Mullet Run Madness

Seeing as how the mullet are starting to thin out and the fall season is almost at a close, i'm now looking back on one of the most memorable runs in my recent experience. The mullet weren't always thick but we were able to come out with some sick catches anyways. This was Ryan's (SharkBait86) first east coast mullet run, as he moved to West Palm over the summer.

I kicked off the very beginning of the season in late August, teaming up with BlacktipHunter Josh Jorgensen, who invited me to come fish with him and a promise of helping me land my first Tarpon. We had 2 quality bites over a few hours of fishing, the first threw the hook after a blazing run, but we successfully stuck the 2nd, and after a grueling hour-long battle, I had landed my first Tarpon.

Video by Blacktiph - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWJmPkVlgd4

The bite was slow until mid-September, when we had our first "winter storm" kick up the local waters and start driving the mullet down the beaches and out of the intercoastal into the danger zone that became the south florida coastline for a few months.

One of my favorite fish to target from shore are some of the stud Jacks that are local to the area that cruise around looking for an easy meal this time of year, ready to spool unsuspecting hapless tourists. Many view them as trash fish, but I value them both for the quality of their power when hooked, and their status as prime shark bait!
This year I managed several over 30lb, and hooked some studs pushing 40

And where would we be without the Blacktips? I estimate that between Ryan and myself we must have caught and released over 50 blacktips in the last month and a half, with 2-5 over the couse of a few hours being the norm. Once the Bluefish moved in with the mullet schools, the blacktips were everywhere. Catch a few bluefish, and fish all day or night for sharks. A fresh Bluefish head was virtually a guaranteed blacktip within 15 minutes - usually more like 5. I was getting pickups before I could put the rod back in the holder at times.

Note the straightened Eagle Claw

Ryan chasing down a Blacktip

Fighting Blacktips all day gets tiring!

For her birthday, Ryan's girlfriend Kristen wanted to reel in a shark

Fought like a champ!

Some days traveling light was the name of the game

One day in October I got the fight of my life, landing an est. 7' Hammerhead- my first - on the surf rod.

Full report for the hammer here: viewtopic.php?f=32&t=7512

We met up with Josh and his friend Colby again one day, and to our surprise landed several Spinner sharks from the shore, a rarity here in south FL.

Last Saturday 11/02, we received another call from Josh to come fishing, as some mullet schools were hanging around in his area. We snagged up some mullet, and to my surprise I got solid hookset on my shark rod on what ended up being my 2nd landed Tarpon.

We also landed 3 more blacktips that day

Hopefully we can get in a few more mullet run trips before the schools disappear back up the coast and into the intercoastals, but this was a very rewarding season, and a glimpse into why fall is one of my favorite times to fish the FL coast.
Until next time
-Mike