American Eels

[LongLine]

Here's what I've found on the Eel question (asked in another thread) Looks like the Canadians are pushing it. (Also found out the great lakes have the females - Males go to Europe)

http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Newsroom/La ... 04285.html

Tom B.

(LongLine)

[Big Dave]

Caught a 3' 50 years ago in Tioughnioga river in Cortland . It had to have come up from Cheseapeke bay. Fought like a son of a gun. Thought I had a big bullhead as we were fishing at night.

[Trolling82]

Wow. That's quite the life cycle!

Never seen one but I would like to one day!

[Tim Bromund]

When I was fishing the Olcott piers all the time back in the late 80's - mid 90's we used to catch american eels all the time at night while fishing for salmon in the fall. they loved egg sacks. Nasty, slimy buggers they were. Haven't seen one in years though.

Tim

[tree top flyer]

Springtime on big stoney creek fishing for bullheads we used to get tons of them. In fact when i was a kid they were considerd garbage fish and tossed ashore. reading this artical gave me a little more respect for them. I remember when mmy great grandfather was still around there used to be a boat that would come in and shock the area over near the marina for them and then come over and give gramps any bullheads that got caught up in this,(remember this was 30yrs ago.) Given im all for protection etc, etc, but you ever c the slime they leave on a line or ever try to get one off a hook? not me...cut the line.

[big easy]

I guess it's time for the Striper fishermen to start looking for a replacement for Eels.I think Berkley Gulp eels will become hot sellers.

We used to fish the Connecticut river when we were kids from Mass to Conn,and it would be nothing to catch twenty eels in a short period.We'd be fishing for channel cats,but if you were using night crawlers the eels would the biggest catch.

We switched to shrimp and live shiners,and for whatever reason,the eels left them alone.Maybe I should start fishing for eels again and bring them up to Olcott,and dump em in the creek.

[Capt Vince Pierleoni]

Thanks Longline for digging up that Canadian piece. I knew this didn't sit well with me, and now I remember why. Canada has a tremendous loyalty to commercial fishing. Has actually governmentally owned many commercial fishing operations, and may still.

I was exhibiting at a sports show about 12 years ago, and got into a conversation with an Ontario Province tourism representative. She informed me that there was alot of outcry from the Northern "camp" operators about the provinces involvement in Salmon stocking. They conveyed to their government, that by helping to create an exciting, attractive fishery, the result was less business for them. The Yanks were staying home to fish "the Big O", and even many of their own(Toronto residents) were opting to spend their fishing vacation money on charters or trolling rigs. After all, we're talking SALMON. Do you think its just a coincidence that the province has discontinued stocking PACIFIC (you know, the ones that "work" here, grow big, fight hard) Salmon since then?(Thanks goes out to all the hard-working Ontario sportsmen club members who do their best with BS shackles put on them) I think we need to wake up and smell the coffee before its too late. There is no good reason, to put forth vast amounts of effort and money, to restore EELS in THIS fishery, at THIS time! Unless of course your ultimate goal is to create a commercial fishery for them, be damned the ramifications to the sportfishermen and women. We already know they love fish eggs, thus jeopardizing at least the shallow spawning species.

Ask yourself, was I ASKED my opinion or wishes about restoring EELS?

[salmonboy41]

I caught one of these perch fishing in wilson harbor years ago, and holy **** are they ugly!!!. why in the world would anyone what to restore them? Theres no fishery for them aside from the commercial one that is mentioned here. Hey I don't know about the rest of you but i'm not going to 20 miles of shore to fish for eels. And i can totally see the canadian goverment doing the things that are mentioned here by Capt Vince Pierleoni, thats the problem with a socialist goverment.

[rolmops]

The story is a bit more complicated and it has a lot to do with Europe.

As longline mentioned,the males go to Europe and that is where the big trouble is.

When the male eels are about to enter the European rivers they are at a development stage where they are called Glass Eels.They are about 80 to a hundred mm long and extremely popular as a gourmet food.So popular in fact that they are almost fished into extinction before they get very far inland.As a result very few males ever make it back to the Sargasso Sea.Lots of girls there,but no boys to play with.

[LongLine]

No question the Canadian gov't favors commercial fishing and tribal interests also. Just look at the urbanization on the west end of the lake. To bad they don't do that much about pollution. My hat's off to all the S&T volunteers on the North side of the fence.

I wouldn't be suprised if they're the ones really pushing for the Burbot & Whitefish too. I don't see us raising Eels for them.

My Dad caught one many years ago out in the lake. (had to be in the early 60's) Can you say UGLY? He gave it to the "old dutchman" on the bay who loved it. In fact the old guy bought us some fishing gear the next weekend. Never saw another one.

Tom B.

(LongLine)

[Big Dave]

Those puppys have TEETH!!!!!! I brought the one I caught home and put it in the rain barrel. Came home from school to find it in three inch long pieces in the ref. My grandfather skinned it and cooked it up. I was hot

[Has Been]

Was fishing with our scout troop by at the Cape by Fox island early 70's & I caught 2 in the span of about 1 hr. Was about 14 or so. Faught like hell as I remember. Our Scoutmaster kept them . Skinned them & wraped the skin around his wrist for his artritis.

[Shelby Lynn]

About 35 yrs ago I would fish the unadilla river in Otsego county with my grandad we would use burlap feed bags to get ahold of them and pappy would cook them up and from what I can remember they were good eat'n. But back then we ate every fish we caught