Thread: 40+ inch Eel we caught on the whiteriver

Never seen one that big.

What does one do with a thing like that? Never seen one. Was it caught on rod & reel? Anyway congrats (I THINK)

rod and reel on a special "tootsie roll" rig

Originally Posted by liplifter

rod and reel on a special "tootsie roll" rig

it must have a sweet tooth

I have caught a couple in my life time. Ate one grilled in Vietnam out of a river there once. Here is a tid bit of info on American Eels. Caught mine years ago in the Wabash R. Your lucky to catch one that big.

The American eel is the only eel species found in frewshwater rivers in North America. Adults are catadromous and migrate downstream to the Atlantic Ocean and spawn in the Sargasso Sea (near Bermuda). The young are ribbon-like (leptocephalus) larvae which float and swim for 1-3 years in the ocean before returning to freshwater. As they near freshwater they transform into "glass-eels" (a transparent form of the adult) which then turns into an "elver" (dark, minature version of the adult), and finally into an adult. Adults migrate upstream and inland as far as Minnesota, and may remain in freshwater for as long as 15 years before returning to the ocean to spawn. Adult eels (up to 4 feet in length) live in rivers where they hide in the mud by day and forage at night. Their ability to breathe air allows them to mover overland around dams and other obstructions. A growing aquaculture industry is harvesting elvers to feed and rear in tanks to adult size, and selling adult eels as food fish, fresh or smoked. The flesh is firm and well flavored, and it is considered a delicacy in Europe and Asia. Virginia is a major exporter of American eels.