Business in the front… party in the back!

Funny how the dictionary definition of the famous “mullet” applies to what is going on in our neck of the woods this week. And the magical question on the lips of every angler you meet is the same “Have you seen them?” The answer is a resounding YES!

Although the first push of the telltale, wake-making baitfish have certainly turned the corner in the inlets of our area to start showing in the wash, the huge schools are still making little bait tornados in the back canals just after dark. I swear I could have walked across the lagoon, where I keep the FmTuna, to the other side two nights ago when high water and dusk came together. Mixed in with about a million peanut bunker and enough frying pan sized spot to feed an entire army, the scouts are out, but the battalions are still forming behind the lines. Are you ready for battle? If you are not locked and loaded, you are going to miss out on the massacre.

Before we go to the shop reports, let’s do a short Fall Run 101 on what to expect and how to best be in position to win. There are only two basic strategies; bait fishing mullet (live or dead) or going artificial.

Anyone that can throw even the smallest cast net can fill a cooler in record time if you want to use dead baits, but I totally prefer using them live. If you cannot see them, try throwing the net in areas where jetties or groins form pockets. Normally I would suggest a bucket with a cheap battery powered bubbler, but honestly you can throw the net, keep a few in the bucket, and just get more if they don’t hold up. You live line them just like any other live bait. I like a Gamakatsu 4/0 Octopus on 18 inches of fluorocarbon and prefer not to use any weight. Flip them in the vicinity of the surface wakes you see from the schools, let the mullet do the work for you, and just remember to give the stripers a three count before crossing their eyes. If it is bluefish you are dealing with, a short “bite leader” of tie-able wire can keep you from donating your hook collection to the green eyed devils.

If dead is your plan, try a mullet rig. It is a weird little set-up with a thru-wired float. The solid wire extends about 6 to 8 inches and has a small loop at the end. The hook is a double pronged 3/0 or 4/0 that can slide on and off the loop. You snake the wire through the mullet’s mouth and out it’s anal vent, then loop the hook back on and slide the mullet all the way back so you can hook one of the prongs into the tail of the bait. This is really a bluefish rig, and fished with a weight clipped to the 3-way above the float. If there is a striper on the feed working under the schools, it can be game time with them too.

Don’t want to smell like a mullet (it is the aroma that keeps on giving…), go artificial! Any lure that creates a good wake on the surface and is about the right size is going to work. Zara Spooks, Jumpin’ Minnows, 5-inch Redfins or Bombers slow rolled on the surface. A new addition (although a little pricey) that just looks amazing is the Sebile Bonga minnow. It looks amazing in the water and I believe will move up the ladder in “go to” baits this Fall. Be sure to run these lures slowly and occasionally stop them dead in the water. I don’t know if it the stop, or the little twitch I give them but for whatever reason it seems to be the trick for getting a strike. Toss around the schools or along the faces of structure.

One more thing. These baits run along the shorelines and in the shallows so you really are better off making more short casts, or casts that run parallel to the shoreline or jetties than throwing long and deep.

Made a call to Lenny at Capt. Hippos in Tom’s River a few minutes ago and the news is good for the bay and river. One customer had a banner blowfish day out by the Research Buoy in Barnegat. 60 keepers in about 4 hours and a bunch of kingfish up to 17 inches. There is a world class fish fry for you. A nice 36-inch striper was taken from the river on clam yesterday and the snappers are turning into cocktails and chowing down on peanuts.

Chris at Better Bait and Ice also echo’s Lenny’s report but adds that some of the mullet have made the turn out front. So far just small bluefish on them but the stripers can’t be far behind.

Also in Tom’s River, Dennis at Murphy’s Hook House has seen some action on small bass near the Route 37 Bridge on Fin-S and small grubs. There are 10- to16-inch snappers around and the Kayak guys are still popping weakies near the sod banks.

One of my main offshore sources of Intel is Tom Wolfe at Jersey Tackle in Brick. This guy really loves to run to the edge. Tom is dialed into the Longfin and Yellowfin in the Hudson right now with some Big Eye surprises also. Good action near the 100 Square too. There are plenty of falsies and albies along the inshore lumps from 5 to 15 miles out with lots of chicken dolphin mixed in. The surf and river have some small bass that are taking eels, but there are lots of small blues mixed in to chomp them up.

Team TackleDirect got a schooling this past weekend with world renowned angler Larry Dahlberg in the house. If you missed the seminars that Larry did, they will be up on line very soon at TackleDirect.com. Got the inside word that there is a first ever, warehouse cleaning up sale coming up in mid-October.. stay tuned for details. Out with the old….. in with the new!

A slow pick is the way Justin described the beach action from his perch at Fin-Atics in Ocean City. There has been a short push of mullet out through the inlets but most of the bait is still stacked in the back. Some nice Tog being caught off the 9th St and Longport Piers the last couple of days up to 19 inches. A few larger bluefish too, in the 3- to 5-pound range.

Danielle at Two Chums Bait & Tackle in Sea Isle has a few of her rental boats out today working the backwaters. One angler had 5 short stripers on poppers in the back in the evening this week, but by and large there is a lot of waiting going on. Crabbing is not bad but not great.

The word from Cape May at Hand’s Too Bait & Tackle is more of the same… we need the water to chill down a little but there is still some action. Joe had a striper bite of the jetty on Tuesday and Wednesday on small poppers and swimming plugs, and the there have been a few Red Drum surprises in the area. Togging is picking up near the rocks and a few weakies have been in the mix.

Best Bets for the Weekend

Looks like 3- to 4-foot seas and a stiff NE from 10 to 20 depending on who you listen to. A serious swell from that offshore storm is going to make the beaches a little tough as well as some of the reef rocking but it is going to be fishable. I think that jetty jumping in full gear is a good bet with the first push of mullet and there should be some bluefish action in the inlets if you can get out of the wind. Back bays still hold plenty of small fish and grabbing a couple dozen green crabs and working your favorite dock rocks and rock walls is a great idea. We need the water temps to take a dip to push the bait out… it is going to happen any day now, so lock and load!

Stay Tuna-ed!