I have dropped a chicken mesh version of a cray pot/hinaki - about 300mm sq in our creek - with some fresh meat.

That worked. But so did a bamboo pole and a sprat hook with a bit of chopped liver. You could fill in a lot of time - takes a few for a feed.

Alan

Put a handline out overnight with a circle hook and catch an eel Bazza, great smoked or charred on the BBQ...

 

No need to even use a line Al as a lot of them there once trust has been established they can be hand fed as I witnessed (from a safe  distance ) an adventurous young girl about 3 or 4 yo doing this arvo.

 

Like most kiwis I used to hold eels in low regard until beginning to discover what incredible creatures they actually were, consequently where ever there is an opportunity to protect them, I do.

 

BTW did you get the e-mail on Wuhan I sent you ?

 

If so, being such a clever IT genius, is it at all possible you could somehow or other post a link to the forum ?

 

Baz if you score and eel or two to spare and don't want, I'll get Hone Harawira to swing buy on his way south for his next adventure to pickup and deliver.

 

Yep indeed ... how many fishos would be aware we have the worlds biggest eels & one variety at least that are exclusive to NZ.

 

However is their spawning / breeding process that is really amazing when at a certain age ( think it is 5 yo ) they set off en masse towards Tonga with most of the males changing sex to female on the way (much like a couple of fishing buddies I have known) & on arrival at Tonga the spawning & fertilising of the eggs takes place after which the adults die. The fertilised eggs transform into hatchlings about 12 to 15 mm long & are called glasslings whereupon things get really interesting.

 

These tiny creatures not only instinctively seek out the currents that will take them back to NZ but on arrival most manage to find the water their parents came from ... then the oncoming generation prepare to repeat the process.

 

The grossly overweight specimens usually caught in the school holidays & feature in local newspapers along with their proud juvenile captors are barren females that have remained behind to grow old & overweight.

 

They are proven to be highly intelligent creatures & sadly stocks suffered irreparable damage in the 70's & 80's when it was discovered a very lucrative export business existed in much of Europe, Asia & the US. 

 

So much damage in fact that catch rates became uneconomic & harvesting was heavily restricted by which time average size & weights of individual specimens had been dramatically reduced & may never recover. 

Do tell the class "Bazza" how you got on.Remember when letting eels go do not transfer them from one stream to another apparently they do not like unfamiliar terrioty,found that out when we brought one home ,hunua,stuck in bath to give the old a girl a fright,went down to local creek and this old fella told me all about it.