normally landed.....citation size was down and folks were wondering ....WHERE'D THEY GO???
> Has anyone considered that just maybe WE HAVE CAUGHT THEM????....
> From Nags head to the SC LINE THERE ARE MORE SEA-MULLET FISHERMEN THAN EVER BEFORE...12 MONTHS a year.....RIVER RIGS....SAND-FLEA RAKES AND CELL PHONES ......
> N.C. WATERS ARN'T LIMITLESS.......
> ...


What he said

Can't blame the Commercial Fishermen much for this fellas 

Leave them Sea Mullet alone for a few seasons and let them grow up to big enough to reproduce


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## HStew (Jan 8, 2009)

someone told me doug caught em' all


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## Loner (Sep 9, 2009)

...just real hard for hook and liners to admit its NOT NETS.....The NEW NC MENTALITIY..(CCA INDUCED).IF ANY FISH AIN'T THICK...ITS ALL THOSE NETTERS!!!.
I will tell U what is the thickest in NC, these days......NEWBYS...NEW TO THE AREA'S....NORTHERN IMMIGRANTS, WEST COASTY'S.....no one wants to hear it but UNTIL WE STOP THIS MASS IMMIGRATION TO THIS STATE....AS FAR AS FISHING GOES...we be fighting a fire with GASOLINE..........
....Come out of a winter fishing seminar....buy em a Ulgy stick, penn reel and a Walmart cooler and HERE WE GO!!!....remember that ole dog that folks used to make feel better about killing any fish????...JUST KEEPING A FEW TO EAT....X A THOUSAND WAL-MART COOLERS.....wonder where the trout went?......wonder were the spots are?...wonder where the sea mullet, flounder and puppy drum went.......


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## moose22dog (Feb 17, 2010)

Figures the Yankees are to blam...


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## HStew (Jan 8, 2009)

Loner, 
I'm in agreement with with you on this one as well as other interests you have brought to the forum. All one has to do is pop a few cooler tops during a fall "spot run" on any N.C. pier (which is easiest to access) to see the excess of undersized fish kept. It is just sad comedy to stand close to the fish cleaning table watching fellow "sportsmen" slabbing off bite size spot fillets with a Bowie knife. I'm close to 70 and I don't think I will ever see again the day when folks put a few "keepers " for dinner and release the rest. Got to pay for the trip somehow,right?


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## GrrBeck (Aug 14, 2013)

Lemon.


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## bronzbck1 (Jun 13, 2007)

There's plenty of mullet out there just move if your not catching any. Shrimp trawlers have put the smack down on spot.
If you think the river rig is hurting mullet then look out puppy drum, blues, strippers because One More Cast has the River Rig versions for them too.


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## pods (Sep 10, 2013)

I never saw the reasoning behind keeping such a small fish. A 6 inch mullet? Maybe a fish soup or something.
This winter was a really rough one, maybe timing is off somewhat?
Most of the people I see who are "fishing" while at the beach on vacation are trying to drown squid strips or feeding pinfish shrimp using 6 oz of lead and 30 lb test tossed from a noodle. They never seem to entertain many fish. 
Last year while crossing the dunes we passed a house with a full rack of rods. I asked a guy on the deck why aren't they out fishing? He said he couldn't get 7 to hold. We proceeded to hold fine using 3 oz sputniks or 4 oz pyramid. They had short rods with heavy mono. Prolly didn't get much past the first breakers. 
Maybe the piers are different, but from the surf I do not see coolers full of anything but beer.


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## hugehail (May 25, 2013)

I dont normally keep small fish, but I had to keep a few this time since there were no big ones. Well I take that back, I caught 2 decent sizes sea mullet
and I fished several all nighters. and was on the pier off and on for 12 days. The water looked great for sea mullet on several of these days, but nothing.

I still think that storm chased them out to sea. That may not be the entire reason but it may be part of it. Why else would they show up on several
piers in good numbers and then peter out during and after a storm? I think that for some years, the weather pattern causes the migrations of certain
fish to stay further out to sea, out of the range of pier and surf fisherman. This may be the case for sea mullet. Then of course if you add the overfishing problem, then...

As for Spot, perhaps they are staying further north given the milder winters were are having over the past 20-25 years? But perhaps this fall the Spot will show up in
bigger numbers since we just had a chilly winter? Are they catching tons up there in VA/NJ? If so, then it may be a climate issue. If not, then we may indeed have a severe overfishing problem. I wouldnt mind the netters so much if the wealth were spread a little. But I cant buy Spot or Sea Mullet or Bluefish in Kansas or most ocean fish for that matter. All I can buy are catfish, tilapia and Salmon. The netters are helping some people, but they sure aren't benefiting me where I live. 

I am just glad than not many people like to eat Blues. lol. They taste so bad!!


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## ncrabbithunter (Jun 22, 2012)

Check the coolers on the piers,mullets so small you wonder how they even bit a hook.Same with black drum last season!! And apparently the new black drum regs dont apply to piers cause I have seen undersized drum still being hauled off.Maybe we will have a few decent mullet show back up.


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## CJS (Oct 2, 2006)

So one guy goes out after one of the coldest winters in a long, long time during an April that has had crazy weather and he doesn't fill a cooler with big mullet . . . Mullet are now scarce and are being overfished? Really?

