How To Rig LIVE Mullet (For Big Redfish, Snook, & Trout Near Structure)
- By: Joseph Simonds
- on
If you’re looking for trophy fish there are two things you’ll need:
- Big bait
- Structure
Big redfish, snook, and trout like structure because it provides both food and protection for them.
They’re holding under docks, bridges, or trees waiting for an easy meal to present itself, which is a great opportunity for you to pitch a live mullet to them.
But big fish are smart and lazy, so how you rig the mullet is super important.
You want to keep the mullet looking natural, but still staying near the structure in the strike zone.
It can be tricky, but in this video, we’ve got Capt. Peter Deeks showing you exactly how to do that.
Check it out below.
How To Rig Live Mullet When Fishing Structure [VIDEO]
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When you know fish are sticking near structure, or when the water is cold and fish aren’t moving a lot, this is a great way to rig live mullet.
It keeps them swimming, which attracts fish to them, but also keeps them in place, so they don’t leave the feeding zone.
To rig them effectively, first place a weight about 18″ above your hook.
The weight should match the size of the mullet.
For example, in this video, we used a 1 oz. weight with a 5-inch mullet.
Then, hook the mullet through the tail, slightly below the spine.
Hooking them in the tail keeps them swimming and attracting predators.
If you hook them in the nose, they’ll just settle down to the bottom and not move.
Conclusion
By tail-hooking mullet and pegging them to the bottom with a weight, you can keep the mullet in the strike zone and keep them moving to attract big snook, redfish, and trout.
Want more tips about how to catch fish with live bait?
Keep an eye out for our new course, Underwater Bait Forensics, which shows exactly how different live baits act underwater, and how you can maximize your time fishing.
It’ll be available on August 19th at SaltStrong.com/Products.
Have any questions about rigging live mullet?
Let us know down in the comments!
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Great info and the live camera footage really helps in understanding live bait usage and techniques.
I guy TG b bill
I have tried this but I still prefer to hook them in the mouth through the nostril
Great tip captain! Do you peg your weight or let the weight slide freely? Or does it depend on other factors (that I’m curious about too haha)? In the video, it seems like you either pegged the weight or are keeping the line fairly taught, so the mullet doesn’t swim away and wrap the structure. (Maybe I just answered my own question there.)
To keep the rig versatile (if you are going to fish multiple areas and don’t want to tie a new rig on) I would use a fish finder rig and just keep the line fairly tight (keeping the sinker bumped up to the swivel). If strictly fishing structure with no current, a knocker rig could be ideal which is where you just flip the egg sinker. Instead of having it above the swivel on your mainline, you would put in below your swivel on your leader between the hook and swivel. It will keep your bait more restricted.
I was able to learn something from every clip I’ve watched. Been fishing south Fl all my life and enjoy picking up new info here.
Thanks
Thank you, Steve! Just wait until you see the full course!
What about using pinfish on the flats?
Pinfish don’t venture too far like a mullet will. Mullet will swim straight across a flat as they typically swim higher up in the water column. Pinfish are bottom dwellers and will usually just head straight down to the bottom or straight into structure. using them on a small float with short leader in current/wind can help drift them across a flat to search for fish.
These bait rigging / forensics videos are awesome. Pumped to see more.
Yeah buddy! Can’t wait for you to see the full course! It’s really amazing