# how to rig croaker and mullet?



## brickman (Aug 18, 2005)

Can anyone tell me the best way to rig a craoker or mullet? I don't throw live bait but a good friend of mine is coming to fish with me this weekend and he normally fishes live bait so I would like to accommodate him the best I can. also can you mix them in the same livewell?


----------



## SPECtackle (Aug 16, 2005)

Some hook 'em thru the bottom lip and some thru the tail, just behind the dorsal fin, I guess personal preference is the rule but I have heard that hooked thru the lower lip and going forward looks more natural than being dragged backwards thru the tail. I would think you could mix them but don't put shrimp with them unless you are trying to feed them as well.


----------



## brickman (Aug 18, 2005)

Do you put weight with them? what size hook?


----------



## jtizzle (May 18, 2006)

Croaker work best freelined hooked halfway between the anal gland and the lateral line.


----------



## Too Tall (May 21, 2004)

Freeline and a 4/0 or 5/0 croaker hook.


----------



## LIONESS-270 (May 19, 2005)

A friend of mine showed me how to hook em on the bottom between the anal fin and tail.....They swim up and down...I haven't tried it yet....sounds good.

18 to 24" shock leader and very small egg sinker...


----------



## Night Trout (Jun 19, 2006)

chiefcharlie said:


> A friend of mine showed me how to hook em on the bottom between the anal fin and tail.....They swim up and down...I haven't tried it yet....sounds good.
> 
> 18 to 24" shock leader and very small egg sinker...


Thats the way I hook them and it seems to work great. I saw them do it on shallow water angler.


----------



## scrappy (Apr 28, 2006)

*add a rattle if you can*

add it about 18" from the hook

insert line through small plastic tubing piece (long enough to cover rattle) then swedge in the rattle into the hole thru the tubing.

throw out the croaker and let sink.......then jerk 2-4 times and let her lay.....dont reel in.......jerk again ........let lay....don't reel in......

rattle and fish swimming attracts......its call "croaker shakin" in Port O.

Its a top secret method that I asn't supposed to tell anyone. Now there's a price on my head........probably 2 six packs.......


----------



## brickman (Aug 18, 2005)

Thanks everyone for your suggestions....Scrappy I will be in POC this weekend so I will see if the rattle is the way to go!!!


----------



## flatsfats (May 21, 2004)

carolina rig. 1.5 oz egg, bead, barrel swivel, 16-18" drop to a kahle 2/0. the reason i use so big a sinker is to get it as far away from me as possible and i don't throw off as many baits. 2/0 hook is plenty big if you've set your drag right. handles redfish to 32" regularly.

or

two drop rig. 3-way swivel. one leg for sinker, one leg for hook. make sinker leg longer than hook leg. 1 0z cannon ball.


----------



## bdear10s3 (Mar 2, 2006)

The reason croakers hooked thru the tail are more effective: Each time you jerk him backwards, his gills will flare and he'll make the sound he is named for. Trout hate them because they are notorious trout egg eaters and will respond instantly to their "croaks".
If you weight your bait down fishing the Baffin rocks, you'll retrieve an empty hook more often than not cause your bait will swim directly into the closest rock whhen you put him near the bottom and hang you up.


----------



## lazywader (Mar 6, 2006)

Scrappy,

You're dead on about a deadly croaker method. Its the only was to fish them. You can do it with or without the rattle. Normally the croaker does enough craoking for the rattle not to matter and the trout, if there will have it quickly. If your croaker's been in the water more than 5 minutes, check him or change him. If no response in 15, move until you find the trout, action will be quick right now.


----------



## NateTxAg (Apr 11, 2006)

I get a salt shaker and tie it above the swivel. Then I make a leader about 18 - 20' with a 2/0-4/0 croaker hook. Hook the fish right above the tail. This way the fish swims like its injured. The salt shaker will act as a weight. Keep your line tight and pop it every so often. Its very important to keep your croaker alive too. Trout love it. Good luck.


----------



## 22' Extreme (Jul 13, 2006)

NateTxAg said:


> I get a salt shaker and tie it above the swivel. Then I make a leader about 18 - 20' with a 2/0-4/0 croaker hook. Hook the fish right above the tail. This way the fish swims like its injured. The salt shaker will act as a weight. Keep your line tight and pop it every so often. Its very important to keep your croaker alive too. Trout love it. Good luck.


Why not just use a weight?


----------



## NateTxAg (Apr 11, 2006)

The salt shaker acts like the weight and when the croaker swims it sounds exactly like a poping shrimp and attracts the fish. You can most certainly use a weight but the salt shaker does both so I prefer to just use that.


----------



## Bombay (Jul 9, 2006)

...and what is a salt shaker? Never heard of that before.


----------

