Home >> Hobbies >> Other Hobbies

How to Catch an Eel With a Rod and Reel

Eels, long, slender fish that live in both fresh and salt waters, hiding in the mud and marshy areas, have long been a food source for humans. Adult eels are camouflaged by their coloring, a mottled brown to olive, and they eat any animal material they can find -- bugs, smaller fish, dead animals that have fallen into the water, and the like. Fishing for eels has traditionally been done with nets, but it is possible to fish for eels with tackle.

Things You'll Need

Fishing rod with reel
Bait -- animal bait for preference, although eels will eat any type of food
Net
Pliers
Scale and measuring tape (optional)

Instructions

- 1
  Start your fishing trip at dusk or late at night. Eels come out to eat at night, so you are far more likely to catch an eel then.
- 2
  Bait your hook with a form of food. Artificial baits made of polymers, feathers or plastic will not attract eels. Earthworms, the stereotypical bait of cartoons, work wonderfully.
- 3
  When you feel a couple of tugs on the line, pull back hard to set your hook. Reel in your eel, keeping in mind that eels are quite strong and you will have to be firm on the reel.
- 4
  Haul your eel out of the water by hands or in your net once it is close enough to the surface to see.
- 5
  Use the pliers to remove your hook. Weigh and measure your catch. If you are not fishing for food, release the eel.

Other Hobbies