Mullet for Bait

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    Posted: 11 Nov 2022 at 9:14am
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Hi All,

With the price of bait being so high these days I’m am planning on netting for mullet in the Waikato river. Am I better to bag them whole or fillet and salt them before I freeze them? Is it worth adding oil if so what kind?

If I catch carp as a bycatch is that any good?
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote lingee Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Nov 2022 at 2:28pm
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yes crap are good bait, fillet them and stripthem into long strips, ive nailed a few goodys on it, mullet fillet but keep the guts head .guts good for burly. split heads a great bait for the big boys out the back/ frezze when fresh it holds the oil in the fish. but fresh is best.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote MB Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Nov 2022 at 2:45pm
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Bottom line is that snapper will eat anything! Even that fat Aussie dude could catch one on a chook if he tried. I've seen them eat dead birds and polystyrene floats among other things. 
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I catch my own and freeze whole. Also put them in a ice slurry to get a better bait doesn't go mushy stays on the hook better. If you get afew don't try to freeze them all at once unless you have a decent chest freezer as the one's in the middle of freezer will take longer to freeze
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Fresh mullet cut into steaks and pan fried in butter, very tasty.
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Originally posted by Kandrew Kandrew wrote:

Fresh mullet cut into steaks and pan fried in butter, very tasty.

So I believe but I've only ever eaten smoked mullet and it is very tasty. The OP is talking about netting mullet in the Waikato river. I tried smoking some once from the river. They literally tasted like mud. Filleted and tightly wrapped they stay relatively firm after freezing and that is the best way I know of keeping river mullet for bait. First choice for all west coast fishers.

Mullet caught in the sea are a nice silvery grey. Once they've been in the river for a few days they get a green coloration to them and are only good for bait.

Koi can work well. It's great for berley and is possibly the oiliest fish of them all
Best gurnard fisherman in my street
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Pcj Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Nov 2022 at 10:31pm
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Originally posted by smudge smudge wrote:

Originally posted by Kandrew Kandrew wrote:

Fresh mullet cut into steaks and pan fried in butter, very tasty.

So I believe but I've only ever eaten smoked mullet and it is very tasty. The OP is talking about netting mullet in the Waikato river. I tried smoking some once from the river. They literally tasted like mud. Filleted and tightly wrapped they stay relatively firm after freezing and that is the best way I know of keeping river mullet for bait. First choice for all west coast fishers.

Mullet caught in the sea are a nice silvery grey. Once they've been in the river for a few days they get a green coloration to them and are only good for bait.

Koi can work well. It's great for berley and is possibly the oiliest fish of them all
the ones we caught in a local pond,few yrs ago now,soft flesh and skin,agree bait only. Funny how they survive in brackish water.

Amateur's built the ark. Professional built the Titanic
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote Kandrew Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Nov 2022 at 8:02am
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Originally posted by Pcj Pcj wrote:

Originally posted by smudge smudge wrote:

Originally posted by Kandrew Kandrew wrote:

Fresh mullet cut into steaks and pan fried in butter, very tasty.


So I believe but I've only ever eaten smoked mullet and it is very tasty. The OP is talking about netting mullet in the Waikato river. I tried smoking some once from the river. They literally tasted like mud. Filleted and tightly wrapped they stay relatively firm after freezing and that is the best way I know of keeping river mullet for bait. First choice for all west coast fishers.

Mullet caught in the sea are a nice silvery grey. Once they've been in the river for a few days they get a green coloration to them and are only good for bait.

Koi can work well. It's great for berley and is possibly the oiliest fish of them all
the ones we caught in a local pond,few yrs ago now,soft flesh and skin,agree bait only. Funny how they survive in brackish water.

yep I netted them out of the Waikato river up by the Huntley power station, not as white in the meat as the sea caught ones but still good bait. My brother has a teacher at Huntley high and the local kids used to sell them for pocket money.

As kids we used to net for them at huia when my uncle owned the motor camp, we would smoke most and fry a few up as well.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Bounty Hunter Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Nov 2022 at 9:00pm
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Smudge is spot on with the colouration affecting the taste to eat.

in term of using for bait - i wonder if the fish notice the difference in flavour...?
No disintegrations!
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When I get them and that's not as often as I would like, I scale them then wrap individually in cling wrap (the big rolls you get from the stationary shop) and tape or tie the wrap at the head and tail. Keep very well this way. My number 2 choice snapper bait. 
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Bounty Hunter Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Nov 2022 at 8:50pm
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Originally posted by krow krow wrote:

When I get them and that's not as often as I would like, I scale them then wrap individually in cling wrap (the big rolls you get from the stationary shop) and tape or tie the wrap at the head and tail. Keep very well this way. My number 2 choice snapper bait. 

okay ill bite - whats your #1 bait?
No disintegrations!
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote yknot Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Nov 2022 at 9:17pm
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I vacum packed the surplus mullet bait from last time and have them sitting in freezer. Waiting for next weather window to try them out.
Those that say it can't be done are being overtaken by those doing it.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote krow Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Nov 2022 at 9:39pm
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (2) Likes(2)   Quote shaneg Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Nov 2022 at 10:31pm
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Best thing about game fishing late season Doug are skippys. We have em loaded down here between Leigh and out the Hen and Mokes … more so closer to Leigh. Few missions late season and we fillet off at sea… enough gurnard and snapper bait for most of winter and fun to catch. Wrap fillets in glad wrap when get home. Better than any bought bait.usually run out about October and fish a lot over winter. 12 good skippy fillets is a lot of good bait for yak fisho using smaller baits for gurnies.
Last year we even saw a striped marlin on surface in one of skippy schools close to  Leigh. Was just after wife had been telling me what waste of time towing lures between Leigh and Mokes was… and I’d bought gear in and was steaming back. Was good moment, as in small but memorable victory,  and with a fair person would been telling win. She told me off for not having gear in water and pulling the lures in too early.
No wonder I like kayak fishing by myself.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Xtoad Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Nov 2022 at 8:02pm
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On the way out you would have stopped Shane, why different on way in?
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