In my experience, fish don't eat with the same urgency in the spring that they do in the fall. Throw in some strange weather after a bitter cold winter and you have the makings for a slow spring and a bad fishing trip. If I wanted to catch big sea mullet, I wouldn't be fishing this April regardless of last year's reports or what the water temps say.


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## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

"I dont normally keep small fish, but I had to keep a few this time since there were no big ones"

There is your answer

Multiply by several thousand fishermen each week keeping all they catch and that is why the Spawning Stock are depleted and the large schools of the past are now just that past


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## 1BadF350 (Jul 19, 2006)

moose22dog said:


> Figures the Yankees are to blam...


If you pay attention to Loner's rantings, Yankees and just about anyone outside the NC state border are to blame for all of his problems. This thread is no exception and no surprise.


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## jakuka (Oct 12, 2009)

pods said:


> Most of the people I see who are "fishing" while at the beach on vacation never seem to entertain many fish. Maybe the piers are different, but from the surf I do not see coolers full of anything but beer.


I'll second that comment. 


I'd bet that as a whole, the majority of dingbatters do far more good bringing money into the local economy than they do bad by overharvesting fish populations. 
But at the same time it's crazy to think it never has anything to with rod and reel fisherman- it's easy to overlook them because, unlike comm operations, it's much harder to document as their is only anecdotal evidence here and there that is impossible to keep track and seems less offensive when it only happens a little bit at a time. Sure as heck does add up though. Those that have been around long enough can probably recall over the years that fish numbers seem to go through cylces. They come and go for different reasons and it's always been a debate as to why. It just seems way too soon blame anyone for the sea mullet bite over the course of a single season. Could show up thick in a couple of weeks for all I know.


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## bronzbck1 (Jun 13, 2007)

So you go fishing and don't catch sea mullet for once and the population doomed. Someone forgot to tell the mullet that today! 
I think it is the invention of the sand flea rake.  you guys are nuts!


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## JAM (Jul 22, 2002)

Loner 

You sound like an add for the CCA, which stands for Can't Catch Anything. Funny you say there are none left when in the past 3 years I have caught more Sea Mullet then I ever have before, not to mention 4 Citations.. I humbly disagree with you.... 

JAM


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## Loner (Sep 9, 2009)

JAM said:


> Loner
> 
> You sound like an add for the CCA, which stands for Can't Catch Anything. Funny you say there are none left when in the past 3 years I have caught more Sea Mullet then I ever have before, not to mention 4 Citations.. I humbly disagree with you....
> 
> JAM


...Hey John A......U fish Hatteras don't you???....well in reading reports from up there I have to agree with U that that area HAS had the BEST FISHING for sea mullet and pomps probably in the state...4 citations???....sounds good....before last fall it was a strange season when a GOOD FLEA FISHERMAN had less than 25 for a season...we use to get 3 lbers right along too....I really hope all the citation hunters for seamullet and pomps HEAD YOUR WAY.....
Our sea mullet have hit the skids down here....
Please remember that down here (kure-Topsail) we TARGET THOSE BIG MULLET...and big pomps...folks fish every fishable day in Nov-Dec......when all the rest of the fishermen are surf trouting and such...many continure to dig fleas and hit the sloughs....
The ONLY WAY CCA will EVER SEE A CENT OF MY MONEY IS IF THEY BE STANDING THERE WHEN I PUT CASH IN A drink machine.....GAMEFISH???...MY a$$!


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## Loner (Sep 9, 2009)

1BadF350 said:


> If you pay attention to Loner's rantings, Yankees and just about anyone outside the NC state border are to blame for all of his problems. This thread is no exception and no surprise.


....10-4 GOOD BUDDY.....of course I am the ONLY ONE in this state that feels that way!!!


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## gilly21 (Feb 15, 2006)

pods said:


> I never saw the reasoning behind keeping such a small fish. A 6 inch mullet? Maybe a fish soup or something.
> This winter was a really rough one, maybe timing is off somewhat?


You must not know too many big drum fishermen? Eating the sea mullet is a secondary benefit for me. over 10" and the noggin is tough to get much distance with. 4-5" and its just a tail whack like a finger mullet. Caught right many big drum that way. Guess I screwed up the Sea mullet population. Sorry guys.

Come to think of it a bit more....Drum populations from SC-VA are better then they have been in many many years. I bet they are to blame for the drop in sea monkey population more then anything. Just like stripers killed the blue crab population in the early 2000's. We should start eating big drum and stripers more to bring balance back. Im thankful that we have intervened so much, and understand the fish populations so well, that we can make changes and assessments so accurately on the fly. 

Hugehail,
Sorry you had a crappy trip. Cant catch every big storm any more that you can expect every year to fit the norm. My post isnt aimed at you, I'm just being obtuse and a bit of an A$$. I know you did your research and picked the best time based on historical data. Just cant control the weather. You probably know that more then weather than anyone on here. Good luck next trip!

Loner,
I hate yankees too. Thats why I left Jersey  and assimilated.


