Sand Eels

[Sweetwater]

Originally Posted by striperboy3754

this is a stupid question...whats the diff

"Live" Eels, or American eels, (Anguilla rostrata) is a true eel. It lives in fresh water and spawns in the ocean. Some people call them black eels. They are fished live or rigged, and are generally 12-16 inches for fishing, but some can get to be 4-5 feet long.

"Sand Eels" (or Sand Launces or Lances) is not an eel at all but a fish and is part of the (Ammodytidae) family. They are fished fresh (but dead) and are about 6 to 7 inches long.

Here are some pics:

Originally Posted by Sweetwater

They are fished fresh (but dead) :

why dead do you cut them or something because this is the first i ever heard about this

[Sweetwater]

Sand eels are fished "dead" because you can't keep them alive. They are typically raked out of the sand using an "eel rake" that has sharp tines that puncture their bodies. However, it is key to keep them as fresh as possible for use as bait.

[Mike P]

Look at it this way----what kind of a hook could you use to "live line" a sand eel?

Anything small enough that it wouldn't kill the bait would get straightened in a heartbeat by a bass.

[ProfessorM]

Flap's got it down perfect. I ice them, ice rink snow, within 15 min. of raking them. To me that is the key right on ice immediately, esp. if you are sellin them. I have gotten home hours later and some are still kick'in. Kept on ice and dry I have had them last 4 or 5 days. You want to keep somewhat dry too, not a lot of fluids in the bags. I also freeze them with a vacum sealer and they are good for months. Freeze asap not a few days later they need to be fresh raked and dry to freeze. The only problem is they loose a little color, but fluke luv em.

[fishdog13]

all i can say is they are not needed. limit accomplished tue,.wed,and thur