Mullet
Yellow-eye Mullet, Sea Mullet, Mullet
Aldrichetta forsteri (Yellow-eye Mullet) / Mugil cephalus (Sea Mullet)
Overview
Mullet are the reliable South Australian everyday fish — found in bays, estuaries, beaches and rivers throughout the state. They school in shallow water, are easy to catch on light gear with fresh baits, and make a great first fish for kids, especially yellow-eye mullet that run up SA estuaries in numbers.
Quick Info
Identification
A slim, silvery-olive fish with a small terminal mouth and a distinctive bright yellow eye (yellow-eye mullet) or a blunter, larger-headed appearance (sea mullet). Both species school in shallow water.
The bright yellow eye and slim body identify yellow-eye mullet; sea mullet are larger and deeper with a blunter head. Both school tightly in shallow bays and estuaries.
Yellow-eye Mullet are smaller with the distinctive yellow eye and finer scales; Sea Mullet are larger and deeper-bodied. Herring (Tommy Ruff) carry a spotted flank and larger mouth.
Where to Find Them
Typical depth: 0.5-5 m
Fishing environments: Shore, Jetty
When to Fish
How to Catch Them
Fish a small baited hook with a light sinker or float over shallow sand or near a jetty, with a light berley of finely crushed bait or bread to bring the school in. Keep the bait small and the line light — mullet are cautious but bite readily once drawn in.
Small fresh baits of peeled prawn, pipi meat or worms on tiny hooks, presented lightly weighted under a float or on the bottom in shallow water.
Not required: mullet are taken on small baits and berley with float or light bottom presentations.
Rapid small taps that build to weight — mullet mouth baits cautiously; let the taps build before lifting.
A smooth gentle lift once the rod tip loads steadily — mullet have soft mouths, so use small hooks and avoid a hard strike.
Perfect family fishing — set up a light rod, drop in a small berley trail of crushed bait and bread, and float a peeled prawn or pipi meat under it. Mullet are plentiful in SA bays and estuaries.
Hooks and baits too large, and striking too hard on the first tap. Mullet need small hooks, fresh bait and patience.
Best Baits
Rigs & Gear
The simplest and most natural presentation rig in fishing — a sinker that slides freely on the line so a fish can pick up the bait without feeling any weight. Perfect for finicky biters like whiting, bream and mullet.
A versatile and highly effective rig for King George Whiting and many other species.
Current SA Fishing Rules
CURRENT SA FISHING RULES
Method: Total length
Measured at: Measured from the tip of the snout to the tip of the tail.
Always check current regulations before fishing. Fishing rules and closures can change.
Keeping Your Catch
Support gently with wet hands — mullet are delicate; release undersize fish quickly and carefully.
If keeping, dispatch and bleed promptly before icing.
Ice slurry promptly; mullet flesh improves significantly when chilled quickly.
Cleaning & Filleting
Scale and gut soon after capture. Mullet scale easily under running water.
Mullet are small — fillet around the backbone, or cook whole when the fish are smaller.
Skin is thin and scales easily; leave on for grilling or crumbing.
Mullet carry a strong rib cage and some pin bones — feel the fillet and remove any with pliers, or cook whole and pick around the frame.
Cooking
Sweet, delicate white flesh best pan-fried in seasoned flour or crumbed and deep-fried. Smaller mullet are delicious cooked whole on the BBQ.
Where to Catch Them in SA
Murray Bridge is the lower river's fishing base - golden perch around the town water, mullet throughout, and the Lakes Alexandrina waters just downstream where taking Murray Cod is prohibited at all times.
Southend sits on the sheltered side of Rivoli Bay - beach and boat fishing for mullet, salmon and mulloway with the open coast nearby.
Kingston SE fishes the wild Southern Ocean coast - Australian salmon and mulloway from the beaches, garfish and tommy ruff from the jetty, with gummy sharks on fresh baits after dark.
Sellicks Beach is the southernmost metro gulf beach - drive-on sections and an open beach producing salmon, mulloway and mullet.
Aldinga Beach is a long open southern-gulf beach producing mullet, salmon trout and mulloway, with whiting in the calmer margins.
Brighton offers relaxed jetty and foreshore fishing for King George Whiting, squid and mullet on the southern gulf margin.
West Beach combines a jetty and open gulf shoreline - King George Whiting, squid and mullet, with mulloway along the beach at night.
Semaphore is a classic metro jetty - King George Whiting, squid and tommy ruff off the jetty with mullet in close, and easy access along the Port Adelaide coastline.
North Haven fishes the Port Adelaide river mouth and marina breakwater - King George Whiting, squid and tommy ruff in the gulf margins, with mulloway along the deeper channels. The inner Port River waterways are closed to fishing (Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary).
Normanville offers a sheltered jetty and beach fishing for King George Whiting, garfish, squid and mullet, with the Bungala River outlet adding estuary variety.
Goolwa sits where the River Murray meets the sea - the Goolwa beaches are famous mulloway country, the river mouth and barrages produce mullet and salmon, and the Coorong holds bream (bream fishing is currently closed in the Lakes and Coorong).
Middleton's beaches and small estuary produce mullet, salmon trout and mulloway, with King George Whiting in the calmer water and black bream in the estuary system.
Port Elliot offers sheltered jetty fishing in Horseshoe Bay for King George Whiting, garfish and squid, with the open beach producing mullet and the occasional salmon.
Encounter Bay's open beaches produce Australian salmon, mullet and mulloway, with bronzie sharks on big baits after dark and whiting in the quieter margins.
Victor Harbor fishes Encounter Bay for mullet, garfish and Australian salmon from the beaches and breakwater, with rock fishing around The Bluff for sweep and bigger fish and productive whiting and squid grounds in sheltered water.
Ceduna is the service hub for the Far West - the town jetty and Murat Bay foreshore produce King George Whiting, garfish and mullet, with mulloway in the channels and blue swimmer crabs in summer.
Best here: Autumn - Winter for salmon
Best here: Autumn - Winter for salmon
Best here: Autumn - Winter
Best here: Late Winter - Spring
Edithburgh is one of the best all-round jetty fishing towns on the Yorke Peninsula - the jetty over seagrass and sand produces King George Whiting, squid, garfish and tommy ruff.
Stansbury fishes well from its long jetty and town beach - King George Whiting, garfish, squid and mullet in sheltered Gulf St Vincent water.
Venus Bay is a protected, shallow bay behind the Eyre Peninsula coast with excellent jetty and boat fishing for King George Whiting and tommy ruff, and good garfish in season.
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