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## hugehail (May 25, 2013)

Loner,

Yeah I know its all good. I have read some of your posts in the past and you seem to know a lot about fishing. I actually had a good trip because we caught a lot of Blues. I was just surprised that the Sea Mullet didnt show up for the party. And as far as overfishing goes, I hope noone is blaming me.  Blame all the guys with season passes who slay the Sea Mullet at every opportunity.


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## JAM (Jul 22, 2002)

Well maybe Obama can make an Affordable Fish Act, where they will Take Fish away from people who caught it and redistribute it to those that Can't Catch... 

JAM


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## rabbitdog2 (Aug 20, 2011)

Don't give him any ideas


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## GrrBeck (Aug 14, 2013)

JAM said:


> Well maybe Obama can make an Affordable Fish Act, where they will Take Fish away from people who caught it and redistribute it to those that Can't Catch...
> 
> JAM


I guess congress could pass a bill that would be similar in regard to the ignorance surrounding it.


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## childress (Jul 1, 2013)

JAM said:


> Well maybe Obama can make an Affordable Fish Act, where they will Take Fish away from people who caught it and redistribute it to those that Can't Catch...
> 
> JAM


Hopefully pierandsurf.com holds up better than healthcare.gov


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## DrumintheSuds (Nov 19, 2007)

I have had ZERO PROBLEMS catching nice sea mullet the past few years. I also fish where there are lots of sandfleas, coquina clams, sand worms and the beaches aren't replenished.....

Have they disappeared? Hell no!
Are there numbers like they used to be? Probably not!

Unfortunately we live in an imperfect world where you can't be alone on the beach with nobody around you for 10 miles. We all have to share the resources too whether you are a NC native, a transplant from somewhere else, a happy go lucky person or an angry old man. With environmental Nazis fighting our access I think we have bigger problems than there not being a gazillion sea mullet


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## dlpetrey (Oct 30, 2013)

DrumintheSuds said:


> I have had ZERO PROBLEMS catching nice sea mullet the past few years. I also fish where there are lots of sandfleas, coquina clams, sand worms and the beaches aren't replenished.....
> 
> Have they disappeared? Hell no!
> Are there numbers like they used to be? Probably not!
> ...


Plus 1 Million! Exactly.


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## gshivar (Aug 29, 2006)

DrumintheSuds - you got it right - actually, I think there are more larger sea mullet now than I can remember. I went spanish fishing this morning and covered a lot of territory and did zip. Doesn't mean there are no spanish. Just I went to the wrong places. best - glenn


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## GrrBeck (Aug 14, 2013)

Lemon.


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## abass105 (Jun 13, 2006)

DrumintheSuds said:


> I have had ZERO PROBLEMS catching nice sea mullet the past few years. I also fish where there are lots of sandfleas, coquina clams, sand worms and the beaches aren't replenished.....
> 
> Have they disappeared? Hell no!
> Are there numbers like they used to be? Probably not!
> ...


Well said DIS, you hit the nail dead square on the head.


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## bronzbck1 (Jun 13, 2007)

hugehail said:


> Loner,
> 
> Yeah I know its all good. I have read some of your posts in the past and you seem to know a lot about fishing. I actually had a good trip because we caught a lot of Blues. I was just surprised that the Sea Mullet didnt show up for the party. And as far as overfishing goes, I hope noone is blaming me.  Blame all the guys with season passes who slay the Sea Mullet at every opportunity.


The blues run off the mullet you guys need to wake up


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## Loner (Sep 9, 2009)

...the #1 fish that really needs some kind of protection......has to be the POMP......COOLERS FULL OF POTATO CHIP SIZE POMPS filling the cleaning sinks.....this old Loner will keep no pomp under 2 lb.......


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## pods (Sep 10, 2013)

Loner said:


> ...the #1 fish that really needs some kind of protection......has to be the POMP......COOLERS FULL OF POTATO CHIP SIZE POMPS filling the cleaning sinks.....this old Loner will keep no pomp under 2 lb.......


Last year after landing a little pomp at Topsail, which I smiled at and released, a guy came up to me and said if I didn't want to keep them he would take them. Something about that always chaps my ass. No doubt it would have been butchered with a bowie knife and resulted in a fish stick with several bones sticking out. I offered up the guy some fleas and said that was what I was catching them on, but he shook his head.
I love eating fish, but come on. I tend to self regulate on what I keep so I (or my kids) can land some big ones in the future.


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## bronzbck1 (Jun 13, 2007)

Loner said:


> ...the #1 fish that really needs some kind of protection......has to be the POMP......COOLERS FULL OF POTATO CHIP SIZE POMPS filling the cleaning sinks.....this old Loner will keep no pomp under 2 lb.......


We have the biggest and most pomps I've seen in years.
I have never seen the size we have now that was showed up in the last three years
Buy some River Rigs and you will see!


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## Loner (Sep 9, 2009)

bronzbck1 said:


> We have the biggest and most pomps I've seen in years.
> I have never seen the size we have now that was showed up in the last three years
> Buy some River Rigs and you will see!


