Public comment

[Mr. Sandman]

For several years, as a private non funded personal research project, I have been putting eels in a small pond (landlocked) where I live and I keep looking for elvers, none yet. If I see them I may go into a new line of work.

[snake slinger]

when i was a kid me and my father used to fish for horned pout (bullheads) and we caught eels at the same time in land locked ponds.

[Brother Brian]

You won't find any elvers from reproduction in freshwater lakes. They all (american eel) reproduce in the Sargasso sea. Adults return to sea in winter and early spring. Larvae grow at sea and become elvers in near shore areas. Apparently the problem is with reduced numbers of elvers on their return trips, presumably from being harvested but who knows ....

[JohnR]

Originally Posted by Mr. Sandman

For several years, as a private non funded personal research project, I have been putting eels in a small pond (landlocked) where I live and I keep looking for elvers, none yet. If I see them I may go into a new line of work.

I wonder if some guy in MD tried the same with the Chinese Lionhead

Seriously, my understanding is that they are cantadramous and will only spawn in saltwater and that saltwater is in fact, the Sargasso Sea off Bermuda.

[Mr. Sandman]

From what I have read, there are a lot of assumptions about where they spawn. They are assuming they return to the sargosso sea because they saw some elvers out there and the only explanation on how they got there is that they must be spawing there.

As far as I know eels have never been seen spawning.

Frankly it is hard for me to belive that A) eels swim all the way back to the SS and actually make it alive and B) the elvers drift from the SS along and are distributed along the coast without being consumed. The story is hard for me to accept esp since no one has witnessed spawing in the SS. Is it possible? Sure, I would never believe a herring makes a run back to its birthplace either but they in fact do. But what makes it hard for me to believe is that most baitfish spawn in shallow waters (ponds, bays etc) not open ocean. When was the last time you saw a school of elvers offshore swimming for beach? You find them in streams and ponds.

I think given the right conditions (which I probably will never get in my pond) they should spawn. My hope is that eventually, over time they will get horny enough and give it a go.

[cheferson]

I saw elvers this past spring coming in from the beach in a couple areas.

[MakoMike]

John,
I belive that it is speeled catandromus. FWIW, I've been doing a lot of research on eels for four feature articles that I'm working on. Belive it or not, it is currently belived that the largest single source of eel mortality is hydroelectric dams. Eels migrate downstream in the lower portions of the water column, where they get sucked into turbines and chopped to pieces. The second largest source of eels mortality is commercial fishing. there is virtually no recreational fishing for eels. To learn more watch for the upcoming issues of On The Water, Nor'east saltwater, Striped Bass and Sportfishing.

Feel free to ask questions, I'll answer what I can. But there is an awful lots of information that is not known about both Americcan and european eels. BTW they all spawn in the Saragasso sea, even though they are different species and follow different migration routes

[snake slinger]

iam not to fussy about where i spawn.

[Nebe]

Makomike, have you read the book 'Consider the Eel'????? lots of eel info in there i hear. havnet read it myself, but its on the winter 'to read' list.