Silver Eels as bait

**andy** · 25-02-2004, 14:55

On my local river estuary in the summer I can easily catch loads of small silver eels on worm baits, both day and night.

I was wondering if anyone has tried eel sections as bait for bass or indeed any other fish?

Thanks

AJB

**freak** · 26-02-2004, 10:09

eels are nearly gone, theyve followed the cod, better using something else

Roger Bradbury (guest) · 27-02-2004, 11:55

they are a good bait for certain fish, including Bass - some famous person (I think it was John Wilson?) caught a 10lb Bass out of Bradwell or Lowestoft, when using eel section for Tope.

People who use pieces of them for Tope insist they are much more effective if fresh i.e. freshly killed just before use; *even better than if chilled a few hours before and the body cared-for as well as possible up until use.

If you can prevent them tangling your trace they also make a good live bait - much used in USA for Striped Bass

Luckily, they are not a good bait for Dogfish (which is why Tope anglers use them rather than Mackerel, *when they can)

**Cod_Fisher_Cc** · 23-03-2006, 22:56

sand eels is amazing bait

**SeaMouse** · 24-03-2006, 09:22

In the Thames Estuary especially, eel section is THE tope bait. Less effective further down the South Coast by what I've heard. However, Freak has the right of it. The European Eel is in deep trouble, best to leave them be. Recent publications from a Dutch group suggest that the adults have very high levels of pollutants in the flesh, PCB, or dioxin, or something. Can't quite remember, I was skim reading it. Levels correlated with fertility. The GOOD news was that to do the research, they first had to get the eels to spawn in captivity. First time it's been done and opens up the possibility that they could be farmed, or at least rescued if wild breeding continues to decline

Steve

**captin** · 24-03-2006, 10:19

my mate took the british tope record back in the 80s from hayling island bait eel section ive had rays out of bradwell on head of small eels about 5in long and conger eel

**Norfolk Boy** · 24-03-2006, 10:26

Just so as you know and given the concern over bass stocks and conservation, the eel population is at just TWO% that it was 20 years ago.

**mustad_viking** · 24-03-2006, 16:30

Most people hate the things anyway

**captin** · 24-03-2006, 16:57

if the japs did not eat elvers there still be a good stock of eels but there methords for catching elvers is so good maybe we might see eels become a thing of the parst so come on boys save the eels kill the japs