..HOW LONG u BEEN POMP FISHING BRONZE????....OBVIOUSLY NOT LONG!!!
...i wouldn't trade MY RIG for a floor full of Rivers!!!!...River makes a fine rig...but some of us had HIS RIG PRINCIPLES DOWN about 10 yrs before his hit the market...we found out by TRIAL AND ERROR..U know BY GOING FISHING!!!!.now the blind masses just buy em a pile and here we go....
Good as his rig is..good as ANY RIG IS .....JUST BUYING ONE AND THROWING IT OUT...WON'T MAKE FISH COME TO IT..


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## 1BadF350 (Jul 19, 2006)

Loner said:


> ..HOW LONG u BEEN POMP FISHING BRONZE????....OBVIOUSLY NOT LONG!!!
> ...i wouldn't trade MY RIG for a floor full of Rivers!!!!...River makes a fine rig...but some of us had HIS RIG PRINCIPLES DOWN about 10 yrs before his hit the market...we found out by TRIAL AND ERROR..U know BY GOING FISHING!!!!.now the blind masses just buy em a pile and here we go....
> Good as his rig is..good as ANY RIG IS .....JUST BUYING ONE AND THROWING IT OUT...WON'T MAKE FISH COME TO IT..


OH THE BLIND MASSES!!! Really??? Dude you need to check yourself. You are not the only person in the world allowed to fish. You do not own the water. I really get tired of you droning ON and ON about how the solution to all your problems is to blame everyone else. I dont mean this next statement as an insult to anyone, but I imagine many towns would become third world countries if "the blind masses" stopped coming. Then you'd still be droning about how THAT is everyone elses fault.

PS: Do us all a favor. go get a screwdriver and stab it through your caps lock button.


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## DrumintheSuds (Nov 19, 2007)

Loner said:


> ..HOW LONG u BEEN POMP FISHING BRONZE????....OBVIOUSLY NOT LONG!!!
> ...i wouldn't trade MY RIG for a floor full of Rivers!!!!...River makes a fine rig...but some of us had HIS RIG PRINCIPLES DOWN about 10 yrs before his hit the market...we found out by TRIAL AND ERROR..U know BY GOING FISHING!!!!.now the blind masses just buy em a pile and here we go....
> Good as his rig is..good as ANY RIG IS .....JUST BUYING ONE AND THROWING IT OUT...WON'T MAKE FISH COME TO IT..


Agree with you here! In my opinion it isn't long division to figure this out......

Best flea man I knew (man who taught me) gave me 2 pieces of "rig" advice when it came to catching pomps and sea mullet. Long traces and keep em on the bottom. His rig was a re-tied double bottom rig with the wire booms and long pre-tied snells. He also taught me to low spike my rods.......

I can't recall EVER seeing him fish in water deeper than 2 feet


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## greg12345 (Jan 8, 2007)

plenty of citation mullets on topsail...most important thing is to get off the planks and on the beach...south end...live fleas...no shortage imo


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## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

1BadF350 said:


> OH THE BLIND MASSES!!! Really??? Dude you need to check yourself. You are not the only person in the world allowed to fish. You do not own the water. I really get tired of you droning ON and ON about how the solution to all your problems is to blame everyone else. I dont mean this next statement as an insult to anyone, but I imagine many towns would become third world countries if "the blind masses" stopped coming. Then you'd still be droning about how THAT is everyone elses fault.
> 
> PS: Do us all a favor. go get a screwdriver and stab it through your caps lock button.


That is what is wrong with the Internet there is no respect for the old people

Keep on hitting that CAPS button Loner and by the way I put a new butt wrap on my King Mackerel fighting heaver and new drag washers in my 4/0's and 6/0's and cleaned and re lubed the drags and gears on my 10000 and 9000's. I am there is spirit with you and Deep and perhaps later this Fall will be there in person....chucking out giant sea mullet heads for whatever eats them down your way....


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## Loner (Sep 9, 2009)

1BadF350 said:


> OH THE BLIND MASSES!!! Really??? Dude you need to check yourself. You are not the only person in the world allowed to fish. You do not own the water. I really get tired of you droning ON and ON about how the solution to all your problems is to blame everyone else. I dont mean this next statement as an insult to anyone, but I imagine many towns would become third world countries if "the blind masses" stopped coming. Then you'd still be droning about how THAT is everyone elses fault.
> 
> PS: Do us all a favor. go get a screwdriver and stab it through your caps lock button.


...yes sir BIG FORD.....nah..I LIKE MY CAPS LOCK BUTTON...u BE THE only one GETTING TIRED.......i AM THE WRONG one to threaten with NO ONE COMING TO MY TOWN!!!!....i will ASSURE YOU.. I AIN'T GONNA MISS NO ONE!!!


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## Loner (Sep 9, 2009)

Garboman said:


> That is what is wrong with the Internet there is no respect for the old people
> 
> Keep on hitting that CAPS button Loner and by the way I put a new butt wrap on my King Mackerel fighting heaver and new drag washers in my 4/0's and 6/0's and cleaned and re lubed the drags and gears on my 10000 and 9000's. I am there is spirit with you and Deep and perhaps later this Fall will be there in person....chucking out giant sea mullet heads for whatever eats them down your way....


....Seen a lot of ANGER and FRUSTRATION on these boards.....G =man they already have landed 6-8 macks on the Ocean Crest Pier......prolly about 40 rigs out....


