American Eel
 

I tried looking for a RI state record catch on this species and found nada... conger eel yes but this wasn't a conger... it was about a foot longer then 3' thick as a 32oz gatorade bottle and strong as a bull.. this thing pulled drag... it was battle scared but had the puppy eye thing going on... I couldn't even guess at the weight as it was all over the place.. we released it so it could add to the one more to make or break it to the spawning grounds...

but just out of curiosity does anyone know what the record is for this species?

American eel
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
American Eel

Anguilla rostrata
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Anguilliformes
Family: Anguillidae
Genus: Anguilla
Species: A. rostrata

Binomial name
Anguilla rostrata
Le Sueur, 1821
The American eel (Anguilla rostrata) is a fish found on the Eastern coast of the United States. It has a snake-like body with a small sharp pointed head. It is brown on top and a tan-yellow color on the bottom. It has sharp pointed teeth but no pelvic fins.

Contents [hide]
1 Reproduction
2 Habitat
3 Economic value
4 Recreational Angling Importance



[edit]
Reproduction

Distribution and size of leptocephali larvae of the American eel
Glass Eel on the online in situ microscope at the LEO projectThe female American eel spawns in salt water, and it takes 9 to 10 weeks for the eggs to hatch. After hatching, young eels move toward North America and enter freshwater systems to mature. The female can lay up to 4 million buoyant eggs a year, but frequently dies after egg-laying.

[edit]
Habitat
The eel likes fresh water, and is found around the Atlantic coast including the Chesapeake Bay. It prefers to hunt at night, and during the day it hides in mud, sand, or gravel.

[edit]
Economic value
American Eels are economically very important to the East Coast and rivers where they travel. They are caught by fishermen and sold, eaten or kept as pets. Eels help the Atlantic coast ecosystem by eating dead fish, invertebrates and carrion, and might even eat insects if hungry enough; it will even eat its own family.

[edit]
Recreational Angling Importance
Although many anglers are put off by the snake-like appearance of eels and the prodigious amounts of slime they produce when captured, eels are in fact exceptionally good fish. They are usually caught by anglers fishing for something else. The world record weight for the American Eel is 9.25 pounds.




I caught one in Whitman's pond in Weymouth about 6 or 7 years ago. It ate my shiner (fishing for largemouths). It was about 4 feet long and as thick as my arm. Slimy bugger. I cut the hook off and let him go. Kind of surprized me as I had caught a couple 4 pound bass and I thought I had hooked a big one.

IGFA and most states only keep records for what they consider "gamefish", and eels probably didn't make the cut :huh:

I caught a big eel on power bait trout fishing. I really thought it was a record trout till I got it to the boat.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Division of
Fish and Wildlife has certified a new freshwater state record American
eel that was caught from Round Valley Reservoir on June 4. David J.
Payne of Plainfield caught a 6 pound, 13 ounce American eel that weighed
11 ounces more than the previous record taken from Round Valley in 1994.


Payne was on shore casting for trout when he hooked the eel on a live
shiner. Payne claims he saw trout all around and was convinced he had
one until his catch came closer to the surface. His "surprise" measured
41¾ inches in length.

The American eel can be found statewide in rivers, streams, ponds and
reservoirs. American eels possess a slender, muscular, snake-like body
with a small pointed head. The dorsal fin is long, extending more than
half the length of the body. They have short, rounded pectoral fins, but
no pelvic fins. The mouth has numerous small teeth. Male eels seldom
exceed 24 inches in length, but females can reach up to 40 inches.

Adult American eels migrate to the Sargasso Sea, a calm area in the
Atlantic Ocean east of the Bahamas and south of Bermuda, to spawn. The
larvae reside in the upper few hundred feet of ocean for up to a year
and slowly migrate back to the eastern shores of North America. By the
time they reach the estuaries and rivers in March and early April, they
have transformed into small transparent eels (glass eels). As the young
eels develop pigmentation they become known as elvers and will remain in
fresh water until sexually mature. When ready to reproduce, they migrate
back to the Sargasso Sea late in the fall. Prior to this migration, they
sport a silvery color. Once spawning occurs, they die.

Adult eels primarily eat fish, but will feed upon anything they find.
In lakes and reservoirs, they reside in shallow coves with muddy
bottoms. Eels are most active at night and spend the winter months
buried in the mud. In streams and rivers, they can be found in pool
areas with plenty of cover in the form of fallen trees and branches, as
well as undercut banks where they prefer clear water, but will tolerate
moderately cloudy conditions.

The Division has categories for American eel caught in both freshwater
and saltwater. The current saltwater state record is 9 pounds, 13 ounces
caught in 1988 off Atlantic City.

The Record Fish Program recognizes the largest species of fish caught
in the state. It revolves around a specific list of eligible freshwater
and saltwater species, and is based on weight alone; there are no line
classes. Scale certification documentation, including the Certificate of
Inspection/Test Report and Registration Certificate issued by the New
Jersey Office of Weights and Measures, as well as a weighmaster's
signature are necessary. Other rules apply.

For more information or to request an application, call 609-633-7768.
Visit the Division's Web site at http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/recfish.htm
for a complete list of state record fish.

To read the web version of this information, click on the following
link:
http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/news/2005/receel05.htm

Several years ago some guy I think from New Beige caught a 9 or 10 lber in a pond on Cape. Maybe in the Mashpee area. I can't remember all the details too long ago for my memory. Paul

thanks for the replies and info/links..... the eel my buddy caught was a monsterous spitting image of the same ones ya use for bait... it was darker and about a foot longer then the one in the picture...


thanks again...