# Cut Bait



## Mr. Hand (Jun 15, 2009)

I really never used cut fish for bait, but from what I've read lately, it seems to be the way to go. I gather that mullet is widely used, but is it because it is superior bait or cheap and easily available? Is any fish good for cut bait or are there ones to avoid? Coming down to GC tomorrow and would appreciate any tips or reports.


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## Salt in My Veins (Apr 22, 2009)

You can use pretty much anything you can get your hands on and don't want to eat. Mullet is still around, so that's the bait of choice right now. I'm also using pinfish because they have been a nuisance.


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## mayydayy (Jun 6, 2010)

Cutbait is usually mullet. Larger Mullet can be cut up into many quater size or half dollar size chunks. Smaller mullet can be put on the hook live, hooked through the nose, back or tail. (Tried the tail the other day and caught some keeper fish and more blues since they usually hit the bottom side of the fish.) Some people also use cut bluefish or pinfish. I have tried both and feel that the blue works better. Personally i use a 3/0 circle hook and it tends to keep the bait on well. 

Hope this helps out.


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## Flytyingguy1 (Sep 8, 2009)

Mullet are in the surf & the bigger fish are feeding on them so it's a no braier to use mullet for bait. The Spots are hitting blood worms or red worms. The Weaks,Speckled & Flounder are hitting cut Mullet.
And the dam Pin fish are hitting anything!


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## c0ch3s3 (Jul 10, 2009)

yup, the filet off a finger mullet is the way to go.


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## smacks fanatic (Oct 16, 2010)

menhaden, mullet, pinfish, and ladyfish are the way to go.(are ladyfish that far north?)


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## SmoothLures (Feb 13, 2008)

It's the mullet run, so use 'em. Other times of the year, cut blues, spot, croaker, even whiting all work well. I have seen days where they did show preference so try whatever you can get.


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## Too Busy (Sep 7, 2007)

smacks fanatic said:


> menhaden, mullet, pinfish, and ladyfish are the way to go.(are ladyfish that far north?)


ladyfish are few and far between this time of year.


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## Bill Stafford (May 25, 2010)

I caught my first lady fish last week.


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## Too Busy (Sep 7, 2007)

I caught them as late as Thanksgiving last year, just not the numbers like August and September.

I couldn't fish shrimp, gulp, DOA, Z-man under a popping cork without ladyfish eating it during the hottest months


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## bluefish1928 (Jun 9, 2007)

i believe cut bunker/menhaden works better than cut mullet.
But live mullet will stay alive a lot longer than menhaden and mullet are usually more readily available.

Therefore, mullet is the bait of choice for targeting predatory gamefish (blues, weaks, drum)

now shrimp will get u anything


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## SmoothLures (Feb 13, 2008)

I've found menhaden live a good while if you use a #4 treble in the back or nose and give them enough line to swim around (IE freelined or plenty of leader on a Carolina rig).


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## Danman (Dec 13, 2007)

I caught my biggest flounder ever using a freshly cut mullet strip from the surf:fishing:


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