Tampa Bay Mullet Run Guide

The mullet run is the biggest annual event in Tampa Bay fishing. When the bait starts pouring out of the rivers and bays toward the Gulf, everything that eats mullet shows up in force.

Snook, redfish, tarpon, and jack crevalle stack up along beaches, passes, and structure. The run usually starts in mid to late August and stays strong through October, sometimes into November. Exact timing shifts with water temperature and weather, so watch the beaches and bait shops for the first big schools.

Where the Schools Show Up

Mullet hug the shoreline when they move. Look for these patterns in Tampa Bay:

• Beaches and sandbars from Pass-a-Grille north to Anclote. Early schools often run tight to the beach on calm days.
• Passes and inlets. Egmont Channel, Bunces Pass, and the mouth of the Manatee River are classic choke points.
• Seawalls and rocky shorelines. Schools get funneled along bulkheads. Predators wait in the shadows.
• Grass flat edges on falling tide. Mullet push into shallow grass to feed, then get pinned when the water drops.

Early in the run you see finger mullet. By mid-September the bigger mature fish arrive and the schools get massive.

Rigs and Tactics That Work

Cast net or buy live mullet when you can. When the run is on, artificials and fly also produce.

Topwater plugs worked fast across the surface draw violent strikes from snook and jack. Use a 7-inch spook or similar in bone or mullet color.

Soft plastics on a 1/4 oz jig head. A 5-inch mullet imitation or jerk shad in root beer or smoke works when the fish are on smaller bait.

Fly — a big Deceiver or Clouser in chartreuse and white. Strip fast when you see the school.

Live mullet under a float or free-lined is the most consistent when the fish are picky.

Position the boat 60–80 feet off the beach or structure and cast into the path of the schools. On calm mornings you can often see the dark patches and nervous water from a mile away.

Local Notes

The run is weather-driven. A cold front or sudden drop in barometric pressure often triggers bigger movements. If you see diving birds working the beach, get there.

Pinellas County has some extra mullet restrictions in certain areas. Check the latest FWC rules before you load the cast net.

When the mullet are thick, the bite can be fast for an hour then shut off. Keep moving until you find the next school.

This is the time of year when a single good tide can produce the best fishing of the season. Watch the beaches. When the mullet show, the predators are never far behind.