The mullet is a saltwater fish of the family Mugilidae that lives in flocks. Mullet lives in almost every sea. It is one of the most caught fish by amateur fishermen because it lives in shallow waters that are easily accessible from the shore.
The mullet enters the shallow waters of streams to feed and spawn and live in muddy areas there. The breeding season is between May and September.
The mullet can reach an average size of 40-50 cm, but it is seen that the great mullet has reached a size of 1 meter. Mullet live an average of 15 years.
It has a long body that is slightly flattened from the sides. The mullet, which has a large mouth, has extremely small teeth. Some species of mullet do not have teeth at all. The mullet has no lateral stripes but has two dorsal fins far apart. The first dorsal fin is rather short and the second is long. It is a fast, agile and cunning fish. It generally feeds on filamentous algae and invertebrate sea creatures.
Can Mullet Eaten? Is it healthy?
The mullet is a durable fish that can easily survive even in polluted waters. However, the mullet living in these regions has a foul odor and the abdominal membranes are quite black. In order for the mullet to be consumed, it is very important in which water it lives. The mullet living in polluted waters is inedible and can be harmful to health. Mullet fish caught in the sea or living in clean waters that have not yet entered the muddy area are easily eaten. It does not have a strong odor and is a very tasty fish. It is also necessary to distinguish between the mullet living in the muddy area and those living near the sewers. Muddy waters, where the natural substances carried by the rivers accumulate, are natural environments and contain foods rich in mullet. There is no harm to the health of the mullets in these regions.
When to Catch Mullet?
It is possible to hunt mullet in any season of the year, but the mullet caught in autumn is very delicious. Mullet fish is generally eaten by pan, steamed and stewed.
Mullet Species Living in Turkish Waters
Prince Mullet or Topan Mullet (Mugil cephalus)
Lipped Mullet (Mugil labeo)
Russian Mullet (Mugil soiuy )
Goldenhead Mullet (Liza aurata)
Quail Mullet (Liza carinata)
Pulatarina or Thin-Lipped Mullet (Liza ramada)
Blue Mullet or Caspian Mullet (Chelon labrosus)
Sweet Mullet (Liza abu)
The Leaping Mullet or the Mavraki (Liza saliens)
Pearl Mullet (Chalcalburnus tarichi)
How to Keep Mullet? Mullet Hunting Method
The large mullet, which moves in flocks, is extremely cunning and difficult to catch with a line. The most used mullet fishing methods are bottom fishing rod, float fishing rod and striking methods. In addition, a multi-needle cyprus fishing line can be used. Since the mullet is a strong fish, it is recommended to use strong hooks and fishing line for mullet fishing.
Small, steel and cross hooks should be used in bottom fishing line and float fishing line. We also recommend using 0.18 and 0.20 mm thin line and small float.
The hammering fishing method is a method mostly used for big mullet fishing. It is very important to use a sequential triple needle set with a space of 30 cm between them and a solid fishing line.
The mullet prefers to live in regions where forage is abundant. Bread and wolf can be used as bait in mullet hunting. To attract the attention of the mullet, throw a piece of bread from the shore into the water. If there are mullets in that area, they will start to eat the bread in a short time.
