American eels - NOT Lampreys

[Kevin J Legg]

Back in the 70’s they were common to catch in the St Lawrence River while fishing for bullhead or smallmouth. They also use to be commercially harvested. In fact Eel Weir State Park is located on the Oswagache River near Huevelton.

[Lucky13]

We used (80's) to catch them at night off the Summerville pier while fishing for Kings.  My recollection is that they were restricted from harvest because of the sky high contaminant levels.  I fail to understand how they could be present in the upper Genesee if they all travel out to spawn in the Sargasso Sea, there are three impassable falls in Rochester, and another set in Letchworth.  But I do recall my grandfather having one he caught when I was young (50's) and my recollection was that he had been fishing at Conesus, but he may have just been down on the pier.

 

Here's a lot of information: Species Assessment for American eel (ny.gov)

[greenboatluke]

Eels can move across land, especially after large rain events when the ground is saturated. Maybe that’s how??

[jperch]

I think you are right about the contaminants Lucky.

[fisherman777]

Caught this one 4 years ago in oswego harbor at night fishing for kings. Peeled drag off at first like it was a 20 pound chinook. 

[dremarquis]

now THAT's cool!!!!

what did you catch it on?

[Hobo]

That’ll a big old girl !!

[bulletbob]

5 hours ago, fisherman777 said:

Caught this one 4 years ago in oswego harbor at night fishing for kings. Peeled drag off at first like it was a 20 pound chinook. 

 They have a small head, a quite small  toothless mouth, yet they are caught on massive baits and huge hooks big enough to catch a 40 pound Striper.. Its amazing when you see it.. They are very aggressive  feeders, tough as nails, and hard to kill, can live and thrive  in water that almost nothing else can survive in, they fight hard, are good to eat, are extremely prolific when allowed to  live long enough to spawn,, and were once the most common fish on the eastern seaboard, comprising over 60% of total biomass in some eastern rivers, yet we managed to  catch and eat so many, they are becoming very rare in places where they once numbered in  the millions.. All because people in some Asian countries love to  eat them smoked  and will pay  big MONEY for the opportunity to do so.. These poor fish need a break, and if I were king there would be a moratorium on their harvest for   a few years, so they could build the population back up closer to where it was historically.. These are NOT trout and salmon, that can be stocked and will do ok on a "put and take" basis.. they cannot be artificially propagated, its been tried for decades, and simply doesn't work, and they are disappearing throughout their entire range because people like to smoke them, and  others like to  use them for bait.. Seems to  be a couple flimsy excuses for  condemning a  wonderfully adaptable  and unique  species to extinction. They need some serious protection for a few years....bob

[jperch]

Actually I recall those rascals have choppers, though small.  I have a friend who is a great lakes fish biologist and I talked to him about the decline of the American Eel population.  He said the nature of their life cycle makes it difficult to pin down.  That is, to complete their long life cycle they most reach adulthood, migrate bake to the ocean, make their way to the Sargasso Sea, spawn, have their larvae drift back along the Gulf Stream, etc.  So many things could go wrong. Over fishing probably has played a role, there may be other causes as well such as changes in ocean currents, temperatures, who knows.

[rolmops]

The biggest problem with eating eel as a delicacy is that the glass eel is served a specialty dish where one portion often contains several hundred of these tiny fish. As usual the Japanese are behind this. They appear to completely disregard the survival of any species that has fins

[bulletbob]

11 hours ago, jperch said:

Actually I recall those rascals have choppers, though small.  I have a friend who is a great lakes fish biologist and I talked to him about the decline of the American Eel population.  He said the nature of their life cycle makes it difficult to pin down.  That is, to complete their long life cycle they most reach adulthood, migrate bake to the ocean, make their way to the Sargasso Sea, spawn, have their larvae drift back along the Gulf Stream, etc.  So many things could go wrong. Over fishing probably has played a role, there may be other causes as well such as changes in ocean currents, temperatures, who knows.

 I said toothless, and thats not really correct as you stated.... They have teeth, but they are the size of fine sandpaper.. The reason I doubt ocean temps have anything to do with it is eels are highly tolerant of all kinds of environmental problems that would decimate other species.. they are tough to kill, and used to thrive in toxic waterways full of chemicals, and   can tolerate temps  from icy canadian streams right down to 90+ degree ditches in south Florida.. They started to decline when huge numbers started being caught and eaten not only for export, but also as part of the "sushi culture" that started in the states in the early 90's, especially in urban areas... bob

[bulletbob]

very short read

9 hours ago, rolmops said:

The biggest problem with eating eel as a delicacy is that the glass eel is served a specialty dish where one portion often contains several hundred of these tiny fish. As usual the Japanese are behind this. They appear to completely disregard the survival of any species that has fins

 correct...  Interesting  and very short read I found. Explains what eels are up against in  the modern age.  Price per pound  of some native Japanese  eels is  almost the same as gold believe it or not, and in Japan there are those that pay  it!...

https://stellinamarfa.com/seafood/do-people-eat-glass-eels/

Edited March 31 by bulletbob

[jperch]

There is also an eel farming industry.  That is, many of those glass eels end up being raised overseas to become larger eels for consumption.  There used to be a whole other species, the European Eel, that was similar and I think also spawned in the Sargasso, that species has been wiped out.  At least that is what I remember reading in the past.  (When I was in high school I wanted to be a fish biologist and read every book I could find about fish.  My high school counselor urged me to choose a different path.)

[fisherman777]

On 3/30/2024 at 1:17 PM, dremarquis said:

now THAT's cool!!!!

what did you catch it on?

It hit a moonshine casting spoon

[dremarquis]

that is WILD! - catching eel on artificial rather than bait!

 

[bulletbob]

4 hours ago, dremarquis said:

that is WILD! - catching eel on artificial rather than bait!

 

 That IS wild.. I have caught carp, suckers, catfish, bullheads with lures, but never an eel, even when i was catching them by the hundreds in NJ years ago....