Email to a friend
Print versionReef Conger Fishing
Wreck fishing gets all the glamour when it comes to conger fishing. Though it gives the best chance of catching monster fish, it's rarely non stop action and means long steaming times with maybe only an hour to two hours of actual fishing due to tide strengths.
Alternatively, reef fishing for conger offers consistent sport almost throughout a tide with fish between a few pounds and 40lbs which can be fought on lighter sporting tackle. It's also interesting to note that reef conger over 100lbs are not that uncommon commercially. In fact, there are references to numerous eels to 150lbs from the reefs off Falmouth, and also a 200lb plus eel up in Scotland.
This raises the question that maybe anglers are ignoring reef conger and missing out on quality fish to boot.
 Reef conger |
Reef conger are a target for anglers anywhere westwards from Kent to northeast Scotland. Areas of particular note are the reefs around the Isle of Wight, off Devon and Cornwall, both sides of the Bristol Channel, the west and north coast of Anglesey, and southwest Scotland.
Divers regularly see good conger along the northeast coast, but tides require that most fishing is done on the drift, here. Little anchoring with conger specifically in mind is done, yet concerted effort would surely bring excellent results. Ireland also enjoys a high populace of
eels that again get rarely fished for.
HOW REEF CONGER LIVE
Reef conger have different habits from that of wreck fish. Reef conger do not sit tight in their holes and pick off food as it passes by. They are most active towards dusk and dawn, tending to roam across quite wide areas hoping to surprise both live fish, but also picking up fresh fatalities, too.
This walkabout tendency seems to be triggered by two things. Firstly, that the tide is approaching slack water with little water movement evident. The eels work over the ground until the tide starts to pick up. A this occurs they head back towards a permanent hole within which they can hide their full body length, though this is surprisingly rarer than written work would have us believe.
Many reef dwelling eels, especially the 20lb plus fish with greater body girth and length, have difficulty finding holes large enough in the reef structure. They are content to lay full length along the deeper cracks and fissures in the rock strata. This method of dormancy whilst tidal activity is at it's greatest is also used by eels living over relatively smooth coral structured reefs like those along the Bristol Channel.
Alternatively, they may embed themselves around the base of bigger rocks, or sink into the camouflage of dense weed beds. There is some substance in saying that some of the larger eels tend to be free swimming as opposed to holed up and are frequently caught from the outer edges of the reef, whereas the inner reef area tends to hold a quantity of the smaller sub 20lbers.
Periods of peak tidal flow see the eels go to ground, and only if the bait drops right on their noses will they be induced to feed.
Light entering through the water is critical to success. In water under 50ft, days with an overcast sky are needed to maximize catches. Bright sun and clear skies in calm settled seas reduce your chances of success beyond acceptable levels. If you must fish such spells of weather, then be fishing by dawn, or stay through the dusk, safety permitting, when the suns rays are shallow and reflected off the surface of the water and do not penetrate to any great degree.
As a sea settles after a storm when the sea colour is brown and coloured, or grey as happens over a large reef area, then this is when the eels will capitalize and feed well. Such weather and sea state combinations produce the best of all reef conger fishing, both in
numbers and in size.
The neap tides will always give the best fishing, but not necessarily the best fish. The slower moving tide on the neaps prolongs the time for the eels to feed, whereas the spring tides and faster flowing water have a much shorter slack water period which reduces feeding time. The biggest conger though, do show up on the spring tides, possibly due to their extra bulk making them less affected by the tide which allows them to feed without the competition from the smaller fish.
 Conger can fight hard |
This covers 90% of all reef congering. But there are two inner options to consider.
The most effective way to fish (dinghy and charter boat) is to commandeer a stern position in the boat, and even though you're over rough ground, pick a size of weight that allows you to trot the bait a little way downtide before it finds a snag. This gets your bait out on it's own with no immediate competition from other nearby baits giving you a better chance of connecting with a solitary feeding fish.
Over very rough ground where trotting away from the boat is less feasible, then take a lead just heavy enough to travel a short way away from the boat as it drops in the tide, but one that will hold firmly down in the tide run once it comes to rest. Also choose a big, smelly bait. This bait needs to be subtly different from the other anglers baits ie, a cocktail, or even a combination of three types like squid, mackerel and pouting to make it stand out from the rest and give the eel something more to aim at amongst the crowded smells.
The rods situated along the boats gunnels do not have that travelling downtide option. To do so means inevitable tangles with other anglers tackle, lost fishing time and also lost fish.
These rods are at a further disadvantage, too. The scent from all the baits on the seabed is concentrated at seabed level and flows away from the boat in as direct a line as the tide and seabed contour allows. This means that any eels working uptide towards the scent will come across the trotted baits first, secondarily to the stern anchored baits, and thirdly and least likely to the baits fished from the gunnel placed rods. Any eels making it this far are usually only straps of a few pounds.
The best tip here is to fish a live pouting or whiting. The vibrations from a live fish will take preference from the congers point of view over a scent trail. Eels are predators full time and scavengers part time. This dodge can get you fish when you've no option but to fish from a gunnel position.
METHOD 2: UPTIDING
Uptiding is rarely, if ever quoted as a conger fishing option. Yet, over shallower reef ground n depths upto 80ft, it can be devastatingly effective and the ideal alternative for the gunnel fixed rods.
Huge casts over 45yds are fine if the reef composition is smoothish coral like that in the Bristol Channel, and is even viable over moderately heavy rough. However, if you're over jagged rock pinnacles that rise some way off the seabed and could potentially sever the line, then obviously shorter casts are required to maintain a steep and protective angle to the line. But just putting a bait 10yds away from the boat is enough to get it out on it's own and fishing separately from the others.
