Thin-Lipped Mullet in the estuary

Thin Lipped Mullet going about their business

As the spring arrives here in the South of England and the weather warms up so the migratory fish return to our shores for their annual visit. One of the first arrivals that particularly interests me is the Thin-Lipped Mullet, one of the 3 mullet species that inhabit our waters.

What's particularly interesting about this mullet species is that it displays predatory traits as part of it's behaviour and as such is able to be caught on a spinner. But not just any old spinner. More of that in a moment.

The Thin Lipped Mullet primarily feed by sifting micro-organisms and small worms from the mud along with the eating of algae. The trick to catching them on a spinner lies in their love of small harbour ragworms found in the estuary banks.

If you cast and retrieve a spinner the mullet will have none of it. Not remotely interested. However, if you attach a few ragworms to the hooks of the spinner then suddenly the mullet are curious and will follow the spinner. If you are luck enough they will take the worm and will get hooked. Perhaps it invokes a sense of competition amongst the shoal and they feel that the spinner and worm are two separate beings chasing each other and that it's their job to get to the meal first...who knows! What I do know though is that it works and is great fun. Sometimes you have to keep the spinner just below the surface, others the fish want it a foot or two down. They'll follow it and nibble at the ragworms, just keep winding until you feel the solid resistance as the fish hooks itself.

This is why you need a specially adapted spinner for these fish. Instead of a treble, tie a short length of braid (2-3 inches) to the rear of the spinner and then 2 hooks an inch apart on it. Simply thread the ragworm onto the braid via the two hooks. This serves to help keep the worms on the hook and act as a 'stinger' hook to help nail the nibbling fish.

Finally, a Thin Lipped Mullet graces the bank!

I have been out trying to catch these recently on my local estuary, wandering the banks casting to shoals of cruising fish. It was tough at first as the weather was so cold, the fish were reluctant to chase. Once we'd had a bit of sunshine and the water warmed by a few degrees I started to get interest and eventually managed to hook a few and finally get one on the bank. Great scrappers for their size!