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## bronzbck1 (Jun 13, 2007)

Loner said:


> ..HOW LONG u BEEN POMP FISHING BRONZE????....OBVIOUSLY NOT LONG!!!
> ...i wouldn't trade MY RIG for a floor full of Rivers!!!!...River makes a fine rig...but some of us had HIS RIG PRINCIPLES DOWN about 10 yrs before his hit the market...we found out by TRIAL AND ERROR..U know BY GOING FISHING!!!!.now the blind masses just buy em a pile and here we go....
> Good as his rig is..good as ANY RIG IS .....JUST BUYING ONE AND THROWING IT OUT...WON'T MAKE FISH COME TO IT..


Since the 70's but what do I know. I just fish all the time and I'm in touch with those that are when I'm not. Stand in line on the invention of the River Rig everyone THINKS they tied it years ago. Pomps and Mullet are thick in numbers & size, go fish!


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## Loner (Sep 9, 2009)

bronzbck1 said:


> Since the 70's but what do I know. I just fish all the time and I'm in touch with those that are when I'm not. Stand in line on the invention of the River Rig everyone THINKS they tied it years ago. Pomps and Mullet are thick in numbers & size, go fish!


..10-4 bb..............


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## bad luck (Jul 6, 2010)

Loner said:


> ...
> I will tell U what is the thickest in NC, these days......NEWBYS...NEW TO THE AREA'S....NORTHERN IMMIGRANTS, WEST COASTY'S.....no one wants to hear it but UNTIL WE STOP THIS MASS IMMIGRATION TO THIS STATE...........


I'll bite on this one.....

there's more migration here from S of the TX and AZ borders than the Northern states, and those "newbies" don't throw anything back. 

Most of your northerners pound beer on the shore and spend money. When they want to catch fish, they stay up north and use this new invention many of them own, but there doesn't seem to be nearly as many of in NC and SC. It is called the boat and there not a lot of them in these states compared to, say OH or MI.


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## gilly21 (Feb 15, 2006)

Holy thread drift Batman. I'm hitting the surf this weekend and hope to get a couple mullet to chop up for bait.


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## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

Loner said:


> ....Seen a lot of ANGER and FRUSTRATION on these boards.....G =man they already have landed 6-8 macks on the Ocean Crest Pier......prolly about 40 rigs out....


Since this thread has all ready been jacked

1980's it was 6-8 rigs out and 40 Kings on the deck, Global Warming or overfishing or perhaps Omega and the Drop netters

June 1985 Nags Head Pier one fine day 37 Kings, 4 Cobia, 4-5 30 pound Jack Crevalles, First King hit my bait as the sun was peeking over the horizon. Later that morning saw a seven foot long King Mackerel come into the baits, I think he was pushing 100 pounds likely, he sure looked mean and bad ass.... Broke off three King Mackerel that day by mistake, one was a forty pounder, still managed to catch four Kings and a 50 pound Cobia. This was my best day ever on the Tee, it was all down hill after the Sun set on that day, and I chased the feeling for ten more years

July 1985 Nags Head Pier over 100 separate Cobia Hits on pin rigs between Dawn and late Afternoon, for some reason they quit early that day

Can not remember any shortage of Sea Mullets back then, must be the River Rigs wiping them out

Like Bronze Man all ready said if the Blues came in thick all the other small fish headed offshore or at least less dangerous waters...and would come back later that night...........Fishery studies have the smaller Bluefish heading offshore a mile or more after it gets to be full Dark.............probably clearing out of the surf zone cause Mr. Hammerhead and Mr. Dusky head inshore to feed at Dusk...


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## LEADDRAFT (Oct 9, 2001)

