Harvesting Eels

[Tattoo]

Setting traps in stategic locations, hiding them from theives, checking daily, re-baiting.....

Who does it and is it worth it?

Money adds up quick when you think about it, and the added headache of going from shop to shop looking for the good ones.

I'm not trying to take business away from the tackle shops, but if I could find one that would sell me a few hundred at once at a discounted rate and let me choose the ones I wanted, life would be good.

It would be nice to say, I think I'll go fishing tonight, I'll bring some eels. Let me go in the garage and look in the tank for a few to sacrafice, rather than, if I go fishing tonight, I have to bring a bucket to work, hit the two shops near buy, if they don't have any, then I'll have to run to middletown, check there, then to newport, or call a few buddies and see if they have any I can replace.....etc etc etc.

[JohnR]

Legally, you're supposed to have a commercial license to buy in that kind of bulk. The regs say a possession of 50 per person per day max...

This year I'm going to convince Clammer that we run a rotation of sorts over by his slip . Keep my good eels that I buy alive over by his boat and maybe even look into a couple eel traps too . I have a couple places in mind

[Striper SniperX]

I know were my uncle docks his boat all the boat owners leave some eel/bait traps hanging off the dock and no one bothers them.. people at marinas usually leave that stuff alone....and if you know someone who lives on there boat you could have them keep an eye on them.

Just my .02 Good luck!

I like catching them big American Eels on ultra light tackle on Clam Worms...they give a good fight.

[Striper SniperX]

P.S. I have a 10 gallon fish tank that woud be great for a few eels.. even has top.

PM me if interested

[JohnR]

Too small and glass - would be lousy for an eel tank....

[mikecc]

I know the in and out of eels . we buy by the lb at up to 6.00 per lb and if you want all big eels which weigh 4oz = that costs the shops $1.50 per eel and they only sell mixed for 1.00-1.25ea and if the guy wants a discount well thats not possible if they are hand picking. the shop in your area wont be around long.

The best way to get larger eels from a shop is to get a rapport with 1 shop and they will work with you.They wont mind to breakeven on one area if your buying other stuff from them.

always best to catch your owne. The best bait is horse shoe crabs.Mass has a limit of I think 10 crabs with out permit. and best place to set the traps is in Brackish water streems

[mikecc]

Black tanks and black buckets work best for holding eels they will bleach out in a white tank.

[Tattoo]

A 10 gallon fish tank? Your joking right? Multiply that by 15 and then you can get my attention.


MikeCC,
I thought of the price per lb thing and wanting the big ones just after I hit the button to post. Your right, shops would loose money, maybe thats why they don't care for people hand picking.


So next topic, how to make an eel trap......

[Goose]

Last year I bought traps and gave it a shot. After about three times of getting mummies and crabs not to mention loosing an end on the trap and gas $.....I said ta heck with it. This year I'm going to stick to it, I know theres plenty of eels in these rivers. I hear most eels are harvested in fresh water ponds. I find that most ponds the eels are way to big for shore fishin(my opinion). Last year I set up a five gallon bucket with large rock to hold down the air hose. I'ld keep between 8 to 15 eels at a time. I was changing the water every other day or so and keep them in a cool place like the basement. Good luck Mike!!

[fishsmith]

I copied this off a thread from this site last year, I forgot the author, but I'm sure someone will remember, thanks again to whoever it was:

Eel Trap
okguys and girls i had a few people ask me to tell the how i made my ell traps here it is all you need is 3 5gal bucketts wire screen rubber strips wire to tie the nesh 2 eye bolts and rope .first take 1 bucket cut the bottom outabout 6 inch from bottom is good . thencut the top part of the buckett out . cut it at the second rib down.now make sure they fit in side the other bucketts they should slide right in. now take the 2 whole bucketts and drill5/8 inch wholes start 1 inch from bottom. then cut out bottoms.cut right on circles. then take screen lay it over bottom of buck. you want to make a cone shape leading into the buck.with about a 11/2 in whole at the end.now take the rubber place it over the screen on the edge of the bucket.(this is to keep the wire from going threw the screen).now drill some small wholes just above rubber this is so you can tie the screen down.after you drill the wholes take the spool of wire and start weaving the screen on to the bucket.make sure its tight..repeat on other bucket. now take the 1st bucket you cut. slide the bigger end in to one bucket untill the last rib . now screw these two buckets togetherscrew right under the rib.once screwed take the other bucket slide on to the end now when you look at it .you should have screen on both ends that are cone shaped in words . now take the eye hooks screw one were the handles used to be .on one bucket. then put the other one on the other buck(this is so you can put a bungy cord to keep the buckets together.now tie a 2ft peice of rope from one eye to the other. then find the middle of that rope and tie your main line i use 50 ft of rope .all depends were your eeling when you open the buckets tie a small nesh bag in side to put your bait in. good luck its realy not that hard to do. any one who wants help i will help out just let me know

[mikecc]

Years ago I use to pot for the shop I sense gave it up, but gave my last trap to GB . Maybe he could take a few pic and post for you.
They were 2'L X 1' sq on one end a long funnel, which stopped 3" from the opposite end. This stopped the eels from getting out and the other end was a trap door. They were made out of 1/2" x 1" rubber dipped wire, held together with hog rings.

[Got Stripers]

I made my own traps for a while, when I had a friend that had a slip on the docks up inside the north river. I used the heavy galvanized wire mesh you could pick up cheep at any home depot or ace hardware and you could get several big traps out of a roll. Using some heavy snips your only needed to cut one side of the mesh box out down the length of a section large enough to roll into a cylinder. When rolled up you just fold all those now open tag ends of the mess box into the other side which was left as is. Slap either one or two cone ends into the ends, not sure you needed both and then an access panel to bait and remove the eels, throw in some brick and your good to go. I used to hit a fish mart in Kingston, grab their fish carcasses after they had removed all the filets and bait the traps once a week. I'd routinely get 3-4 eels per trap each week, although one pull on one trap yealed 18 fat eels.

