eel bandits
 

I was fishing the ditch from a spot that allows me to wade. I brought 8 eels left over from a previous night and kept them in a white mesh bag, tethered to the rocks behind me. I am drifting an eel and just enjoying the beautiful night. Has always I glanced back to check the eel bag. The first thing I notice the bag is missing, and my heart skipped a beat. The rope was there so I calmed for a moment continued my drift and then thought, I don't remember a wake or even a wave go through. I finished my drift and went to investigate. Has get closer I see the bag and notice a dark shadow move as I am lifting the bag from the rocks just in front if me. It doesn't come loose so I put my headlamp on and there are 2 mink and 1 is gripping the bag trying to pull it away from me. The little bastard would not let go. I had to hit it in the head with my rod butt to get it to let go. I then noticed there were 3 all together and 2 of them weren't giving up that easy. I had to go right after them to get them to back off. I grabbed the rope and went back in the water to check my eels. Somehow they managed to get 3 of them through the mesh. I clipped them to my side and returned to fishing when all of a sudden a horsehead comes slipping silently out of the water maybe 10 feet from me inside the rip. The seal looked at me for a moment while I started my retrieve and then it headed to see what was on my line. Oh crap, I reeled as fast as could and changed location. Looking back I should have realized that the night would not go well. Fished 17 hours with just one short landed and yet I still can't get enough.

Dangle an eel in front of the mink. The mink will latch on to the eel with all fours. Then slowly lift the mink in the air and swing it over the water until it falls off the eel and does a cannonball into the ditch. Then watch the mink swim back to shore to do it again and again! I have a video somewhere! Those things don't give up.
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Those minks scare me.
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That's a great story! Cute lil fellas.

Where's the new jacket for the mrs?
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Last year a friend fishing locally caught a schoolie and accidentally dropped in between some rocks. He immediately reached for the fish, but a mink beat him to it.

just have the li'l bastid latch on and then cast him out into canal.....

end of problem, no?

The raccoons are what freak me out. Cool animals, though...

I keep my eels in a AS eel bag with a carabiner on it. Last year a racoon grabbed it off the rocks and took off with it, if the beaner wasn't clanging off the rocks i would have never know it. After a few thrown rocks it dropped it. I would rather it be a coon or mink than a rat.