Tackle losses are obviously slightly worse than standard downtiding, but then some lost tackle is little to pay for catching fish when otherwise you'd be there simply to make up the numbers.
GETTING A SNAGGED CONGER TO MOVE
Sooner rather than later, a conger is either going to go to ground during the fight and prove unmovable, or you'll miss the bite altogether and find when you want to re-bait that an eel has scoffed the lot and is sat on the bait having wedged it'self tightly in a crack or hole. All is lost? Maybe not!
When downtiding, give the conger some slack line releasing about 10yds off the spool to begin. The tide will obviously push the line out in a vertical bow, but by releasing line in this way the tension is eased on the eel which can start to move. If this fails to work, try releasing upto 30yds of line and then clicking the reel back into gear so that the tension comes fully back on the rod tip as the line is pushed by the tide. This makes a vibration through the line that, in combination with the change in tension direction can aggravate the eel into moving.
This latter method I discovered when uptiding for conger. Very few conger go to ground when hooked using an uptide system. This is because the eel approaches the bait from the downtide side, but once fully hooked the line is pulling from behind the eel which, as it succumbs to the line pressure bowed in the tide, has to turn it's head and literally go with the flow. The lead will break free and as the line straightens in the tide the eel is pulled up some distance off the seabed whilst still not sure as to what's going on.
A last trick to try is to just keep a steady and constant heavy pressure on any gone to ground eel, which will move at some stage. Often, it's an impatient angler that gives up the fight too soon on a supposed immovable conger.
Also remember that the lead must break free after the strike. If it does not, it's weight will aid the eel by pulling it's head downwards and into the oncoming tide. This weakens the rod and lines effect on the eels strength. With the lead gone, the lines angle is more acute and sapping the eels will and muscle power.
BAITS
The simplest baits work the best. Fresh mackerel, herring and pout flappers are all excellent. But these baits must be fresh and not even frozen when possible. It makes a huge difference. Less effective, but still good is whole squid, even two or three squid bound up as one large bait.
Reef conger also have a liking for king rag baits used to spice up fish and squid offerings. Edible peeler crab stuffed inside a squid mantle and secured with elastic thread is another good combination to try.
For uptiding, then a whole small pout etc, is fine, but a whole fresh fillet, rolled up in a tube with the flesh inside and the skin facing outside helps retain scent for longer and casts fairly well.
 Landing a decent sized conger |
For general downtide fishing a 30lb class rod will be enough. Roller tip rings can be an advantage in a heavy tide run, but in this class of fishing and against this medium size of eel, then it's not going to have a real bearing on the outcome. Multipliers like an ABU 10000C, a Penn 25GLS, or similar is needed not for it's line capacity, but for it's strength of gears and spool. Load with 28lb line.
Uptiding tackle is less easy to choose. Few rods have the backbone in the butt section to be deliberately chosen for conger. The Zziplex Sea Raider is excellent being one of the most powerful uptide blanks around. Off the shelf, then the Daiwa TDU410 and Leeda 9000 are good options. For casting and strength, then the ABU 7000C, 8000C (if you've got one), or 9000C will do the job, also the Daiwa SL30. Pick a line strength between 18 and 25lb line, depending on the roughness of the seabed you're fishing.
For downtiding, use the following rig. Take a length of 80-100lb line. Tie in a loop of line about 3in long at the base. Slide on a big bead from the top, followed by a small swivel. Tie in a strong swivel at the top which connects the rig to the main line. Put a paper clip on the small sliding swivel and attach your weight to this. The clip will pull open and release a snagged lead, if necessary.
A 2ft length of 100lb mono makes the hook length. Use a loop in one end of this to pass the loop on the rig and make a join. Hooks should be Mustad O/Shaughnessy 6/0's. There is no need for a bigger hook. If the eels are averaging under 15lbs, then drop down to a 4/0 in the
same pattern.
When uptiding, stick to a standard fixed paternoster, with the main rig line tied from 60lb mono. Tie in a blood loop just above the lead link to take the hook length, this again from 100lb mono armed with a Mustad 6/0 O/Shaughnessy. Use a 50lb leader to first and foremost cast with, but also to gain some seabed abrasion strength.
There is no need, nor logical thought in having a hook length fully sliding and unrestricted on the line as is often quoted on angling books and magazines. Conger are not fussy feeders on reefs, and besides, any tidal current makes a sliding rig invalid and ineffective.
TIPS
Conger often suck a bait down the shank of the hook and pull it in a tight ball into the bend and mask the hook point. To stop this, use a little elastic thread to wrap around the bait onto the heavy line just above the hooks eye which then acts as a stop and keeps the point
clear.
If a sizeable conger starts to spin at the side of the boat when on the surface, it's because you're holding it on the rod too hard. Release a little line and let the eel drop below the surface and they'll stop spinning.
del.icio.us
Digg
Technorati
 Fishing Rods Fishing Reels Rod Rests Fishing Hooks Rig Components Accessories DVice & Leads |
Plugs, Lures Lines & Leaders Shore Fishing Rigs Feathers & Lure Rigs Luggage Clothing & Hats Deals |
BERKLEY FRENZIED POPPER £3.91 Each TIDEWATER LURE RIGS 83p Each 7" WSF Jelly Worms Get ready for the new Plugging Season, Buy 3 get one of them for free, Blue Pilchard Divers WSF NOW STOCKS SAKUMA HOOKS
SALTWATER FLIES FROM FULLING MILL FROM £1.25 BACK IN STOCK PENN CAPTIVA CV2 REELS BACK IN STOCK SALT / CAPTIVA SPINNING COMBO DEAL BACK IN STOCK ABU CARDINAL 304FD PRICE: £37.18 |
