# Sea Mullet all year?



## roostertail (Jul 7, 2012)

Are sea mullet able to be caught all year long in NC or do they go into deeper water when it gets really cold like Jan and Feb? Also what are the opionions on the best time to catch citation size?


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## Jesse Lockowitz (Feb 13, 2006)

roostertail said:


> Are sea mullet able to be caught all year long in NC or do they go into deeper water when it gets really cold like Jan and Feb? Also what are the opionions on the best time to catch citation size?


Around EI the best time for numbers of big ones is spring and fall. Although there are a handful of guys that chase big mullet and pompano all summer with sand fleas and small jigs, and do very well....not alot of fish but quality.


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## originalhooker (Nov 26, 2009)

water temp above 52-54, the majority tend to migrate up down coast or near shore 1-3miles. Citation depends on location- north (sept -oct, south till Jan, then starts again in end of march/april.
Jesse is right there are big ones in summer also. I like nov/dec @ wb. catch some big ones every year trout fishing on grubs, 16"-18" inchers.
also dont forget rivers/sound, they like mud banks, shrimp nursery areas.


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## bronzbck1 (Jun 13, 2007)

Water is in the 50's at the OBX and we are still catching them


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## roostertail (Jul 7, 2012)

I caught 3 saturday at pine knoll shores. A guy came and told me that the guy fishing down the beach 500 yards or so was TEARING them up. He said the man caught one so big he thought it was a shark. Was holding his hands about 2.5 feet apart.....?.?.?.?...


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## drumchaser (Jan 14, 2003)

Guys are still netting them in the surf at topsail so they are still around.


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## NCFishing (Dec 26, 2012)

What are yall hooking em on


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## WNCRick (Sep 24, 2007)

best run here was last march, 25-30 in an afternoon........up to 1.4 lbs


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## Jesse Lockowitz (Feb 13, 2006)

NCFishing said:


> What are yall hooking em on


Sand fleas and freshest shrimp u can get..


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## Loner (Sep 9, 2009)

roostertail said:


> Are sea mullet able to be caught all year long in NC or do they go into deeper water when it gets really cold like Jan and Feb? Also what are the opionions on the best time to catch citation size?


...having chased em hard for about 5 yrs straight....we have found that THE month for BIG MULLET IS DECEMBER....at least for numbers....NUMBERS MONTH IS NOV!!!....But CITATION MONTH is DECEMBER....
...as far as all year.... the latest we have got em at Topsail is Super Bowl weekend...and withour rhyme or reason..they would be swimming around the pier one day and the next..GONE..
...It seems they are migrating north and south and the biggest ones are the last ones.....
As far as the mullet U catch in March...those are NOT the big surf Va. mullets that U see in the fall surf...those are the Striped sea-mullet and its HARD to catch one of those over 1 1/2 lbs......those spring mullet are GOOD TO EAT, but the CITATIONS are few and far between compared to those sand-flea eating jobs in the surf..
..Big mullet hit sand-fleas....those spring mullet love fresh shrimp and bloodworms...and the END of the pier is usually the best for em.....
There are a few fisherment around surf city pier that freeze fresh shrimp in the fall just for the spring mullet run...and when U be standing next to em with your fish market hatchery raised shrimp ...U GONNA GET SMOKED!!...
..The spring mullet are around a lot in April and May but the largerst ones come on full moons and new moons at nite or in muddy water...


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## kayak456 (Jun 5, 2012)

I fished kure yesterday and saw no whiting cot. I only cot one trout. I am headed to wrightville on Monday to surf fish. Do you think the big whiting are there?


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## NCsurffisher (Jun 27, 2004)

loner - are you talking about "northern kingfish" (striped sea mullet) in the spring, versus southerns in the fall? http://www.dnr.sc.gov/cwcs/pdf/Kingfish.pdf


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## hokieboy (Jan 19, 2006)

hey kayak,

We have been catching nice whiting in wrightsville for the last month. Where you planning on fishing?


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## kayak456 (Jun 5, 2012)

I am going tommorow, I found a nice hole near the jetty. I tried surf fishing at kure beach on Friday and caught one trout. When was the last time you cot whiting at wrightsville?


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## roostertail (Jul 7, 2012)

> I am going tommorow, I found a nice hole near the jetty. I tried surf fishing at kure beach on Friday and caught one trout. When was the last time you cot whiting at wrightsville?


 Did you have a good day at Kure?


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## kayak456 (Jun 5, 2012)

Yesm I am at wrightsville now. So far 2 whiting around 15 inches


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## roostertail (Jul 7, 2012)

Nice!!


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## Loner (Sep 9, 2009)

NCsurffisher said:


> loner - are you talking about "northern kingfish" (striped sea mullet) in the spring, versus southerns in the fall? http://www.dnr.sc.gov/cwcs/pdf/Kingfish.pdf


....yep...the big mullet are the silver ones with the black tipped top fin...those 1st of the year and last of the year are the brown striped ones....Hatteras gets pure blitzs of those brown striped jobs and they get big ones...Atlantic thru Carolina Bch are THE places for those big silver flea eaters........Topsail and Wrightsville are my haunts.....


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## Jesse Lockowitz (Feb 13, 2006)

Loner said:


> ....yep...the big mullet are the silver ones with the black tipped top fin...those 1st of the year and last of the year are the brown striped ones....Hatteras gets pure blitzs of those brown striped jobs and they get big ones...Atlantic thru Carolina Bch are THE places for those big silver flea eaters........Topsail and Wrightsville are my haunts.....


I don't personally chase sea mullet a bunch but there are some hardcore mullet-pompano guys on emerald isle, and man do they wear out some nice ones when the pier closes after thanksgiving. (season pass holders at bogue get a gate key to fish all winter, which is sweet because like u said, December is a awesome month and u have the pier to urself most of the time 


Mayb I'll go try for some tomorrow for a nice lunch


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