# Endangered American Eel Caught



## Meldahl Jesus (Dec 2, 2008)

Guy caught this Eel at the dam last weekend. Googled it and found out they are endangered in Ohio. They spawn in some bay in the Atlantic and migrate as a baby for a year to reach major freshwater rivers.


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

totally cool, its been on my bucket list for about 25 years now, still no luck.. someone hit the lottery! One of the coolest fish that swim in freshwater ( part of the year) anyways, thanks for sharing!


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## creekcrawler (Oct 5, 2004)

That's some awesome stuff. That guy traveled many, many, many river miles.
Got through how many dams?
Don't they spawn out in the Saragasso Sea?


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## fishmeister (Jul 29, 2004)

Yes, they spawn in the Sargasso (Atlantic Ocean). They have been recorded as far upstream as the Hocking River (old records)!


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## ChrisReed (Apr 22, 2013)

I caught one when I was around 13 years old (37 now) west of Manchester out from Moyer's Winery using night crawler. Definitely an awesome species.


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## rustyhook36 (Dec 20, 2005)

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rustyhook36


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## rustyhook36 (Dec 20, 2005)

Got this one last year near Racine.


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## Meldahl Jesus (Dec 2, 2008)

They say they spawn and die. Pretty cool read. I've fished the river for 20 years and have never seen one. Told the guy he will probably never see one again. I guess back in the early 1900's they were over-fished. The Japanese love to eat these things


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## Fisher1672 (Oct 18, 2014)

Maybe someone can register it and they will protect Ohio River waterway a little better


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## Carpn (Apr 5, 2004)

My dad has told me of once when he was a kid fishing a no name stream near canal Fulton he caught several Eels . I always thought that was a pretty cool story . Being that it happened 50 yrs ago I doubt it'd be worth try to retrace his steps


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## Meldahl Jesus (Dec 2, 2008)

They actually used to stock them in the early 1900's. Overfished they say. I've caught the lampreys before deadlining minnows and have seen plenty come flying off of airborne spoonbills. Was cool to see up close. Actually secrete slime when threatened. Took everything guy had to hold it for a picture for me.


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## slimdaddy45 (Aug 27, 2007)

I have caught 2 in the past yrs 1 out of the Hocking River and 1 from the Muskingum River both back in the 70's haven't seen 1 since tho


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## kycreek (May 31, 2006)

1st one I've ever saw & I'm 53 and have fished the river my entire life. I've got friends who say they have caught them before.


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## Meldahl Jesus (Dec 2, 2008)

I would be curious if the ODNR guys would want to know about it. Maybe I should email the picture in case they are documenting reports about them. Or even someone else can if you can save the photos to your phones.


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## yknotfrank (Apr 10, 2004)

Meldahl Jesus said:


> Guy caught this Eel at the dam last weekend. Googled it and found out they are endangered in Ohio. They spawn in some bay in the Atlantic and migrate as a baby for a year to reach major freshwater rivers.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## fishless (Sep 18, 2014)

I caught one when I was a kid in the Sugarcreek outside of Dover,this would have been in early 70's


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## strongto (Apr 1, 2013)

I caught an eel out of the Ohio river about 3 years ago. Got it on a nightcrawler on the bottom while out catfishing.


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## fisherboy (Sep 17, 2012)

Wonder why the ODNR allows them to be kept if they are endangered. Guessing that the few which are caught are so few that it doesn't really matter in the long run. (& no I'm not critizing anyone for keeping one if they are going to be ate.)


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## ShenangoEyes (Aug 28, 2013)

I know of a few that were caught in the beaver river and the Ohio this year in PA. The distance those fish travel is truly epic. Cool catch!


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## 9Left (Jun 23, 2012)

That's cool! I'm surprised to hear they are endangered tho... When I was stationed in New England area( Connecticut) in the Navy, we couldn't keep those suckers off our hooks!


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## chasmo (Jun 17, 2012)

Same in Rhode Island off Quonset point in the early 70's, we would surf fish in Greenwich Bay and those babys could spool a reel in a heart beat and then ball it up, Talk about a mess. The Portuguese locals would give us a dollar for them. They considered them a delicacy, we were glad to get rid of them.


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## Drm50 (Dec 26, 2014)

Me and two buddies caught several in April of 1973, at the mouth of Possum Creek in Monroe Cnty. Bottom
fishing with worms. Back around 1964, I saw one caught out off the bear traps at old Lock 13, BRD, before
roller damns. I have herd stories about people harvesting them at night with nets, these stories were from
the area where Piedmont lake is now. Lake was built in the 1920s, so would be before that. They put them
up in jars, pickled. 'Twas before my time.


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## boonecreek (Dec 28, 2006)

We caught one Leach to the back of a big carp below Meldaul dam.the carp. Hit a night crawler. The thing had a hole eat in its back.


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## chasmo (Jun 17, 2012)

boonecreek said:


> We caught one Leach to the back of a big carp below Meldaul dam.the carp. Hit a night crawler. The thing had a hole eat in its back.


Different fish. That would have been a lamprey. They take nourishment from the host fish. Eels are self sustaining.


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## boonecreek (Dec 28, 2006)

chasmo said:


> Different fish. That would have been a lamprey. They take nourishment from the host fish. Eels are self sustaining.


 Thanks this thang had a wicked looking mouth. We took the lamprey off it lived. But the carp died


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## SmittyN330 (May 17, 2013)

A little late lol but that's just an amazing catch! I got one in the Savannah River in Georgia a few years back but never seen one up here.


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## streamstalker (Jul 8, 2005)

post deleted


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## beaver (Sep 28, 2010)

There is some kind of eel that makes a run in the creek behind my house every year. They're much smaller than that though. You can sit on the bank and watch them squirm by at a rate of about 6 or 7 a minute. Pretty cool to watch.


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