Striped Mullet

Striped mullet (Mugil cephalus), black mullet, and fatback: We love it fried or broiled and even the gizzards are delicious when cleaned properly and fried. Oops, I guess I got carried away. Alive or as cut bait, mullet are great for kings, barracuda, amberjack, you name it, everything (including me) - loves to eat mullet. It is a vegetarian, if you didn't notice my reference to the gizzard, and won't bite a hook. I have heard of people catching them with green peas or bread balls and that they’re great sport, but I haven't tried it myself. They are fairly easily caught in a castnet if you know where to look. They used to be among the most populous species in Florida's waters, but their eggs have been sold to the Orient for so long and in such great numbers that it will be a few years before the massive schools are seen everywhere you look again. Don't forget that black mullet are great bait in any size, even the biggest ones at 14 to 20 inches. There is also a cousin, the white mullet, that is a little smaller and also makes great bait. It is very popular among billfish anglers, probably because of the size. We also use a lot of what we call "silver mullet"- juvenile fish that are, of course, also great bait.
Capt. Charlie