So I was out in CT last night slinging eels for a few hours and had a strange occurrence. I was in the middle of a steady pick of teen bass when I had a solid take. I did the usual drop; wait for a tight line and set up, but then it went weird. The fish came at me, thrashed a bit and went down and I felt thumping almost like the fish was biting at the eel. After about 10 seconds, the eel popped free. I retrieved the line and inspected the eel. It was still kicking but had what could best be described as puncture wounds all over it. They looked like someone took a small pocket knife and poked all over the eel. Some were in a half moon “bite formation” and others were random. There were single scrape marks moving away from some of the punctures. The eel was decent size, maybe 16”, and the holes went about ¼ of the way into its body. They were definitely not bluefish marks as each puncture was a small distance form the next and not connected cuts like a blue does. I wish I had a camera with me as it was just so weird. I was thinking maybe a large weakfish attacked it. Any thoughts?

Small sandtiger? they are estuary fish this time of year....

Maybe a good sized fluke. I got one about 7lbs a few years ago on an eel at night.

Dogfish, same thing happend to me last week.
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dogfish gets my vote

Yeah,effing dogfish.:wall:

I had a similar thing happen to me early last fall while drifting eels in a famous southern cape cod rip... Threw out a trouser python eel, about 22" and almost as thick as my wrist. Had a vicious take on it, and whatever it was peeled out a ton of drag (aided by the fast moving current). It then dropped the eel, and as we were cranking it back in it came back again and hit the eel on the surface with a hell of a splash and took off on another run. Once AGAIN it dropped it, and this time the eel came back unmolested. It was covered in diamond-shaped tooth marks, each of which went in about 1/8-1/4", just like you described. Additionally, the tooth marks themselves were in a diamond pattern- you could see the shape of the upper and lower jaw from the pattern of the teeth marks (kinda tough to describe). My thought was a big fluke, or possibly a hardtail.

The half-moon bite mark makes me think dogfish... But wouldn't a spiny dog just shake and tear right through the eel? They bite whole herring in half no problem... I just think it's wild at just how many things will eat an eel. I want to throw them at tuna.

The many dogfish I have caught didn't have teeth. More like plates in their mouths for grinding things up. If it was just beat up and mutilated I’d say dogfish but the many puncture wounds seem to say it was something else. I’m talking about smooth doggies not sure about the spiny ones I don’t think I have ever caught one of those but didn't think they had teeth either.

Whatever it was definately had some sort of teeth, not the sandpaper type ones a striper or dogfish have left when I have caught them. The bite radius on the half moon shape was probably the size of my fist .

Bryan - Do you know if the sandtigers come into LI Sound? Looking at this picture of one, that kind of mouth could definately produce the results I saw. Now I am kind of happy I dropped it as I was about waste deep on a rock about 50'+ from shore....

http://gothamist.com/attachments/arts_jen/08berthashark.jpg

Yeah, smooths have the plates, but spinys have teeth more like a bandsaw... Actually, the more I look at it, the puncture marks don't sound like they could have been made by a dog... But the half-moon shaped bites do. wierd

As far as I know, yes.
My buddies wife works for NMFS studying them, and they fish for them in Delaware Bay, Hudson etc.. looking for Juv's, I'm sure thye cokme in to LIS, NBay etc...

Brown/Sandbar sharks are caught in CT every year and start moving in around now as the water temps warm up. I would think that even a smaller one wouldn't have had much trouble downing a 16" eel though...

Small sandtiger? they are estuary fish this time of year....

a wealth of knowledge :uhuh:

Sounds like it was an angry searobin.

"IS IT SAFE TO GO BACK IN THE WATER"!!!!!!!

squeteague maybe

I'd be willing to go with small sand tiger, I have seen clearnose skates that have been hit by them and it looks like a lawn aerator ran over them.
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Have had big weakfish take live bunker and it looks like you described. Puncture wounds and scrapes. I would guess a good weakie.