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Print versionConger Eel Profile
Small conger can only be confused with the common eel (Anguilla anguilla) which inhabits our shore and estuaries on a migratory basis, and is found inland in rivers etc.
The conger has a dorsal fin running from just rear of the pectoral fin to the tip of the tail, whereas the eels dorsal begins roughly halfway along the upper body.
The congers pectoral fin is almost sharp pointed, but the eels is a more rounded shape. The lower jaw of the eel protrudes further than the top jaw, but the congers top jaw is opposite extending a little further than the lower.
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A wide colour band with shallow water conger living close to sand being a dull matt brown with a pale white or cream belly. Reef conger are steely grey, occasionally with paler patches. Deep water rock dwelling conger are grey to green, some turning almost black. Wreck conger take on a much darker deep grey to light black with very pale grey bellies.
DISTRIBUTION
Fully distributed around UK shores, but more numerous along western coasts and especially in Ireland. Is also found as far north as Scandinavia and the southern tip of Iceland, southward down the European Coast, and throughout the Mediterranean.
BREEDING SEASON
Little is known of the congers breeding habits. The old consensus was that they followed the common eels migratory instincts and travelled to the tropical Atlantic, but this is now doubted. It's possible adult conger may actually only breed once and this is likely to occur in very deep water off the UK coast.
The larva is transparent and flattened and is carried by surface currents inshore guaranteeing a wide distribution of eels.
HABITAT
The conger is an ambush type predator seeking out cover in which to hide and then pounce on passing victims, though it will roam around openly on occasions to flush prey fish.
Is found living in rocky holes underneath breakwaters, harbour walls, groynes and sewer outlets. Happy in shallow water over boulders near to the low water line of beaches. Is a common resident on rough ground below steeply rising cliffs and this type of feature often gives both a quantity of fish and the biggest for the shore angler.
From boats, it's common on reefs that have jagged contours, again over rough ground, but is really associated as a wreck anglers fish with huge specimens to over 110lbs accounted for and far larger eels lost.
DIET
Smaller conger take crabs, worms, rock gobies and tiny rockling. Conger over 5lbs take mostly fish, principally pouting, whiting, small codling and pollack over reef ground and from the bases of breakwaters etc.
Conger on rough ground in deep water eat mainly pout, poor cod, large rockling, codling, small ling and even other small conger. Wreck fish follow suit taking the same species, but also octopuses. An adult conger will sit tight and slowly chew it's way through a prey fish as large as 1/10th its own size, and occasionally larger.
SEASON
A frequent catch for shore anglers from April through to Christmas, but conger feel the cold and tend to go comatose in colder weather reducing the catch during January to March. Recent mild winters have seen conger catches virtually maintained throughout this period, though!
In depths over 50ft it makes little difference and conger can be taken over the full twelve months without a real reduction in catches, though it's the autumn period from July to November when the real quantity catches are made over wrecks and deep water reefs.
SHORE FISHING
MARKS AND FEATURES
Conger fishing Whilst rough ground beaches in shallowish water can give the occasional eel over 20lbs, it's mostly the smaller sub 10lbers that show on this type of ground.
Bigger conger can be expected by fishing around the base of man made breakwaters, groynes, and especially inside harbours from harbour walls, fish quays and jetties where commercial boats may dump some of the waste guts etc.
Conger will also lay up over mooring chains, so don't discount areas where several boats, especially berthed yachts, are moored as rubbish thrown over the side sinks to keep the eels happy by drawing pout, poor cod etc. Conger have a tolerance for estuarine water and can be found some way in from the sea living under man mad debris and structures.
Rock ledges giving into deep water over jagged rock and kelp beds are the most reliable. Try to locate small bays with a passing tide run around their mouth as this is excellent conger feature.
It's a misconception to think that all conger live in holes, for eels over rough ground will use their length to lay along cracks and fissures which are the ideal camouflage. They lay close to a tide run and pick of passing prey fish.
TIDES
Shore based conger show best during neap tides and may feed throughout the tidal run if the neap is at the smaller end of the scale.
Larger neaps and middle sized tides tend to see conger concentrate their feeding for a couple of hours either side of slack water, with the fish going to ground during the peak runs.
In most areas, large spring tides see catches down to odd fish, and these feed only for very short periods close to actual slack water. The exception can be when fishing a small bay or harbour where the tide flow is deflected and reduced.
This liking for slower running tides is based on the feeding patterns of the prey fish. Smaller pout, poor cod, whiting etc, are not active swimmers when the tide is fast flowing, but move about more when the tide is slow and swimming easier.
