Eel Rigs/bait

[Mark7]

I'll add my thanks to those above Mark.

I've not done a lot of (intentional) eel fishing, apart from a period about 20yrs ago, and that was with very limited success, with a top weight of just over 3 1/2 lb. I found your post very interesting, especially the part about how close in you fish. I wondered if you ever tried using a float rig when conditions allowed. I found that it was much more sensitive, at times too sensitive and you had to move the rod tip towards your float, or the bait was dropped when the fish felt resistance from the rod. I found that it was best in slow rivers, or fishing close in, to the side on a stillwater, and I got less deep hooked fish than fishing on the bottom. I'm not talking about a pike float, but I used a big avon, just big enough to support a bait and a 'tell tale' shot. It would also help with the suspended baits you mention. I realise that concentrating on a float for long periods at night is not as comfortable as listening for the bite alarm, but I always stayed awake during night sessions, and if I started to nod off, stopped fishing.

What are your thoughts on this?

 

John.

 

I did try fishing the closest margin rod on the float a couple of seasons ago, using a modified "chubber" float with a small betalight. The problem is, I average an eel for every two nights fished, and I found that I was constantly dozing off after the first 2 or 3 hours. In the end I gave it up.It reminded my of late 60s carping, when after a few hours of watching a tin foil tube, your eyes would start to play tricks, and the indicator would appear to move all on its own! I had the same problem with the float after a couple of hours. It would be an excellent method on a productive water where you could afford to fish for short sessions of a few hours though. A friend (Steve Cotton) had a couple of fives this last season using the float, so it is obviously effective. I might give it another go on the shorter nights (perhaps June to July) this year after your comments.

[Vagabond]

I don't fish (intentionally) for European Eels, but I needed an Australian Short-finned Eel (Anguilla australis) for my world species list.

 

Spotted some feeding in an estuary in Tasmania - very shallow water (about 6" at low tide) over several inches of liquid mud. The eels were visible as they arched their backs and then drove their heads into the mud. Size ranges from about a pound to some that looked a good four.

 

Each time this happened, a great cloud of mud went up and three or four crabs scurried away. Presumably each time there was a crab which didn't make it.

 

Not often you get the chance to go sight-fishing for eels !

 

Went back, armed with some lamb's liver (great trouble in getting understood at the butcher's - Tasmanians have never heard of "liver" - they call it "lamb's fries" )

 

Soft wire trace, and initially a circle hook (to avoid deep hooking) as I have found eels in general (that's several species) tend to bolt soft baits rather quickly. That happened here. Trouble was, they bolted the liver and spat the circle hooks out. Several times. No hook ups, even though I was using the usual technique with circle hooks and letting (trying to let) the eel hook itself.

 

Finally changed to a J hook, watched carefully, struck early, and hooked the eel through the lower lip. Still a lot of blood though, although some of it was from the lamb's liver.

 

Unhooked it, chalked it up as species number 432 and dropped it back in the creek. It was about a pound and a half, but I didn't weigh it.

 

I note nobody has mentioned circle hooks as a way to avoiding deep hooking - my experience suggests they do that rather well, by avoiding hooking the eels at all

 

Any thoughts ?

 

...amd BTW for Hawk and anyone else targetting eels at night. It is not just eel welfare you need to worry about, but pike as well. You will surely catch pike, even on lobworm - so gear for unhooking pike should be in your bag - including deep disgorger - and the knowledge of how to use it.

Edited January 11, 2012 by Vagabond

[Dales]

...amd BTW for Hawk and anyone else targetting eels at night. It is not just eel welfare you need to worry about, but pike as well. You will surely catch pike, even on lobworm - so gear for unhooking pike should be in your bag - including deep disgorger - and the knowledge of how to use it.

 

As Dave has pointed out, you are as likely to get a Pike as an eel on Lobs, I tend to use quicksilver hook lengths for eels which seems very resistant to eel damage. But as I do seem to end up catching the odd Pike while eel fishing at night, would I be better off using wire?

 

I have had some 4lb eels and have no interest in catching small eels and so would not be bothered if wire put off the smaller ones. I would love to catch a 5 or bigger but wonder if I was lucky enough to hook a real whopper would the quicksilver take the damage. So far it stands up great to the size of eels I encounter but Pike can soon bash it up and so it is in the back of my mind that could a huge eel cause the same sort of damage. I would hate to loose a good fish because I used braid instead of wire.

 

Should point out that I would use wire if using fish baits but I have only been using worms, maggots and prawns. I had never thought of using liver or offal, so Vagabonds post has given me something to think about.

 

While talking about bait, has any one had eels on black pudding? I know a few rate it as a Tench bait, would it double up as a eel bait?

[Phone]

Gozzer,

 

Ha ha, Yes, I could arrange that!

 

Phone

[Dick Dastardly]

Dave giving circles ago for eels is on my list this spring.

 

Regards wire for eels Dales I know a lot of the guys Ive eel fished with use wire all the time.Their reasoning being that if they do hook an eel of a lifetime they dont want to take any chances.

 

I personally use Quicksilver (35lb) for all my eel fishing now. I'm not that sure that wire has any negative effect but it can (and to a lesser degree so can Quicksilver) cut other fish that may pick up the baits. Like when I'm perching I'm prepared to accept the risk of the odd small single being left in a pike.

[Dick Dastardly]

I have not used the "T" rig, as I decided that the size of the "T" would need to be substantial, certainly much larger than the hooks that I use, to prevent a decent eel swallowing the lot. I can see how it might work for smaller specimens, but how big would it need to be for, say, an 8 lb eel? Probably a couple of inches across. I would be interested to see if you can make it work effectively.

