Best Ways to Catch American Eel

There is a prominent aquatic animal on the eastern Atlantic coast of North America that classifies as fish but resembles a snake. This species is none other than the American eel. As a diadromous fish, it lives in both saltwater and freshwater environments. However, this creature is not anadromous or fish that live in the sea and migrates to freshwater to spawn. The American Eel is the opposite. It is catadromous, meaning it lives as an adult in freshwater and goes to the ocean to generate. After spawning, it dies. This fish is very active at night and needs covered areas and muddy surfaces to be hidden and buried during the day. In the cold weather, they go torpor but still have some occasional activities. An American eel lives long, with the maximum recorded age of 43 years. Females spend ten to twenty years in the freshwater before going to the sea to spawn and die after breeding once.

The American eel can be found in diverse habitats across the geographic range of North America. Typically, they are seen in freshwater rivers or streams, lakes, estuaries, shorelines, coastal areas, and the open sea.

If you are one of those that go after them, or if you are a beginner at American eel fishing, you might want to know more about the ways to catch them:

Identifying American Eels

American eels are distinctive in their appearance. These are the notable physical structures and markings to look out for to distinguish them:

• They have a long, slender, and snakelike body. An adult eel’s average length is 1 to 3 feet, and the average weight is 8 to 9 pounds. Although rarely, some female adults reach almost 5 feet and a little more than 16 pounds. Female eels have larger bodies than males.
• These creatures have pointed heads. Females have notably smaller eyes than males.
• American eels have tiny pectoral fins; their dorsal, caudal, anal, and ventral fins are connected to a  long, continuous fin. They have no pelvic fins. Females have higher fins than males.
• The eel’s coloration above its body is dark gray, brown, greenish-yellow, or olive green. On its underside, its color is yellowish or white. Female eels are lighter in color. Eels undergo many physical and geographical changes in their lives.
• They are slick due to a mucus layer covering them. Eels also have microscopic scales, giving them the appearance of being naked.

What Makes American Eels Well Sought After?

Anglers love to catch eels primarily because they are used as bait. American eels are great bait for big games like cobia, chinook salmon, steelhead trout, and striped bass. In 2011, the biggest striped bass record was caught by Greg Myerson using an eel as bait. He reportedly slipped on its slime while struggling to pull the monster striper from the water. The active squirming movements of eels always look very tasty to big hungry predators.

Moreover, eels are good table fare. They can be fried, barbecued, sauteed, or mixed with vegetables. Additionally, anglers love eels because of the challenge of handling them. Perfecting the way to hold and store them is a skill to learn. Last but not least, the population of American eels are not considered endangered. Females can produce up to 4 million eggs a year. They allow year-round fishing for anglers who love to set out any time of the year. 

Catching American Eels

1. Locating Tips

Eels live in freshwater. They can be seen in any of the following waterbodies: rivers, streams, creeks, lakes, ponds, and brooks. These are some of the other notable places to spot them:

• Inlets and outlets
• Rocky boulders or pilings
• Overhanging bent trees
• Spring holes
• Riparian zones
• Piers and docks
• Drop-offs
• Excessive bushes
• Underwater structures
• Muddy Bottoms
• Dams
• Undercuts
• Bridges
• Falls
• Open water

2. Rigging Tips

When looking for bait, do not be afraid to experiment, as eels are opportunistic feeders and bite on almost anything. You may use live baits such as nightcrawlers, maggots, minnows, insect larvae, herring, and shiners for best eel fishing results. They also bite on chicken liver, dead fish, and cut bait.

Using traps is easily one of the best ways to catch eels. Although, doing so would need a commercial fishing license, especially in some states.

Use a medium power spinning rod; a 6 to 11-foot rod is recommended. For spinning reels, use medium capacity. Get an abrasion-resistant monofilament line.

When picking a hook, do not be afraid to experiment with the sizes. When you sit in an area and get some bites but fail to catch the eels, you are most likely using the wrong size and hook. You may experiment with number 6 to number 2 long-shank hooks.

3. Fishing Tips

The best technique to use when fishing for American eels is fly fishing and spinning. When setting out to fish, bring a bunch of extra bait with you. Position yourself on the bank or shoreline of the stream or lake, then throw some bait on the water. Wait for eels to gather and feed on them. When enough of them are out and eating on your bait, you may now cast a line and try to hook one of them—hopefully the biggest one. When drift fishing, you may set up as many rods as possible. When you get a bite, pull the eel close to your boat, and you can use a net to scoop it up. 

4. Unhooking Tips

Due to their smooth, speedy movements, it can be hard to pull eels from the water and unhook them from your line. They will continue to resist in a memorable struggle even out of the water. Their twists and turns may even tangle up your line. An efficient way of unhooking eels is to put them immediately in a water bucket or pail. Inside, they will be able to swim, but you can control them in a limited area. 

How to Handle Caught American Eels

Dealing with American Eels can be quite challenging. The relationship between anglers and eels can be described as cats and dogs. Holding caught eels can be very troublesome because of their excessive slime, especially for beginners. Knowing the right ways and tricks to deal with them will save you time and effort. Do not be discouraged from catching these slimy games; learn how to handle them.

Eels are extremely fast. Eels use this rapid skill to get away from predators in the water. Since their fast pace is the problem, all that is needed is to make them slow. The key to making eels sluggish is to put them on ice. These slimy creatures are swift in average or warm temperatures, but they start to move slower if put in ice. Bring a bucket of water and also pack some ice. As soon as you catch an eel, you can directly put them in the ice water before taking it out of the hook. You can also store them there if you plan to use them for bait.

Another characteristic of eels that makes them hard to hold is their slimy bodies. This can be quite nettlesome if you hold them with bare hands, as they will try to wiggle free. The trick to this is to add sufficient friction to control them tightly. Lessen the wet mucus from their bodies by keeping them dry. Use gloves or dry rags when holding them. If you forget to pack some before heading out, a good tip is to rub your hands in dry soil or the sand before taking hold of the eels.