[Striper SniperX]

Originally posted by JohnR
Too small and glass - would be lousy for an eel tank....

Ouch! what a way to slam a man down

Hmmm, when did i say it was glass? It'..... Acrylic

I got a 30 Gallon Sweetwater tank & a NICE 155 gallon saltwater Figi Live rock reef tank, but that's stayin' right wear it is

Also Got a acrylic 20 Gallon, but i use that a feeder/hospital tank for my reef tank....


did the 155 get yer attention? <j/k>

[Clammer]

Convince Clammer ??????
the question is ===are you going to be going enough, or are we gonna do this for me ?????????
I<m not catching chit at the boat // EEling is ///like many other fisheries, not what it use to be///////////
@#$%^&^% ICE

[Fishpart]

Tattoo,

Good luck!!!!! I've always wanted to trap my own.

I had a fair amount of success keeping my leftovers (less than a dozen) alive between trips last year in a freshwater stream using Mr.Sandmans advice about 5 gallon buckets.

[JohnR]

SSX - "Ouch! what a way to slam a man down" Not a slam. Do I need to wrap every reply up in a nice little bun & bowtie? Spread some rose petals around it? What I said was a 10 gallon glass fishtank is lousy for keeping eels. Probably great for some small tropical fish, but lousy for eels. If I was trying to slam you, believe me I'd use a lot different terminology. I think you need to not read into these posts with prexisting negative attitude.

Now if I had time for a lengthy reply I may have said WHY it's not good for eels but I DON'T HAVE THE TIME that you have or feel the need to do so every time.

Read the rest of the post without a chip on your shoulder and search the board for keeping eels and you'll see why a 10 gallon fish tank is lousy for eels.

[Striper SniperX]

"do i have to wrap everything up with a bow etc etc"

No, Please don't. that would scare me don't be TOO nice...it just isn't you

I wasn't serious, that's why i put this at the end " :Laughs: "


I know it's lousy for eels, i know my fish tanks...(may be the only good thing i know)

what i said was.. it would be good for temporary; you know "Short Term"

my Reef Tank ha about $800 in coral and about the same in Live Rock & fish... Stupid to spend that much on it... we were obcessed, now it just sits there a looks pretty

Forget it, your rite, it's useless.. I just smashed it on the sidewalk... forget i ever even offered it... Gee, Big Project for everyhing...<kidding>
<< that means i'm NOT

i don't get mad about stuff that i read, john. i was just giving you a hard time, do you think i really thought you was trying to slam me?? No...

BTW; once again. it isn't glass

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Back on Topic

So, what do you put in them Eel traps for bait?



mike

[vineyardblues]

Tattoo,
As I remember,,,it's a little fuzzy

It was in the 60s or early 70s my uncle down the cape would fill a girls panty hose with cat food and drive a metal pole tru it on in one of the many rivers on the cape during a low tide. He would then return the next low tide to find a few eels stuck somehow to the pantyhose... As I recall it worked I think it also would work around a jetty

[tlapinski]

well, if nothing else, this thread reminded me that i have 3 buckets full of eels still down in RI that i forgot to empty out this fall. do you think the eels will make it to spring.......

as far as where to set the traps, does it have to be brackish water? i live right on the CT river up in mass. i usually spend a few nights on the river each summer catching eels for skinning. all the eels i catch are BIG. do the smaller, more castable ones inhabit fresh water? if i remember correctly, eels grow in freshwater, and spawn in the ocean. so would it be worth setting a trap up here?

[Striper SniperX]

Originally posted by t.lapinski
well, if nothing else, this thread reminded me that i have 3 buckets full of eels still down in RI that i forgot to empty out this fall. do you think the eels will make it to spring.......

EELS are amazing things; i think it was here i read a story about a family haveing one the bath tub for years. and someone forgot about them in there basement for like 6mos came back and it was still healthy, cool storys...

are the eel buckets in water or sitting somewhere? the'll die in there own Muck- but if water is passing tru cleaning it out they should be fine

Hope you don't find a bucket full of eel eating crabs,

[Tattoo]

Hey Milk Man,

Location, Location, Location?

[tlapinski]

tat-man, i think you know where they would be..... too bad you aint allowed there!

[Tattoo]

Allowed? I wouldn't use that word.

Don't go there, are not a member there, choose not to go there, not interetested in standing in line, etc etc etc, might be better.


Postcard = War

[bloocrab]

...you have eeels on your mind?? Get back in that closet boy!!!

[bloocrab]

..best bet is to leave em where ya catch em'....

..so hurry up and go catch some.....so I can....

[Jenn]

? i live right on the CT river up in mass. i usually spend a few nights on the river each summer catching eels for skinning. all the eels i catch are BIG. do the smaller

EEL FLING on the CT rivah!

[tlapinski]

Jenn - these are scary eels!!!! i caught one last summer that was easilly 3' long! damn thing actually lifted me off the ground when i stood on it. scary stuff in that river......

[redcrbbr]

ice on the river is almost thick enough to do a bit of tonging. should be good this weekend.
i bought an eel trap last fall didn't get a chance to use it, plan on using it this year, was keeping left over eels in my herring livewell after herring left, worked out pretty good. didn't use the pump, just stuck the hose in it every now and then.

[Jenn]

scary stuff in that river......

uh....huh!!!

cut the line...CUT THE LINE!!!

head a little further south toward me and there are some REALLY scary things in the river there too.....

[Tattoo]

So back on topic......


Anyone have some more information on making/buying some eel traps??