What is the biggest Eel you can fish with?? I have some snakes in my eel pot 16" long 1+" in diameter. I want to drift this monster in about thirty feet of water from a boat. Should I try or am I wasting my time?

DO IT!!!

no such thing as too big. I'll cast those in the surf.

Fish it or skin it....

Originally posted by JohnR
or skin it....

and eat it.....yum! :)

If they'll attack a 36" tube, a 16" eel should go down smooth.

Big eels produce BIG FISH.

So what should I do with the next 30"x2" eel I get?

I know guys that troll 42" black tubes that exceed 1" in dia...looks like a garden hose. They catch bass on those, a 16" eel is nothing. That is what I perfer for surfcasting 16-18". If you have a real fat one that is too big to cast....ball and chain it or 3-way it from a boat. It will not last long, believe me. You can always do as John said and skin it, leaving in the tail meat and attach the skin to an wooden plug to troll...you can then freeze this whole set-up. This is an oldie but a goodie method that is a pain to put together but still works very well.

The guy in tackle store told me that the eels we are getting today (from maine) are grown for bait and given growth hormones...that is why they are thick and short. They grow very fast. I don't know if that is true or not but I thought I would pass it on.