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They're all dead Jim!

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dead jim
10K views 21 replies 10 participants last post by  Coalman 
#1 ·
I over thought it. No two ways about it.

"I kept my eels alive by putting them in a plastic bag and spitting into it once a month for the last three years."

"I kept eels alive by constructing a 7 acre impoundment in my yard (and parts of the other yards on the block) and infusing it with oxygen delivers from the farts of Dutch Virgins' asses and infusing it with Fairy Dust and love."

I thought that I'd spit the difference and keep them in a 5 gallon bucket of water and some ice. This is AFTER the first day that I kept them in a lunch cooler with a wet rag and ice packs. I should have kept them there because, over night, they all crocked. Dead. All of them. Some floated. Some did not. None moved. It was carnage I tell you!

I panicked. I freaked right out is what I did. I did the first thing that came to mind: I scooped them into a plastic bag, spit on them and slapped them in the freezer.

Now what? I did a search and came up with Eel Plugz. I'm not up to that. I suppose that I can double-rig them and imitate a Sluggo imitating a live eel but that just seems a scoshe odd to me. At least it's an option.(OK. Check that. I reviewed the article and I don't have any where that I can let a dead eel rot for the hour it will take me to do that the first few time and not get thrown out of my hose by my wife or land lady) Can't I just chunk 'em off the beach like a herring or a clam?
 
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#3 ·
Hey Grumpy........

If you keep them in water they deplete all of the oxygen and will die.....they can also "drown" in their own slime as well. I'm telling you.....the best way to do it is just keep them on top of some ice packs that are wrapped in a towel. I like to use those re freezable ice packs they sell for coolers. I've kept them this way for days and they may seem dried up and dead but once I hook them and sling them into the water they come right back to life.

You can try rigging plugs with eel skin or you can fish the eels dead as well. I've never done either but have heard really good things. Search the forums for something to do with the phrases "rigging eels" or "eel skins". If I wasn't so freakin' tired I'd find the links for you to help you out but theres been so much talk on these subjects you shouldn't have any trouble finding the info.

Hope this helped you

-Brian
 
#4 ·
Ah Mr. Grump. but we have a solution

Materials.
Emperor 400 fish tank filter and tubing
Or use a power head and an air stone.
30 -50 gallon Pickle barrel
Extention cord
Elbow grease
Shovel
Dozen or so pictures of St Patrick

Go to the corner diner and ask the greek owner if he'll part with one of those pickle barrells he throws the customer pickles back into after they are left uneaten. You may have to persuade him with a saw buck - or at the very least purchase a filafel or two. These may even come in handy for lunch break while digging the hole under the porch. The hole you can throw the land lady in it if she gives you a hard time.
Strip down one of the fish tanks laying empty in the garage. Take the emporer 400 air filter and the tubing. Or go to walmart and get a power head and an air stone with enough tubing.
Now heres the hard part- that i disavow all responsibility from in any way shape or form. :anon:
Fill the tank with water and plug it in. :einstein:
If all goes well thus far. (you and the eels are still alive and the house isnt on fire).
Nail the photos of St. Patrick on all the entranceways in the building.

Heres a picture of one that 5/0 had done this past summer. Post # 8.
http://www.stripers247.com/phpBB2/showthread.php?t=12111&highlight=barrel

Have fun. :dizzy:
Ask the Experts!

 
#5 ·
I stole Coalman's idea, during the Maine gathering last year, and took one of my coolers, and drilled a hole to accept a aqaurium air line. I put a air stone on one end, a aerator pump on the other, and I have happy eels for weeks. I do change out about half the water every few days with fresh tap water.
 
#9 ·
Yeah I do the same as Ricksi but with a 5 gal glass aquarium I had layin around. I just tape the sides but made a chimney w/ cardboard for air exchange. Leave the air pump w/ 2 stones in there and they last weeks. I scoop em up and throw em w/out anything (no water or anything) into a 5 gal and head out to fish. When i get out there i put a dozen or so at a time into my ditty bag and hang it from my wade belt. Every once in a while I will toss the bag in the water to wet em (plus when the bag gets wet it keeps em wet). Easy as pie...well...slimey pie that smells like sheet.
 
#10 ·
Oh and I live in an apt as well...when one dies I seal it up as best as I can in a shopping bag or something then bring it to the dumpster.....BUT I have in the past frozen eels and used them for big blues in the fall on a 3 way.....
 
#11 ·
I threw a big dead eel in my garden compost pile last year. My son's dog found it a few days later. The dog liked the way it smelled, and started tossing it around and rolling all over it. The dog was having a blast. Long story short, but the dog ended up getting a bath and I ended up getting talked to my wife and son about putting eels into the compost pile....:smilierun::dizzy:sign10.gif
 
#12 ·
Lol Ricksi. I always wondered if animals dug that stuff up, got a buddy who buries his fish carcasses in compost... I might look into your cooler setup as I found a few eels all dried up in the closet where I keep my tank....guess the tape got loose. I went nuts with the tape since but not likin it. Plus I have to wrap the tank to keep it dark. The darker it is the darker the eels will get and since I fish at night I like em real black. The cooler would make it real dark and seal real well..... project ! :redbiggrin:
 
#13 ·
I was talking to Kate down at Surfland about eel color and she says that eels will turn lighter if placed into a light container, and darker in a dark container. I guess they adjust to the surrounding environment. My cooler is in my garage with the lights off 95% of the time. They still seem to lighten up after a couple days, but it would be interesting to place a few in a white container to see how their color changes.

Anyone else have any comments on adjusting eel color?
 
#16 ·
So i have a 40 gallon aerated tank on my boat, and i need to keep some eels alive over night. you think it would be a good idea to put them in there so that they dont take up all the oxygen? It will be a bitch to get them out in the morning, but i dont know of any other easy ideas.
 
#17 ·
you dont need a tank over night in the boat, eels can breathe atmopheric air, just put them in a bucket that has a few drain holes, if the night is exceptioonaly warm, add a bag of ice and put he eels on top... drain holes are a must of they will drown in their own slime...
 
#19 ·
if your using them to fish... they dont need water... just put them in a bucket , I use bucket with a modified bucket inside that has 1/4" holes drilled into the bottom to allow slime/water to drain out, the bottom bucket catches the "runoff" in fact, in time the eels will dry a little and be eaiser to handle, if they get too dry, remove the liner ( eels still in it) and dunk it in the water, hte eels are now w=once again cool and happy (slimy too)
 

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