What bait to use on Saltwater Canal fishing

Question
I am visiting some family up in Tarpon Springs, Fl and have noticed quit a few large fish jumping in a canal right down the road from the bayou. Went out with some lures, and regular fake bait, not even a nibble.  Rumor has it most of the fish back there are Mullet, and only catchable through a cast-net. Is that true or can I use live bait, minnows, shrimp?  And is there other than Mullet that frequent those backwaters, like maybe Tarpon?

Answer
The fish that are jumping are Mullet and are very typical of the canals down here. You cannot catch them on hook and line unless by accident. There are Redfish and Snook that will wander back through there BUT they are more common in the Winter Months. The Summer the oxygen levels and water temperature make the water not very habitable for many species. Also many move out onto the beaches and grass flats where the food it more Plentiful. Some of the better places are off the shore at either Howard Park or Sunset Park you can wade and fish there. and there are lots of Trout cruising the flats in those areas. However fishing in the canals will probably not be good until it cools off around December and then will last until the spring around March. Also the Mullet are only good for making Fish Spread and typically are caught by Cast Net. If you are interested in doing that let me know and I can give you more info and recipes.