Like several other Korum consultant's I have spent quite a lot of time over the last few weeks hunting big Eels. Heavily stocked Commercial fishery's are a great starting point, as they provide food aplenty allowing the Eel rich pickings on dead and dying fish as well as the vast quantities of bait thrown into these most popular of fisheries. It is just such a lake that I have been targeting with some success, let me give you the highs and lows of a recent trip.
On arriving just before sunset the hustle and bustle we come to expect around such waters has been replaced by an eerie silence, combined with the thundery, humid weather that suggests Eels will be on the prowl. Simple running ledger's are fished close to the margin's where I expect the fish to patrol at night, each rig is baited with a fresh Roach dead bait, hooked through the head with a size 6 S3 hook.
Action begins quite early as the Blue led lights up and the shrill sound of the alarm breaks the tranquility. This is a regular occurrence for the next few hours, but despite my best efforts I suffer several dropped runs, and also catch several of the dreaded bootlaces, though all are treated with respect, after all they have made an epic 3000 mile swim to find this lake so deserve the same care with which I would handle a specimen Eel. As first light breaks I'm dragged from my sleeping bag by the alarm screaming into life again, on striking the fish makes a powerful run, making me initially think a carp may have picked up my dead bait, as this is a regular occurrence when targeting Eels on these waters, however the violent head shakes that follows soon gives it away, a few minutes later I'm admiring the Eel that is resting in the bottom of my landing net.
On the scales it weighs 5lb 15oz, a new p.b by over a pound, I gently return her and cant help but think to myself that there must be large Eels such as this one in many of the hundreds of similar lakes throughout the country, maybe your local commercial could be one such water?
