markee_b Posted July 10, 2006 Report Share Posted July 10, 2006 Scott and I took Espadon out on Friday night to the ledge for a spot of congering. After filling our bucket with mackie near the piers we motored over to a spot well known for bream and dropped the pick. To start with we were just hooking into a shoal of jumbo pout and the odd doggie, but then quite near midnight a much more promising knock on my rod was converted into something clearly quite unhappy thrashing around on the end. After playing this fish for what seemed like forever (it always does eh), probably more like 10 minutes though, she was on the surface...a lovely looking eel..long AND fat ! Scott was leaning over the back, gaff ready....one attempt to get it....just missed....second attempt....<SNAP>....the leader gave out....gutted Still, we got a good sight of it, and she was always going to be allowed to swim away again...would have just been nice to get a piccy and a proper weight to go with the fight. Scotts estimate (he's seen more of these things than I) was in the region of 40lb. Had plenty of other bites that felt "conger-ish" that we failed to convert, and we can also say that our first foray at night was a success, so overall it was deffo a good trip - a few of you out there will also be pleased to hear that both my windscreen wipers and GPS now appear to be both fully functional and reliable. I haven't driven into the side of anything for a while now either Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott T Posted July 10, 2006 Report Share Posted July 10, 2006 Was a great session, and good experience all round. Mark is being kind regarding the eel we lost, I made a mistake, but we live and learn. We both dropped a good fish, mine was due to me being cocky and fishing to light. Plenty of mackies off Boscombe pier too. Good night, sea flattened right off on the way back to the quay, think we'll try it again for sure. Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam F Posted July 10, 2006 Report Share Posted July 10, 2006 Well done chaps - its a great experiance, and some cracking fishing can be had at night. I find a large net alot easier for the eels, esp at night. Gaffs damage the fish, are hard and fairly dangerous to use compared to a net, you will be surprised how big a fish will curl into a boat net when netted tail first. Maybe see you out there later this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markee_b Posted July 10, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2006 I'd heard of people favouring nets over gaffs - tail first sounds like good advice, cheers And yeah, we'll organise a meet sometime in the near future... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomBettle Posted July 10, 2006 Report Share Posted July 10, 2006 (edited) Well done Mark Great stuff on the fishing and great news that the snags seem done and dusted!!! A tip with conger bites: Give it plenty of time. Small ones sub 35lb tend to be fairly hard biting, big ones can be little pussy cats. Either way, let them chomp the bait for a while, even give them a titchy bit of free line. Wait until you can feel a slow and progressive pull on the rod as the swim backs off with the bait. Don't strike, simply tighten up, lift and wind. You'll hardly drop another. (The above tip was learned from expert tuition from "The Watchful Eye") Don't discount the light gear either. I decide which rod to use based on how much lead I need to get down. Typically 20lb class for Conger, but we (the Quest II crew) have had a few amusing sessions with eels to 45lb on mid channel wrecks using nothing more than a 3 foot "kids" rod from Weymouth Angling Centre. I'll see if I can find the picture as it really is a p1ss take. (In this instance, "The Watchful Eye tends to get a bit funny with those of us that fish ridiculously light, I remember a b@llocking from him for using a canal bomb rod on a very active Ling session - but it is good fun and with proper technique and light sharp hooks it is very achievable) Tom Edited July 10, 2006 by TomBettle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markee_b Posted July 10, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2006 cheers Tom...lets see the piccy ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomBettle Posted July 10, 2006 Report Share Posted July 10, 2006 cheers Tom...lets see the piccy ! I think that "The Watchful Eye" has a pic stored on his gallery somewhere. ...the one with Mr Mazey playing the Conger on that little yellow rod Chris? If you happen to see this post, maybe you would upload the piccy or email it over to me... please? Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
great white Posted July 10, 2006 Report Share Posted July 10, 2006 Nice one Mark well done But please reserve the gaff only for the fish that for some reason are to be kept. with care and practise an eel can be chin gaffed to minimise damage prior to return, but they do not just sit there waiting to be gaffed untill they are well played out. Much better to practise the netting technique for the sake of the fish Charlie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markee_b Posted July 10, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2006 Roger that ! Scott was aiming for the chin - neither of us would have contemplated anything else, but I reckon we're agreed that netting is the way forward Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JIMBOB Posted July 10, 2006 Report Share Posted July 10, 2006 Good to see someone else trying for those ledge eels, there are some real monsters out there and they seem to average about 40lb which is huge for inshore eels. A net is definitely the best way to land them, when you get the hang of getting there tail in and dropping the eel in back in with the tide you can solo 50lbers while your fishing partners is counting zzzzzzzzz's James Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam F Posted July 10, 2006 Report Share Posted July 10, 2006 Or better still - Tbar them off at the edge - boats stays clean and the fish stays safe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott T Posted July 11, 2006 Report Share Posted July 11, 2006 Definitely be using the net next time, and the gaff wasn't going anywhere other than under the chin of the eel, but she was spinning like a good un. And as JIMBOB says, a 40lb reef eel is a good size I think, definitely worth targeting seriousley, if thats your thing of course! Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
great white Posted July 11, 2006 Report Share Posted July 11, 2006 The Club record was a reef fish caught and netted solitair as my mate was heard to say " I am not going near that" as he retired to the sharp end of the boat. His thoughts after I wieghed it in the net and then picked it off the deck [after it got out] so that it could go back are not repeatable here. But the look on his face as a novice angler was great. Great fun Charlie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul D Posted July 11, 2006 Report Share Posted July 11, 2006 Similar to the look on Dan's ( Gnasher ) face when I caught a mere 20lb fish on the ledge and it decided to chomp through the landing net and bite a hole in my water container before hanging onto my waders. I thought Dan was going to jump out the boat at one stage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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