Loner,,,, AND others...
Early Morning reply as it 5.04 AM, AND I'm supposed to hit the planks King-Fishing today...
Guess what, I'm NOT... (I'll wait till tomorrow Morn, before those Tourons come-down)..
There are SEVERAL Factors some **On-Going*, some, not so much so...
As Far as the Sea-mullet, Things to consider...
1. We've had the COLDEST, longest Winter HERE in NC, that I can remember, in about (Help Me out here folks),, 20 years? Or more?? Earliest snow to fall EVER Last Nov. here in Wilm... When the Mullet bite "Shoulda" been still Hot, or going on?
2. Spring "arrived", If you could call 1 week of "spring-like weather" before turning into dern near summer? With the water Temps really NOT co operating?
3. The Mullet Migration came as far, UP TO say around , Sunset beach, (Tubbs Inlet), then STOPPED... WHY? My Daughter, (as I posted in the sc Forum), they Slaughtered the Mullet AND Spanish, UNTIL, (ahh caps lock button, trying to make a point), That BLOW that began around when? Last week or 2 of April, and Lasted until recently...
4. I believe Fish run fairly much in Cycles, During the 80's, I cannot remember a Huge "amounts" of Sea Mullet caught off the Pier(s) or the Surf... Though the One's that were caught were puppy Drum size... Though Now I see "regular catches" of Nice mullet,from time to time.
5. YES there IS A NET PROBLEM, 2 in fact. ALL My days King Fishing in the SPRING; I can still recall, and STILL see net **SETS** up and Down Carolina Beach, down to Ft. Fisher.. (How do you think those Large Sea Mullet show up in the Bait/Tackle, sea food houses?) LOOK at some of your "working waterfronts" Ever see a boat, or 2 with Net Reels/Drum(s), set/mounted on the back of a Boat? I've seen PLENTY down here My way.. 
Second answer to part of #5..... For Spots/Whiting/Drum/Croakers/Sea Trout ad infinitum.. Are taken & KILLED before they can EVER make it INTO the Ocean to Grow-up...
LOOK NO FURTHER than those Shrimp boats/Trawlers that are RAPING Nursery areas that are in the Pamlico Sound, THINK you have a *Documented* BY-CATCH, of around ONE Pound of Shrimp to roughly 4 pounds of BY-CATCH that are comprised of Juvenile Fin-fish, Spots/mullet/croaker etc... I posted a video link here not long ago showing the "Catch" of one of these Wanchse Trawlers working into/inside the Pamlico Sound... 21,000,000 POUNDS, (yes that's Million), of Juvenile Fin-fish Killed during these operations, Year after YEARS, it will begin, (has already) to affect the Fish populations and Recruitment classes... Of the Fish affected..
Inside Shrimping of our Waterway's & Estuarine areas has to STOP! 
Anyone here remember the "Spot-Runs"... They would start Mid-Late Sept., and Last until Late Oct? Now If your Lucky enough you'll see a 1~3 Day Spot Run, (Or several small ones) During the fall...
Past *2 years, I've seen NO SPOT run at all*.... Spring Spots, I've not seen ANY in several years....
6. this is a BIGGIE,,, Beach ReNourishment.... If you effectively cover and KILL sand fleas, Coquina Clams and all the other critters that Sea Mullet/Pomps/Drum, red& black, feed on, think Will they be there? Just waiting for you to catch them? NO they are GONE-Elsewhere to find something to eat..
So in closing, I'll Chalk up this & the coming years to several factors.
Not necessarily in this order..
Weather
Shrimping AND netting in the inside waterways MUCH of it in the Pamlico Sound & adjoining Estuaries ..
Beach re Nourishment, equals NO FOOD.
Net Sets in the Springtime Targeting, yes, Sea Mullet... 
Yes, there is over-fishing occurring, though NOT the Kind Loner says... More like 21,000,000 MILLION pounds of Juvenile fin-fish dumped overboard by Pamlico Sound TRAWLERS...Every year....
I hope to post First King report, or Cobia Tomorrow afternoon, and what-ever else I see caught... 
Anyone else wish to Kindly reply, please do...


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## DrumintheSuds (Nov 19, 2007)

LEADDRAFT

Great post brother.......especially #6. These fish don't come into the slough looking for shrimp and cut bait; they feed on fleas, coquinas and worms

That's EXACTLY why I look for the "healthiest" beach I can find when hole hunting


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## andrews (Jul 20, 2009)

If this thread isn't the best damn toilet reading material then I don't know what is.


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## pods (Sep 10, 2013)

Question about beach re-nourishment: When all that sand is pumped up on shore to help rebuild the dune, it basically washes back out to sea slowly and fills in the guts and flattens the beach? Or does it smother baby fleas/clams?
I was wondering about Topsail. It always seemed like a really flat beach. I wonder if pumping that sand to rebuild the beach just ends up filling in the guts and removing structure.
Thanks


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## susanobx (Nov 24, 2007)

Seems there were plenty. I only turned in the ones I was entering into the CHAC members contest. 

Pomp season off to a good start this year. Caught these Sunday, May 4, 2014


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## LEADDRAFT (Oct 9, 2001)

pods said:


> Question about beach re-nourishment: When all that sand is pumped up on shore to help rebuild the dune, it basically washes back out to sea slowly and fills in the guts and flattens the beach? Or does it smother baby fleas/clams?
> I was wondering about Topsail. It always seemed like a really flat beach. I wonder if pumping that sand to rebuild the beach just ends up filling in the guts and removing structure.
> Thanks


I'll TRY, to answer that question.... In EVERY experience that I've come across *Beach Re nourishment", the End result is ALWAYS the same..... Sand is NOT pumped up to "restore" Sand Dunes, Pumped sand, (several feet pumped onto the beach) smothers everything & kills whatever is there... It usually take 1~3 years for the beach "itself" to be, how can I say, repopulated by the critters.... The sand pumped up on the beach, "MIGRATES", downstream of wherever it's pumped...
Classic example... Carolina Beach Northend.... 4+ feet of sand that was "washed away" eg: Migrated, downstream during Nor-Easters over this past Winter. Look at this cam here--> http://www.surfchex.com/carolina-beach-web-cam.php ,,, when this Cam pans to the LEFT you will see Pilings, they stood/stand 5 feet outta the water,then, they were covered; AFTER,,, re nourishment , Sand then effectively went "Downstream", though the end depth of the pier stayed the same... Now those pilings are exactly where they were BEFORE, the .GOV pumped sand on the beach! (sticking 5 feet outta the water).... though plenty of new "slews" were created, or OLD ones showed back up.... As far as critters, I didn't check this morning, (I should have).....Beach Re-Nourishment=taking a couple million dollars and just dumping it off the end of a pier... period...
there are some excellent papers on-line that explains beach "mechanics"... They ARE CONSANTLY MOVING/migrating.... thus trying to Keep sand "pumped" onto beaches is really a FRUITLESS Wasted effort...
As Druminthesuds says look for a healthy beach, LIFE, fleas/Clams, or watch the piping plovers, at least they'll show you if there IS LIFE, If they are NOT there, Move on....

