Fishing eels, any suggestions?

[stormchaser]

I fish them in the ripping current whenever I can, but wait till it's close to slack, either high or low, so I get a better retrieve. If they die, keep them. They fish just as well dead as alive. Put a hook down their throat and out. You can freeze, and use at a later time.

[stripercrazy]

^
You can keep frozen eels for years.Keep them in a ziploc, salt a little with kosher salt, but not really necessary, eel skins are tough!

[dogfish]

I use a mesh sack with a couple wet rags in it, inside of a bait bucket with a lid, when shore fishing. You can put this smaller bucket inside a bigger 5 gal bucker with ice, hibernates the eels down so they're not so squirrelley. When in the kayak, or wade fishing out on e rock, I just put them in a ziploc bag, 2 at a time.

[voyager35]

Not to split hairs, but the eels don't hibernate. The reason the ice works is that it keeps them cool and wet. If they get dry or warm, they die. When we are on the boat, we try to drift them in the rips or over clam or mussel beds, small inline egg sinker, depending on the current. Deadly night bait, or for deep water rips or structure.

[nitestrikes]

Heard some people put wires down their throat to keep them from curling up. Has anyone here tried that?

[pinhead44]

I use a mesh sack with a couple wet rags in it, inside of a bait bucket with a lid, when shore fishing. You can put this smaller bucket inside a bigger 5 gal bucker with ice, ...

I use the 2 bucket ice method as well. For longer, get an aquarium air pump, and change the water every couple of days. Eels will stay alive for weeks.

Heard some people put wires down their throat to keep them from curling up. Has anyone here tried that?

I heard of that, but couldn't do it myself, I feel it's just wrong.

[wish4fish]

also, if they are moving around too much when you take them out, i bang the head a little against the rocks to mellow em out (hope no peta people around here )

[ledhead36]

The reason the ice works is that it keeps them cool and wet. If they get dry or warm, they die.

I think this says it all, cool and wet is the ticket. Otherwise, they're pretty hardy. When you cast them out from shore, try not to just leave them there, unless they are drifting the right direction in current. Instead, try a very slow retrieve, will help to prevent eelballs.