 

Exactly the conclusion I came to last season Mark! Average size of eels I was catching was 3-4lb and some it seemed to work on and some not. Was not to sure whether the idea was th get the size of the "T" to stop swallowing or to stop the hook being fully taken in the mouth? If the later as you say a far larger "T" would be needed..Much why this winter Ive been asking around for others experiences of using them. I will continue to play with the system and circles (had any experience of them?) and if I get any improvement will let everyone know.Certainly going to switch to small barbless and give the "regurgitation" in the sack lark a fair trial as well though.

[Dales]

Thanks Budgie, I had thought about the chance of damage to other fish especially as my choice of baits will appeal to all species. I think I will stick with the quicksilver.

[Steve Burke]

Mark, many thanks indeed for such informative posts. They've certainly given me a few ideas and set me thinking.

 

I had intended going eel fishing on my Carp Lake at Wingham last year, but buying and renovating a cottage got in the way. Your posts have made it almost certain I'll have a go at Wingham this year but I'm not sure yet which lake.

 

On the Coarse Lake I try to avoid eels as at night as I'm after the monster bream. They can be a darned nuisance on any animal bait! Strangely I've never caught one on a fishmeal-based boilie. Is this normal?

 

The average size is bigger on the Carp Lake and there's probably even more chance of a 5lber (both pits have produced them).

 

Would you and other experienced eel anglers suggest going for the Carp Lake? Digging started about 25 years ago compared with 40 years ago for the Coarse Lake, so I wonder if there's more chance of a real monster in the Coarse Lake? The latter contains a lot of eels (mostly 2 to 3lbs) and is a mixed fishery. It's lightly fished compared with most pits, but the eels will have encountered a lot of worms and maggots over the years (I don't allow fish baits to protect the pike). The Carp Lake contains just carp, pike and eels, and has been fished specifically for eels just 1 weekend by 3 anglers. 24 of the 28 caught were over 3lbs, with the best going 4-13.

[Dick Dastardly]

Mark, many thanks indeed for such informative posts. They've certainly given me a few ideas and set me thinking.

 

I had intended going eel fishing on my Carp Lake at Wingham last year, but buying and renovating a cottage got in the way. Your posts have made it almost certain I'll have a go at Wingham this year but I'm not sure yet which lake.

 

On the Coarse Lake I try to avoid eels as at night as I'm after the monster bream. They can be a darned nuisance on any animal bait! Strangely I've never caught one on a fishmeal-based boilie. Is this normal?

 

The average size is bigger on the Carp Lake and there's probably even more chance of a 5lber (both pits have produced them).

 

Would you and other experienced eel anglers suggest going for the Carp Lake? Digging started about 25 years ago compared with 40 years ago for the Coarse Lake, so I wonder if there's more chance of a real monster in the Coarse Lake? The latter contains a lot of eels (mostly 2 to 3lbs) and is a mixed fishery. It's lightly fished compared with most pits, but the eels will have encountered a lot of worms and maggots over the years (I don't allow fish baits to protect the pike). The Carp Lake contains just carp, pike and eels, and has been fished specifically for eels just 1 weekend by 3 anglers. 24 of the 28 caught were over 3lbs, with the best going 4-13.

 

 

Indeed my dilemma for this coming year as well Steve.I really believe that a lot of the 3-4lb eels in the Coarse Lake have done the off! as its been very noticeable how in recent years you can now get away with "animal" baits a lot more than previously. The carp Lake was undoubtedly producing a lot of 3-4's last year and did give Glyn a 5 however I take the carp lads 5&6's with a bit of a pinch of salt and feel they are probably "guesstimated" weights! Having spoken to a couple of them I'm now pretty positive this is the case! Mind you I cant see any reason why another 5 shouldn't be on the cards.

 

But despite the fact that the eels have left the Coarse Lake I still feel there could be a chance of a real big one (that's above 6 in my books) as when a waters population does all migrate Ive allways found it to be a "year class" thing rather than just size (as in over a certain size).

 

Many eel specialists believe that there are two possible reasons for real big eels. One is the "prison water" theory where some how the eels have become trapped in a water and cant leave it (Wingham certainly doesn't fit into this category and quite frankly its one Ive never been party to as I just cant see how such a water exists!). The other is than the odd eel is actually sterile/doesn't feel the urge to migrate for whatever other reason and so remains its whole life in the same water.

 

So maybe there is still an eel/ a few eels like this in the Coarse Lake?

 

As for fish meal boilies,strangely as it may seem if I was carping on a water with a lot of eels I wanted to avoid fish meal (boiled hard) would be my first choice! They simply love milk protein based mixes with fruit or confectionery flavours! Why I dont know!

 

I would also be interested in Mark or other eel anglers views to our situation.

[Vagabond]

Dave giving circles ago for eels is on my list this spring.

 

Look forward to hearing what happens - I gave them up after twenty minutes ! Must have had about six consecutive takes where a big lump of liver was ingested and the circle hook spat out. When I tried a J it was a hookup first time. Once I had caught and returned that fish, I retired from short-finned eel fishing.

 

I am surprised that no-one seems to have used circle hooks for eels, they seem obvious candidates to try if deep hooking is a problem. After my experience, though, I half-expected to be told scornfully "every eel fisher knows circle hooks don't work with eels"

 

BTW I was surprised to hear that eels are getting scarcer in the coarse lake - could someone tell the eels - I still get pestered when after perch with lobworm..