American eel

[mike rousseau]

Good morning

 

I had an interesting experience last night...

 

I caught an American eel while trolling cranks for walleye....

 

Now I've caught eels before while fishing perch with small minnows or catfish with a small piece of worms.... But I've never seen one on a crank... And I've never heard heard of an eel being caught this way...

 

[Rod Caster]

Cool.they have quite the travel/life those guys.

[Dave Bailey]

Cool! The MNR would be interested in the details, on page 89 of the regs there's a request for sightings. They would like the following info:

 

Location/waterbody caught/seen

 

Date/Time of day

 

Approximate water depth

 

Estimate of length

 

Bait used

 

Name, phone, e-mail, photograph

 

You can contact them at 1-800-667-1940

[Gregoire]

I hope they are making a comeback. I remember as a kid fishing off the dock for perch on the st lawrence, they would always freak me out when I caught them.

[aplumma]

Not often but I have caught a few eels using a crankbait.

 

 

Art

[Pwnisher]

That's pretty cool but if I were to accidently catch one I would be terrified of removing the hook from its mouth. They always kinda creeped me out! Still, I hope we see more of them.

[davey buoy]

Agreed,taking off the hook out of his mouth ,and what do you do with it ?? lol.Should of been a good fight I would think?

[HTHM]

They are DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I found that they are sold as bail on the east coast states.

[aplumma]

Excellent bait for catfish.

 

 

Art

[bushart]

Don't they use them for bait for big stripers??

[outllaw]

very cool take that one off the bucket list lol

[John]

Don't they use them for bait for big stripers??

They are sand eels....

[limeyangler]

Thats pretty cool to see. I used to catch those on the Thames in London(England), turn over any rock on the beaches of the Thames and there were at least 2 elvers under there resting from their journey from the Sargasso sea.

[John]

I used to catch them over there too Simon. Pretty big ones too, sad they are in decline there too. Stay up all night ledgering......Used to 6 inchers in the streams when I was a kid. You a jellied eel fan Simon?

[Fisherman]

Smoked eel...MMMMmmmmmmm, on rye bread.

[pidge]

Now that's pretty neat I must say. Cool catch I say.

[limeyangler]

I used to catch them over there too Simon. Pretty big ones too, sad they are in decline there too. Stay up all night ledgering......Used to 6 inchers in the streams when I was a kid. You a jellied eel fan Simon?

 

LOL...'ledgering'.....thats a term a have not heard in years.....thanks....trip down memory lane. I used to stay up all night too, our house backed on to the Thames at Putney. I guy from across the street caught some HUGE ones on cheese or liver, i would just dig up worms in the garden and catch 'bootlace' eels all night.

 

Was never a fan of them, could never get past the look, smell and texture. Tried smoked a few times when I lived in Holland...pretty good.

 

[bare foot wader]

cool catch...how's your net smelling after that lol

[aplumma]

Yes they work for stripers the big market that the watermen cash in on was to catch and ship them overseas. It is one of the winter catches that keep them working year round.

 

 

Art

[misfish]

Smoked eel...MMMMmmmmmmm, on rye bread.

 

With some melted Brie. Dont forget the sliced black olives.

[Big Cliff]

When I was a kid living in Quebec we use to catch them in one of the little creeks just off Lake of Two Moutains. We would put them into a burlap sack in the river and a guy would come and buy them from us I think we use to get $0.50 each for them (a lot of money in those days). I remember we would grab them behind the head to take the hook out and they would wrap themselves around our arm.

[Carp]

I remember when I was a little kid, my dad coming home with a few eels in a bucket. Never found out where him and his buddies went to catch them. I'll ask this weekend when I see him. Must have eaten them. I can't remember. There's not much I didn't eat when I was a kid. Matter of fact, that holds true in my adult life too. I have the belly to prove it.

[Raf]

they were pretty common in Lake Ontario, not even that long ago (late 80s). Bay of Quinte was a popular spot.

[OhioFisherman]

As a kid I caught a few in a net one time while catching minnows for bait in a tributary of Lake Erie here once. It was very early spring and 5-6 of them were in the current around a small depression in the bottom swaying with current like eel grass. Maybe 5-7 inches long, and I have never seen another here since.

 

While fishing in a water supply reservoir for the city of Norfolk Virginia I had some kind of eels cutting my golden shiners in half. They were much bigger 2-3 feet? Almost had one in the boat, but decided I didn't really want him there!

[Big Cliff]

The ones we use to catch were usually 2-3' long.

 

Had smoked eel in Belgium one time, boy was it good!