How to Catch Eel While Fishing

Some people fish for anything that will bite the line, but other fishermen set out to catch specific species of fish. One of these species is the eel, a snakelike fish. Catching an eel is far different from any other freshwater fish, and going into it with a specific game plan will return better results.

Instructions

1. Wait until sunset before actually expecting to catch an eel. They hide most of the day, so your best chances of catching one will be at night when eels are the most active.
2. Set up a small campfire or have plenty of light handy for your fishing trip. This will make it much easier to handle your poles and keep everything organized.
3. Use night crawlers for bait. This has been proven several times to be great bait for catching eels.
4. Cast out into the water and let your pole sit there. Hold the pole in your hand so you will be able to feel the bites the best that you can.
5. Feel for two quick tugs on your line. Right after the second tug, set the hook by quickly pulling back on your pole and keep your line tight by reeling in.
6. Slowly reel in your line. Eels are really strong fish, so you may want to consider using reverse reeling or using the pole’s drag so that the line does not snap.
7. Grasp the eel with a towel over your hand. Use a strong grip so that the eel does not shake free. Eels will use their tails to try and wrap around your wrist, but they are harmless, so just try to keep the grip as tight as possible.
8. Cut the line as close to the eel’s mouth as possible if it has swallowed the hook.
9. Take pictures with the eel, and then throw it back into the water.