Given that eel habitats are not as common as other fish species, therefore, not every fisherman can boast that he has ever gone out to catch eels. And the problem is not only this. The fact is that the eel is very difficult to catch on traditional gear. This is due, first of all, to his behavior and way of life. It has been observed that the eel prefers to hide in the form of ordinary holeswhere he spends most of his life, hunting only at night.
In remote regions of the country, fishing or hunting was, yes, and is to this day, the main means of subsistence. Moreover, it was important not only to feed, but also to be able to sell some part of the catch in order to purchase other items for everyday life. In places where eel prevailed, they came up with a very interesting way of catching it.
Eel fishing with a pipe
Assuming that he loves shelters, our grandfathers decided to help the eel and began to install artificial shelters in the form of pipes with a diameter of 50-100mm on the pond. The technology was as follows: pipes were taken and laid out at a depth of 50-150 cm in an area dominated by aquatic vegetation.
So the pipes were in the water for about 2 days, after which they came to check. To do this, the pipes were taken out of the water, after holding the pipe with hands on both sides. Such fishing has always been productive, since in 80% of cases, there was an eel in the pipe.
This method of catching an eel is far from sporting, but humane enough and did not allow injuring this fish. Many point out that eel is very tasty smoked or dried. While pulling the pipes out of the water, at the slightest delay, the eel easily left, completely unharmed. Even simple fishing with a float rod can harm the fish, because when it breaks, a hook remains in the fish’s mouth, which can interfere with the fish. She will stop eating and may die.
In addition, forgotten or not found pipes continued to serve as a very reliable refuge for the eel. This “old-fashioned” method is quite effective, but most likely forgotten.
Catching an eel with a rod
Despite the fact that the eel is very difficult to catch on traditional tackle, some anglers try to do it. For fishing to be successful, you need to know where the eel lives and in which burrow, so that the bait can be thrown directly at the entrance to the burrow. As bait, you can use an ordinary earthworm or other inhabitants of the underwater world that swim or crawl. The eel will not refuse them, especially since it is a predator.
For the most part, it feeds at night, so you need to catch it at night, armed with appropriate tackle and a good flashlight. But it will be very difficult to take it, as it is very slippery and nimble.
How to easily catch an eel