how big is too big for eels?
 

sooo i was invited to the meeting tonight.. by more than one person. but gas was low, and my original buddy to go with couldn't make it. so i figured forget about it, i'll go fishing. catch the next one. glad i did. was some damn good fishing with no one around but me.

anyway... after to quick fish.. i started getting greedy, upping the size of my chunks. until finally i was throwing out whole clams. when BAM!!! what ever it was, was big and heavy, taking line, the whole nine yards.. and then i see what it is... a fairly large eel.. maybe the one i tossed yesterday grew up. :laugha:

so anyway. it conveniently hooked itself through the bottom lip. so my instant thought was... i wonder if i should live line this.. but i figured a 2 1/2- 3' 10lb eel was to big.. but was it? would a monster 50 or 60lbs bass take an eel that big?


this brings me to my second part.. i was fishing with none of my gear. just my rod and left-over clams.. so i had to get my hook back.. now i am covered in eel slime and it doesn't seem to want to come off. any suggestions?

p.s.- the fish are still biting but i had to leave due lack of bait and funds :(

That's a big eel. Why not, what have you got to loose. Only problem is the eel might eat the striper first.

I've seen monster bass slurp down eels like that before around the docks in LI.

Not too big at all.... just awkward to toss from shore :bl: Boat would be easier to lower but its still doable from shore.

If a 25# Striper can swallow a 4# horse mackerel then.......

As for the eel slime, if you're on a beach, rub it off with sand, and throw the sand back into the water to add some "chum" to the water.

I caught one like that from the docks at Thomas two years back and by the time I realized I should have left it on the hook I already released it. :mad:

You know an eel that size is great on the grill.

Summer before last I stayed with my sis on Manhattan. I use to fish battery park a lot, caught lots of eels, some of them to 3 feet. They are a good bait to chunk if they are that big and the skin is tough so they stay on the hook.

i'd fish it, worse case a blue chews it.

The bigger the better.
My dad had a boat years ago in Sheepshead Bay, Bklyn. Right behind the boat, we would set out lines and load up with eels. I mean big ones!
When I was younger there was no such thing, on my dad's boat that is,
as using a small eel.