Where do poddy mullet go in winter?

[Koalaboi]

Living at The Entrance, my go to fish over summer are flathead. Live poddies are my preferred tactic which are quite plentiful in the shallows of Tuggerah Lake during the warmer months. They disappear during the cooler months and I have often wondered where they go.

I thought that with the prevailing westerly winds during winter that they may head to the western side of the lake which is more sheltered but on looking there no luck. 

Some people suggested they go upstream to the tributaries that flow into the lake but no luck there either.

I’ve looked at some articles on the life cycle of mullet and cannot remember finding an answer to the question. 

Do any FRs know (and I mean really know not have theories etc) where they go?

KB

[BigHorse]

I'm think im wrong but i think they have a migrational movement over the winter/autem where they travel along the coast offshore. this is my best guess hopefully someone else has some better knowledge then me in this topic....

[frankS]

How's this for a guess, I know you don't want guesses but i just couldn't resist putting my thoughts out there.

Mullet breed in late winter so by spring the babies ( poddy mullet ) are starting to grow up, by mid summer they are large sized poddies and by autumn heading toward winter the small poddy's have grown up to be full sized mullet, and the cycle starts all over again.

So what were Poddy's in spring are mullet in winter.

Frank

 

[bessell1955]

I agree with both BigHorse and franks

[Fab1]

I recently asked a poddy and was told he just got back from Bali.Apparently his surfboard wasn’t checked either.

[Koalaboi]

Hi,

Funnily enough, a day after posting the question, the poddies have showed up in the shallows of the Lake. 

Apart from the silly response from Fab 1, I would like to thank people who have responded. However, I am not sure about the theories aired. I don’t think the growth rate of mullet is sufficient to see them mature enough to spawn by growing from a tiny poddy to adult in a couple of months…or even less.

I have done some research on this and according to fisheries, mullet don’t leave the estuaries to spawn until they are two years old. Whilst they are quick growers it takes 4 years for them to get to a length of 35 cm:

"Spawning occurs at sea, from autumn to early winter. The larvae enter estuaries and the small juveniles subsequently live in sheltered shallow water habitats. Many sea mullet travel into freshwaters, where they may reside for long periods, particularly if denied passage back to the estuary. Sea mullet grow quite quickly, taking about 4 years to reach 35 cm in length. Maximum length is approximately 60 cm but few fish greater than 50 cm are caught. Between late summer and early winter, adult sea mullet (two or more years of age) leave estuaries in large schools that then travel northward along the open coastline on their way to spawning grounds. This behaviour appears to be triggered by strong westerly winds and falling water temperatures. Shorter migrations by so-called ‘hard-gut’ (sub-adult) mullet also occur periodically, possibly in response to heavy flooding."

(https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/375937/Sea-Mullet.pdf)

So the question remains.

KB

 

 

 

Edited October 4, 2022 by Koalaboi

[bessell1955]

Well, will  we ever uncover this secret? 

[Koalaboi]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the interest in this topic.

A good friend of mine is an Aboriginal elder, knowledge holder, professional fisherman and oyster farmer up at Karuah. He believes that the fish migrations and even more localised movements, are governed by the winds. An obvious one is the movement of adult mullet to spawn in April when the westerly winds start to blow.

I've seen dances at Corroboree that are based on this knowledge.

I wondered if the poddies on my side of Tuggerah Lakes (near Long Jetty) stayed here during the warmer months to escape the predominantly onshore winds from the east which leaves Long Jetty in the lee. In winter, when the winds are mostly from the west, I theorised the poddies may move to the other side of the lake to escape the choppy  and muddy water but, when I went over there to look, I didn't find any; although I have to admit, my looking was  a  "boys look".

Maybe they are further up the estuaries, maybe they aestivate in the cooler temperatures...?

There has to be an answer!

KB

[bessell1955]

That sounds as plausible as any other reason that I have heard,