I'd like a mullet net myself.

Bait it too expensive!

I earlier promised that I would update you all as to my success with the mullet net at Sandspit but it completely slipped my mind. Suffice to say your advice was all spot on. I following the suggestion of setting the net on an incoming tide as close up the mangroves as possible leaving it say an hour or so either side of high tide.

The area where I set the net is just up from the wharf itself to the right of tongue point... I follow the moorings to stay in deep enough water as the target area goes  completely dry at low tide but is just teeming with mullet when the tide is in. They seem to head to the mangroves on the flood tide to feed and then head back out when the tide is going down. Although the water is not very clear I still did most of my netting on dusk and in the dark given that mullet have good eyesight. I stay with the net while it is out or go for a quick spin... I have discovered that it is not necessary to leave the net out long at all... and certainly not out overnight given that the fish will end up on the dry and will be no good...

The only problem was that there were too many mullet. Literally a hundred huge mullet in one single net. Given that there were three of us on board and we are only allowed 30 each we did our best to rehabilitate/re-lease those mullet which were very much alive and ended up with 50 which was of course more than enough.

Very nice smoked. I wonder if they would be even better if they were "sea-run" mullet caught perhaps somewhere like Campbells Bay or Baddeleys Bay... My uncle used to set a net at Christian Bay and had good success...  But yes I can confirm that the Sandspit river and its tributaries/back waters have a huge resident population both in late summer and throughout the winter...

Thanks for your help!

John

Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend and thanks again.

John