Morning report...
Water temp, (I measured it) is at 67 Degrees.... Blues/Blues & more blues.... KING GREEN Water....


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## DrumintheSuds (Nov 19, 2007)

A beach is an ecosystem and when it gets mucked with and out of flux it affects EVERYTHING......LEADDRAFT pointed out something very important with the birds. It's no different than you following birds offshore. Those birds running down by the waters edge are looking for baby fleas, baby clams and sandworms and I can promise you they WILL find them and so will the fish. When I get into the area I like to hunt the first thing I look for are those birds followed by bubbling sand......After that it's all about dialing in the "right spot"


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## River (Sep 30, 2006)

Nice Post LEADDRAFT ---- just because you don't catch em HH doesn't mean they're gone, there are a lot of things that effect Sea Mullet like: No Fleas, too many Fleas, predators (Blues, Porpoises, big Drum, etc), Swimmers, weather, water clarity (to clear can stop fishing), moon phase. You can't expect to select one spot on any beach and catch Sea Mullet consistently, I don't care what RIG you're using. You must walk (can be tough) or drive the beaches to find that area where all the right things fall together, especially in the summer months when the beaches are packed with swimmers. Many a day I've spent driving the beaches, calling friends and still no Sea Mullet when the water and conditions look so good, the Fleas thick but obviously the fish ain't there ---- then head to work and watch those reel boats that LEADDRAFT talks about - unloading at the fish house, by the way, Reel boats don't catch everything that gets in it, it catches according to Gill Net mesh size, they usually target Sea Mullet less than a lb. The fish are there, they've just moved off the beach or around the humps to the deeper holes for one of the reasons I mentioned above. Same on Pier's, you're trapped -- if they ain't there, you can do very little moving around, late afternoon and night sometimes works better if you know where that special deep spot is that all the regulars know about and the tourists don't --- As a young boy fishing the Piers around Wrightsville, Kure and Topsail then later on Morehead, Pine Knoll Shores (Iron Steamer, I miss that Pier) --- I've seen grown men, including my Father and Uncles dang near fight over that special mullet hole late in the afternoon --- Loner, you know what I'm talking about --- Interesting thread here IMO with the normal jabbing mixed in ---- River


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## greg12345 (Jan 8, 2007)

used to fish iron steamer all the time with my dad early 80s...loved that pier...


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## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

River said:


> Nice Post LEADDRAFT ---- just because you don't catch em HH doesn't mean they're gone, there are a lot of things that effect Sea Mullet like: No Fleas, too many Fleas, predators (Blues, Porpoises, big Drum, etc), Swimmers, weather, water clarity (to clear can stop fishing), moon phase. You can't expect to select one spot on any beach and catch Sea Mullet consistently, I don't care what RIG you're using. You must walk (can be tough) or drive the beaches to find that area where all the right things fall together, especially in the summer months when the beaches are packed with swimmers. Many a day I've spent driving the beaches, calling friends and still no Sea Mullet when the water and conditions look so good, the Fleas thick but obviously the fish ain't there ---- then head to work and watch those reel boats that LEADDRAFT talks about - unloading at the fish house, by the way, Reel boats don't catch everything that gets in it, it catches according to Gill Net mesh size, they usually target Sea Mullet less than a lb. The fish are there, they've just moved off the beach or around the humps to the deeper holes for one of the reasons I mentioned above. Same on Pier's, you're trapped -- if they ain't there, you can do very little moving around, late afternoon and night sometimes works better if you know where that special deep spot is that all the regulars know about and the tourists don't --- As a young boy fishing the Piers around Wrightsville, Kure and Topsail then later on Morehead, Pine Knoll Shores (Iron Steamer, I miss that Pier) --- I've seen grown men, including my Father and Uncles dang near fight over that special mullet hole late in the afternoon --- Loner, you know what I'm talking about --- Interesting thread here IMO with the normal jabbing mixed in ---- River


Not a flea fisherman per se but Garbo was out on Avon Pier one time fishing for Drum

Got hooked up to a nice drum that would go over 45 pounds

Lost the Drum at the net, I thought the hook had pulled

Reeled in my rig and there was a 14 inch sea mullet hooked right through the lips with a 10/0 Gami 

Sea Mullet (we call them pickers) had eaten my chunk of Mullet and the Drum in turn had found the hapless Sea Mullet and had eaten him

Every bone on the Sea Mullets body was broken and he was all mushed up from being down in the Drum's crushers, I do not think the hook point ever got in the Drum he was just holding onto his dinner with his crushers

Big Drum are probably eating their fair share

I cut the crushed up Sea Mullets head off and chucked him back out there and voila

Smokin Shark who cut me off


By the way Garbo's Sabiki style Sea Mullet Rig for piers which I think I invented 20 years ago is a five foot length of thirty pound leader , at least 8 #10 Gold Aberdeen Hooks, baited with eight pieces of shrimp or bloodworms, I guess you could use fleas but I never find too many on the planks (I invented putting bait on the gold hook rig by the way, not the gold hook sabiki style rig)

