Fall mullet run a lure for popular predators
For Capt. Chris Murray, this is one of his favorite times of the year.
That’s because some of the most exciting fishing he and his customers experience is on the verge of busting loose: The annual fall mullet run.
Here in the Indian and St. Lucie Rivers you can see the mullet pushing water as they swim up, down and around the waterways, but the best sign of the fall run is when big tarpon, snook and jacks tear through the mullet schools, sending the baitfish flying.
“I’d say it’s starting to show signs of life right now,” said Murray, of Crossroads Charter Fishing (crossroadscharterfishing.com), who guided Anthony Javarone, 12, his father, Tony, and me to five big jack crevalles this past Thursday, as well as explosive strikes from tarpon, snook and ladyfish that managed to get away. “There’s definitely a wave of mullet coming in. They come in in droves, and then they’ll pause and then there’ll be another drove.
“You’ll know it’s the true mullet run when you come out here and you hear Orville Redenbacher: Poppop! Pow! Pow!”
Schools of mullet migrate south along Florida’s Atlantic coast before spawning. The fish typically show up in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties in late September and early October.
The aforementioned species also feed on mullet off beaches, along with bluefish, kingfish, sharks and Spanish mackerel. The popcorn popping sound that Murray referred to is when those predators suck down mullet.
When the baitfish are thick, that can mean great fishing not only from boats but also from beaches, piers, bridges, docks and seawalls, with the potential to hook a different species on every cast.
Murray, 40, moved from Jacksonville to Stuart with his family as a teenager. After leaving for college, where he received a degree in Environmental Science, he returned to Stuart in part because of the variety of fishing opportunities. He fishes inshore in his 22foot Ranger bay boat primarily for snook, tarpon, redfish and trout and also goes offshore on calm days for cobia, permit, kingfish and sailfish.
“I love a day when you can run offshore, get a sailfish, come back inside, get a snook, and possibly hook a tarpon,” Murray said. “There’s a slam I want to invent. I want to call it the Air Show Slam or something: A sailfish, a tarpon and a spinner shark (all of which jump) would be a cool slam, I think.”
A strong wind was blowing as Murray steered his boat away from the public ramps at Sandsprit Park, so instead of running out of
St. Lucie Inlet into a choppy ocean, he headed north in the St. Lucie River where he knew small schools of mullet had been roaming.
Murray had used his cast net before we arrived to fill his baitwell with mullet. He grabbed a 7-foot spinning rod with a 4000-size reel spooled with 20-pound braided line and a 40pound fluorocarbon leader with a clip-on indicator float, which allows him and his anglers to keep track of the bait.
He hooked a mullet through the upper lip on a 3/0 Owner Mutu Light circle hook, cast it to the edge of a submerged oyster bar and handed the outfit to Anthony, who was hoping for a keeper snook, which must measure between 28 and 32 inches. He put out another bait for me and instructed us to open the bail of the reel and slowly let out line.
It didn’t take long before our mullet got nervous, then violent splashes appeared by the baits. Whatever went after my mullet missed, but a big fish nailed Anthony’s bait. Following Murray’s instruction to let the fish swim for a few seconds before closing the bail and reeling the line tight, Anthony was hooked up to what turned out to be a 15-pound jack.
The fish took the youngster from one end of the boat to the other. A standout baseball player, Anthony eventually wore out the hard-fighting jack and reeled it to the side of the boat. Then Murray, wearing gloves, grabbed the jack by the tail and lifted it aboard for some quick photos before releasing the fish.
“Those big jacks are great practice for people who want snook and tarpon,” Murray said. “They’re a guide’s best friend. They just give you every chance to develop your rhythm.”
Anthony’s rhythm was flawless as he landed two more nice-sized jacks. I caught about a 10-pounder, then Tony was hooked up to a 14-pound jack that gave the Lake Clarke Shores financial advisor all he could handle.
After he landed the fish, it was hard to tell who was more excited about the catch: Javarone, his son or Murray, which is why the fall mullet run is such a special time of year.
‘‘ YOU’LL KNOW IT’S THE TRUE MULLET RUN WHEN YOU COME OUT HERE AND YOU HEAR ORVILLE REDENBACHER: POP-POP! POW! POW!
Chris Murray, fishing captain