WEATHER
Fish only dark night tides from beaches, harbours, breakwaters, jetties and the like. Conger are nocturnal hunters and only odd small eels feed by day. Deep water from the rocks may yield a few eels by daylight, but again the best of the fishing is nearly always at night.
Conger favour feeding in calmer seas that draw smaller fish closer inshore. Some bump on the water is okay, but catches do reduce.
From the rocks and breakwaters, providing you're safe, then fish, for at depth water disturbance is minimal and often good catches of conger occur just after a storm has passed through.
Conger also go on feeding frenzies when the first frosts of autumn touch the ground. The drop in temperature seems to set them off on a feeding binge to stock up the calories for the winter fast when they go comatose.
TECHNIQUE
BEACHES
From shallowish beaches onto rough ground, casting distance is often the key. Part of the reason that most of the eels caught are small is because the baits used are small to keep wind drag down and maintain casting range.
It's best to use a tough combination bait like squid with mackerel well bound up with elastic thread that stands up to the constant pecking by smaller species and maintains a high scent level so that you can leave a bait out at range for 20 minutes or more to give roaming eels time to follow the scent lane to the bait.
Bites are mostly slack affairs and you need to retrieve line. Feel the fish, hit the hook home, and then pile on the pressure until they near the beach.
BREAKWATERS, QUAYS AND JETTIES
If there's any sound advice for conger from man made structures, it's "don't cast"! The eels are tight in amongst the legs and supports, or hidden inside the cracks and holes of the rocks and harbour wall.
Fish whole fillets, or small whole fish like pout etc, with the flanks slashed to release scent and lower these down as tight to the structure as you can. Release a few feet of line to give the eel some slack to take the bait and wait with the reel in free spool and check on.
When line "ticks" off the spool, don't allow the eel to take any more line than the initial few feet you released, then strike hard and try to lift the fish clear of the seabed. You need to hold the fish at this stage, otherwise it will retain the sanctuary of it's home and will be lost.
ROCK MARKS
Try both long and short casting range. The knack here is not to fish normal mackerel baits, but to try to catch fresh small pout and rockling and use a filet from these. Without a doubt, rock living conger take better on fresh fillets from local species than they do on other baits.
Bites tend to be simple knocks, then maybe slack line and nothing else. Hit the fish quickly, and again lift them well clear of the seabed before allowing yourself some respite.
LANDING CONGER
It's one of the few fish that you'll need a gaff for. From rocks, breakwaters, and even off the beach the gaffing technique is the same.
The angler draws the eel along the surface to within reach of the gaff man. The gaff man then waits until the eel is facing you and slides the gaff into the underside jaw of the eel and in one motion lifts the eel onto dry rock and safety. Watch for them twisting off, and be quick and safe.
Unhooking is best with a long nosed pair of pliers, or use a T bar and bounce the hook free. Any difficult hooks should be cut at the trace and the eel freed without further thought.
TACKLE
Rods for all types of shore terrain should be 5-6oz beachcasters with current tournament rods like Zziplex Bullets, Tournament Internationals, Daiwa Tournaments, Conoflex Diablos etc, all suitable. Match these to ABU 7000�s for casting work loaded with 20- 25lb line, or with ABU 9000's and Daiwa SL30's for big fish over rocks and from structures at medium to short range.
RIGS
For beach and rock fishing, the pulley rig is hard to beat and gets the lead up in the water away from snags.
Hook traces should be 50lb mono minimum, though on some rock marks you might consider going to 75lb mono. Keep these short. A foot of hook trace is enough. There is no need for heavier traces off the shore.
Hooks to choose are Mustad Vikings upto 6/0 for normal shore situations, but for really big conger amongst heavy rock, there may be occasional cause to tie on a Mustad 4/0 to 6/0 O'shaughnessy 3406. Similar tough hooks such as the Eagle Claw 6039BFS, Cox and Rawle Meat Hooks etc, are equally suitable.
For straight down fishing off walls etc, choose a flowing trace with a 2ft hook length of 75lb mono and the same pattern hooks.
BAITS
Blast frozen mackerel such as Ammo are good. Fresh fillets of pout, whiting and rockling are superb, as are small whole live or dead pout and poor cod. Smaller eels take ragworm and lug baits, plus crab and occasionally shellfish. Squid can be good, but is inconsistent.
BOAT FISHING
MARKS AND FEATURES
Conger fishing Shallow inshore reefs can hold good numbers of conger from a few pounds upto 20lbs, plus a smattering a bigger fish to 35lbs, but rarely larger. These shallow reef eels tend not to make homes in holes, but again lay in fissures and cracks facing the tide, then roam around to feed when the tide suits. Pick out the rougher areas where tidal flow is restricted for the best results.
