capturing eels

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1

1987_uk

Guest
Iv heard people say the have caught eels in traps ? can anyone explain to me or provide me with information on how to trap eels.... thanks alot



wayne
 

Adi007

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 3, 2003
4,080
0
We used to use an old hessian sack, some offal and a few rocks. Place the rocks and offal in the sack, make a few small holes in it and sink the sack in a shady part of a lake. Early morning or evening used to be good.
Hope this helps!
 

PC2K

Settler
Oct 31, 2003
511
1
37
The Netherlands, Delft
don't you forget the bait ? you know some meat ? do you really need to make holes, i have heard that the eels bite holes in to it to get to the bait... cloth bags with rocks in it usually sinks well enough, even without additional holes, right ?
 

Stew

Bushcrafter through and through
Nov 29, 2003
6,454
1,293
Aylesbury
stewartjlight-knives.com
Adi007 said:
....Place the rocks and offal in the sack, make a few small holes in it and sink the sack in a shady part of a lake....

The ofal is the bait - basically waste bits of an animal that you don't want to eat. ie brains, lungs or liver.
 

bothyman

Settler
Nov 19, 2003
811
3
Sutherland. Scotland.
Stew said:
Adi007 said:
....Place the rocks and offal in the sack, make a few small holes in it and sink the sack in a shady part of a lake....

The ofal is the bait - basically waste bits of an animal that you don't want to eat. ie brains, lungs or liver.



So what have you got against Haggis?? :bu: can't beat a good Haggis
 

Adi007

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 3, 2003
4,080
0
Just found it all worked better with small holes ...
:-D
PC2K said:
don't you forget the bait ? you know some meat ? do you really need to make holes, i have heard that the eels bite holes in to it to get to the bait... cloth bags with rocks in it usually sinks well enough, even without additional holes, right ?
 
1

1987_uk

Guest
Thanks for that but does anyone no any different methods ???
 

george

Settler
Oct 1, 2003
627
6
61
N.W. Highlands (or in the shed!)
I've used the same method successfully on quite a few occasions.

I usually fill the sack with straw or leaves or even lots of thin twigs as well as the bait and the rocks.

Whenever I haven't done that my bait gets stolen and no eels! I reckon the leaves/straw/twigs makes it harder for either eels or other fish to get the bait out through the holes.

I've heard of a box trap being used that has a hole in one end about 4 or 5 inches across. Inside the hole you nail a section of car inner tube about a foot or so in length, around the hole so that it forms an open tube at one end but falls closed once the eel has pushed along it. (I'm not sure I'm describing this very well! ) Drill a bunch of small holes all the way around the box so the smell of the bait can get out. A hungry eel will soon find that it can push along the tube to get in but when it tries to get out it just ends up folding the tube closed - a bit like an anti syphon valve in a cistern.

Weigh it down with rocks (after filling it with nice smelly bait of course) and stash it in a river under a nice shady overhang.

I've never tried it myself but it sounds like it should work fine.

George

Oh yeah when you go to open your sack or trap make sure you carry it 20 or 30 feet from the river before you do - have you seen how fast the buggers can move?
 

Stew

Bushcrafter through and through
Nov 29, 2003
6,454
1,293
Aylesbury
stewartjlight-knives.com
george said:
I've heard of a box trap being used that has a hole in one end about 4 or 5 inches across. Inside the hole you nail a section of car inner tube about a foot or so in length, around the hole so that it forms an open tube at one end but falls closed once the eel has pushed along it.......

I've never tried it myself but it sounds like it should work fine.

Ray showed this being used on one of his early shows. It was a World of Survival but can't remember who he was with.
 

martin

Nomad
Sep 24, 2003
456
3
nth lincs
Tips for handling Eels.

Be gentle with them, the rougher you are with them the more the slippery
little blighters struggle.
Lay them down on their backs, after a few seconds they go absolutely
sparko.
Use a damp rag, you get a much better grip.
The best way to skin them is to nail the head to a fence post, cut the skin just behind the head right around the body then peel it off with a pair of pliers.
 

Powderburn

Tenderfoot
Jan 5, 2004
64
0
Michigan, USA
martin said:
The best way to skin them is to nail the head to a fence post, cut the skin just behind the head right around the body then peel it off with a pair of pliers.
My dad used to skin catfish that way when I was a tyke. Those buggers are very fond of their skin and don't like to let it go, even after they've croaked. Curdog told me that scalding them much like you'd do fowl before plucking works like a champ. I have no experience at all with eels, but if their skin is firmly attached, y'all might try the Curdog method.
 
P

Pathos

Guest
dogfish have a samilar abilty to "stick" to their skin, two ways I found that work are the old nailing it to a post and tugging the skin off or easier dip it in boiling water for a few secs, the skin just rubs off then, should work for eels too!

Paul
 

Stuart

Full Member
Sep 12, 2003
4,141
50
**********************
I've heard of a box trap being used that has a hole in one end about 4 or 5 inches across. Inside the hole you nail a section of car inner tube about a foot or so in length, around the hole so that it forms an open tube at one end but falls closed once the eel has pushed along it. (I'm not sure I'm describing this very well! ) Drill a bunch of small holes all the way around the box so the smell of the bait can get out. A hungry eel will soon find that it can push along the tube to get in but when it tries to get out it just ends up folding the tube closed - a bit like an anti syphon valve in a cistern.

You could use a condom with the end cut of in place of the car inner tube!

I also remember Gary mentioning somthing last week anout using tampons to catch eels- Where are you gary???

Wa hey more uses for tampons and condoms!!!! :rolmao:
 

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