Technique with Garbo Rig is to hook a Sea Mullet, Spot or Pigfish and let the rig sit, hopefully the school gets on the other seven baits

When the water clears up and in season you do not need any bait just a torpedo sinker and you load up on Grass Shad, small Spanish and sometimes Blues

May have to tie up a Garbo Rig with Fluorocarbon and then go head to head with a River Rig on the beach, I will use a real light sinker like an 1/2 ounce egg sinker to get the Garbo Rig to wash around and in effect act like a long trace

The largest Sea Mullet I ever caught was pushing 4 pounds I caught him in a gill net in the Pamlico off of Rodanthe, when I first saw him in the water I thought he was a baby Cobia he was so large

Guess you fellas can complain about the Comm's taking out all the four pound Sea Mullet that could have lived to eat a River Rig, I have never once in near fifty years of fishing on the OBX ever seen a larger Sea Mullet than the one we took in our net, poor fella went off North in an Avon Seafood Truck headed for the Fulton Market.

I usually avoided a Sea Mullet Blitz on the Piers, My procedure is to buy an eight pound bag of ice, walk up to the cleaning tables and exchange the ice inside the bag for Sea Mullet heads which we then chuck out for Drum later that afternoon

I have never been refused on the offer of ice in exchange for heads, few fishermen cleaning fish can resist the offer of fresh clean ice to top off a cooler of dressed fish


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## River (Sep 30, 2006)

Garbo - I'd love to go Head to head with your Rig - but I'm trapped inland now working on another top secret Rig for freshwater --- although, I'm still planning on a few trips to the surf this year. That 4 lb Sea Mullet you caught was a real trophy -- it would give your # 10 gold Aberdeen hooks a fit --- but anyway --- Loner, It looks like there's plenty of nice Sea Mullet being caught down your way --- SusanOBX slamming big Pompano at Hatteras and Reel Lady putting 2 lb Sea Mullet on the beach at Wrightsville --- I don't think the RR caught em all --- Hey Garbo --- What size mesh were you using when you caught that 4 lb Sea Mullet, just curious -- by the way -- you're a little late on the production of a multi hook sabaki style Rig, it already on the market in select places like, Rodanthe Pier -- Its called the "Pine Knot Rig" --- named after -- you guessed it -- a guy called "Pine Knot" --- River


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## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

River said:


> Garbo - I'd love to go Head to head with your Rig - but I'm trapped inland now working on another top secret Rig for freshwater --- although, I'm still planning on a few trips to the surf this year. That 4 lb Sea Mullet you caught was a real trophy -- it would give your # 10 gold Aberdeen hooks a fit --- but anyway --- Loner, It looks like there's plenty of nice Sea Mullet being caught down your way --- SusanOBX slamming big Pompano at Hatteras and Reel Lady putting 2 lb Sea Mullet on the beach at Wrightsville --- I don't think the RR caught em all --- Hey Garbo --- What size mesh were you using when you caught that 4 lb Sea Mullet, just curious -- by the way -- you're a little late on the production of a multi hook sabaki style Rig, it already on the market in select places like, Rodanthe Pier -- Its called the "Pine Knot Rig" --- named after -- you guessed it -- a guy called "Pine Knot" --- River


Net was likely 3.5" stretched Mesh, pretty far back in time but a good deal of our inshore Pamlico Sound sets were 3.5, when we were in deep water back of the reef we used large mesh for large Spanish Mackerel

We did not catch a great deal of Sea Mullet in our sets the mesh was too large I think, suckers must have just swum right thru the sets

As Comms We did put the hurt on a large number of 4-6 Pound Spanish Mackerel so if someone wants to complain about lack of large Spanish Mackerel, there is the reason

So I come to find out some guy named Pine Knot came to Rodanthe after I left and has stolen the rights to my invention?

There was no one named "Pine Knot" fishing Rodanthe Pier back in the Day, In fact I have never heard of the fella, must be a marketing genius 

If you want to market the original "Garbo Rig" feel free, if it is profitable and you feel I deserve a dividend then give my share to the Avon Pier Childrens Fishing Tournament

You probably should contact Mike Hayes and get permission to market the "Mike Hayes" Drum rig if you want to expand your product line, "Mike Hayes" rig is another great rig for getting good distance


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## River (Sep 30, 2006)

Garbo -- I'm not marketing anything, I'm just fishin up here in Swampland, NC - funny thing about the Drum Rig business on Hatteras Island, I mentioned it one time at the Pelican Roost to one of the Hissey Brother's and by the time I got to work at Teaches, the other famous Hissey Brother tried to choke me to death, besides that - the owner of the tackle shop in Buxton would break down in Cardiac arrest ---- very sacred item down there --- River


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## DrumintheSuds (Nov 19, 2007)

Seen coolers full of big sea mullet, pomps and black drum caught with a re-tied version of this rig by a sandflea legend.......Only rig I ever saw him use


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## GrrBeck (Aug 14, 2013)

Lemon.


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## gshivar (Aug 29, 2006)

susanobx. Very nice catch!! best - glenn


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