Rough, jagged rock reefs laying in deeper water are proven to hold massive eels with commercial long lined examples recorded to 150lbs plus. Conger to 50lbs are not unusual over this ground. There will be more holes amongst the rocks for the conger to set up home, but many still choose a wanderers existence. Depressions in the reef and vertical walls that the tide flows over are the hot spots.
Wrecks are the answer for the record breakers. Both the inshore wrecks in under a 100ft of water and those laying in 300ft, all can hold fish well in excess of 150lbs. There is some evidence from divers to suggest that conger over 200lbs live amongst the war and accident debris.
WEATHER
Deep water conger don't care what the weather does, but very bright days during periods of settled weather when the sea is at it's most clear don't fish as well as overcast days and those with rain which limits light access through to the depths.
Where possible, night trips can yield excellent results, but safety problems and suitable weather conditions limit this relatively undeveloped aspect of conger fishing.
Inshore marks with less depth need to be fished on rainy days with a heavy cloud cover, or concentrate your efforts to tides with a slack water period close to dusk and dawn.
TIDES
Because of the need to anchor up over the wrecks, only the smallest neap tides are chosen for conger fishing. Some areas with a limited tidal run are fishable on middle sized tides, but this is rare.
Even inshore and fishing from dinghies, spring tides rarely produce worthwhile fish. Again concentrate efforts to neap tide periods.
TACKLE
For shallow reefs and inshore wrecking, a 20lb rod is okay and even uptiders are capable of landing conger to 50lbs if handled right, but most anglers prefer the extra security of a 30lb outfit. Match this to a tough geared reel like a Penn 25GLS, the ABU 10,000C, or Daiwa LD50 loaded with 30lb line.
Wreck fishing requires the best. For normal wreck eels go for a stiff actioned 50lb class rod matched to a Penn Senator 4/0 or 6/0, or alternatively the same sized reel from the Daiwa Sealine range. Line strength should 50lbs, though many experienced wreckers prefer to load with 60lb line to help against abrasion through contact with the wreck debris.
Amongst wreck conger specialists, the stand up technique is rightly gaining popularity and they prefer something like the Shakespeare Stand Up 80lb Class Ugly Stik matched to the big 6/0 Senators.
RIGS
The rig shown in the diagram covers all forms of boat fishing with a little modification.
Fish a hook length between 2 and 3ft made from 75lb mono for reef conger. Have the lead sliding on the line as shown in the diagram to increase hook ups and limit the chances of a snagged lead losing you a fish.
For wrecking, use 2ft of 250lb commercial mono and a strong Mustad rolling swivel size 4/0 to help combat the eels tendency to spin when held hard. Crimping the line is more reliable than trying to tie knots in this heavy mono.
Choose only a Mustad O'Shaughnessy 3406 between size 6/0 and 10/0. These have the strength to lift any conger, yet will rust out if you lose a fish in the wreckage.
BAITS
Over reefs and for most wreck fishing, a pout, mackerel, whiting or codling with the backbone cut free to leave the fillets flapping on the head gives a bait oozing scent which appeals to the conger. A live pout or mackerel with the hook passed once through the upper lip is also good.
Alternative baits for bigger fish are whole cuttlefish ledgered close to the wreck, blast frozen mackerel which often fishes best whilst still semi frozen and thawing on the seabed, or fresh fillets of ling, conger and pollack.
Make sure that the hook point is well clear of the bait. Most anglers prefer to mount the hook towards the head of a whole bait, but conger tend to swallow baits tail first just as often as head first.
TECHNIQUE
Boat conger fishing, like all congering, tends to be a waiting game. Get your bait on the seabed and anchored there with a heavy enough lead not to drift unless told otherwise by the skipper.
Don't be in a rush to constantly change baits. A whole fish bait or fillet of fish, cuttlefish etc, carries huge amounts of scent and conger can find a bait via the scent lane for at least an hour after the bait hits the bottom.
Bites are tentative with gentle plucks as the eel picks up the bait and tastes it. Release a couple of feet of line to allow the eel some slack. This manoeuvre may happen a second time. The eel eventually will pull start to pull the line tight, you now strike hard and as before aim to pressurize the conger away from the seabed towards more open water.
Somewhere up off the wreck the eel will say "no" and stop dead, pause, then power downwards towards the wreck. If they make it, you'll likely lose them. keep the drag virtually tight with 50lb line with just enough slip to stop you being pulled over the side.
Keep the rod working to a full curve at all times, otherwise you will not tire the eel. You'll need a butt pad to maximize pressure.
Expect several more seabed dives throughout the fight, and especially as the eel is brought to the gaff. As the gaff goes in the fish, you instantly back off the reels drag just in case the eel escapes the gaff and dives again.
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