Anyone know a spot that you can catch a lot of eels with rod and reel, preferebly on the smaller side for bait. With some shops charging up to $2.00 an eel I would prefer to catch my own.
As a kid I recall catching some at night in the farmginton river at night, just not that many for the time put in.
Also around the Hartford area would be best. Thanks

Posted Wed Jun 08, 2011 3:23 pm

I need to go in the eel selling business that is outrageous

Posted Wed Jun 08, 2011 7:21 pm

Just north of the Jennings Rd boat launch, right before the train tressel is a sand bar/bank on the east side of the river. It is very deep right there and last year I went there for catfish, but only caught eels. Small ones. That was in the middle of the summer, though. I was thinking the same thing you were, but haven't been able to get into the river much this year.

Posted Thu Jun 09, 2011 6:17 am

Honestly, the Connecticut River is one of the best places to catch eels, all you have to do is use sandworms on a small hook or chicken liver at night out in the current.

Posted Thu Jun 09, 2011 9:48 am

Just wondering

Posted Thu Jun 09, 2011 11:19 am

I think eel pots must be (or were) legal because the last 2 years I've seen them all over the place through the Hartford stretch of the river. Have not seen any this year yet.

Posted Thu Jun 09, 2011 12:39 pm

Hello everybody, new to Ctfishfinder, but saw this post creeping and had to post. The absolute best place in CT to find eels with an eel pot, chicken liver, worms at night are still waters, or waters that barely move. True the CT river is loaded in tons of areas, but ponds hold eels like mad and the lack of moving water along with bloody chicken liver/stinkbait is the perfect all night attractant.

I worked with the DEP for a few summers and any time we would electroshock a stream deeper than 2 feet, 75% of our collection would be american eels.

Eel are in every body of water in CT, fresh, salt, brackish. If you have a local stream to your house, try it one night. Eel pot full of chicken liver, beef liver and load up. It's where I go for all of my eels.

Posted Sun Jun 12, 2011 1:45 pm

How about the naugatuck river in litchfield

Posted Sun Jun 12, 2011 2:46 pm

backtrick is right, you can catch an eel in virtually any body of water in this state. "Landlocked" ponds even have them because the darn things can crawl across wet grass. The last place I remember having luck was above Salmon Cove, just down from the mouth of Pine Brook. I was just out of the channel with sandworms and I couldn't even reach the bottom before hookin' up. All different sizes, but I'd say 15-18" was most common. I had to move and finally found some White perch and then a few stripers.

Posted Fri Nov 04, 2011 12:36 pm

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