Are eels caught in the sea any good for eating?
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Saltwater Fishing
Forum Name: Landbased & Surfcasting
Forum Description: From rocks or beaches, here's the place for the landbased fishos to share information
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=52265
Printed Date: 31 May 2026 at 6:18am
Topic: Are eels caught in the sea any good for eating?
Posted By: aji_tsuri
Subject: Are eels caught in the sea any good for eating?
Date Posted: 30 Mar 2010 at 12:38pm
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When I'm out floundering I often see a few eels (some pretty big ones). Usually the spots I am at are quite muddy (North Shore inner harbour) so this might be a factor as I know those caught in muddy freshwater taste of mud. Would eels caught in the sea be any good for eating? The flounder are, but I don't know if the same logic can apply to eels.
I have been contemplating this for quite awhile and even bought back some unagi sauce last time I was in Japan but haven't bothered spearing one yet in case its not worth the costs (namely the significant cost to the eel - loss of life, but then the hassle of dealing with a slimy headless wriggling mess to prepare and cook only to find out that it tastes of mud).
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Replies:
Posted By: one leg
Date Posted: 30 Mar 2010 at 12:53pm
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the ones from the clean water rivers are very tastey never eaten one from the muddy sea ------------- woman who say they are equal to men ,show lack of Ambition . |
Posted By: aji_tsuri
Date Posted: 30 Mar 2010 at 1:13pm
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Yeah, unfortunately freshwater logic suggests they wouldn't be good, which is a pity as on nights when I haven't got any flounder its quite tempting to spear an eel. Maybe somebody will confirm if the the freshwater logic doesn't apply to the ones that have shifted to the sea (there's not much logic to an eel - wriggling with no head for extending periods of time. I find flounder can take quite a bit of encouragement to expire too).
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Posted By: Seth
Date Posted: 30 Mar 2010 at 1:19pm
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Dont bother with them bud. Taste like $hit. Not even my cat will touch the stuff. Just find a creek/pond and go eeling at night.
Great smoked or even better is to grab some poles long enough to be above the fly line and dry them oustide for a week or so.
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Posted By: aji_tsuri
Date Posted: 30 Mar 2010 at 1:34pm
| Thanks! I'll leave them be. Some are quite impressive beasts (up to a meter) so it would be quite a waste to spear them. You've reminded me of when I was a kid and I'd go guddling (lifting up rocks and seaweed catching little fish, eels and crabs) the cat wouldn't eat those ones too! Though they were much smaller. She'd only eat the little gobies that I'd flick on the head and feed her. The poor old eels (well they were little ones so probably babies) would just get a few chews and then left. |
Posted By: Ritual Groove Meister
Date Posted: 30 Mar 2010 at 1:39pm
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The fresh water ones come out of rivers, down into estuaries where you see heaps floundering, and make journeys through out the world, then return to the same river at a ripe age to breed. The ones found in esturies are the same ones caught in the rivers, i.e. long fin, short fin, and silver bellies, even the odd spotted one. Very rich and oily, but beautiful smoked . If not used to it, you may like it but only be able to limit how much you eat owing to the richness. Depends what you were brought up on, Just make sure you de-slime them first. This can be achieved by giving them a dip in hot water or a handful of salt and left in a plastic bag for a while. Run the eel down with your forefinger and thumb with a pair of gloves on. A lot of people write off a lot of species in the sea, but when handled right you'd be surprised. Kai whakapai unagi reka |
Posted By: one leg
Date Posted: 30 Mar 2010 at 2:09pm
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We used to hang them and skin them straight away split them down the middle dust in flour and fry in a little butter all within 1/2 hr out of the creek ,yummy ,then we would smoke some over the fire for breaky in the morn ..lovely white flesh like snapper ------------- woman who say they are equal to men ,show lack of Ambition . |
Posted By: aji_tsuri
Date Posted: 30 Mar 2010 at 2:42pm
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Right, I'm convinced. I'll get one next time I'm out (probably a smaller one just in case its not the palatable). Thanks for everyones advice!
I am thinking of grilling/BBQ it with unagi sauce. Not too sure if I'll the knife skills like the guy in the video filleting them (he makes it seem quit simple, but given how he sharpens his knife he is somewhat of a master I suspect).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhdHqc-Q49U&NR=1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhdHqc-Q49U&NR=1
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Posted By: Standard Deluxe
Date Posted: 30 Mar 2010 at 2:50pm
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Lovelly eating mate, not that I have ever cooked one myself just eaten them in Japan and at Yakatori here in NZ. Wouldn't mind coming for a trip out floundering! Love flounder but not been able to find any on my local beach down Beach Haven - although my neighbour tells me the maori name for the beach is flounder food. Heaps of big stingrays though!
Interesting to see hiw you get on with the eel. Nice episode on Hunger for the Wild where they catch them down south and de-slime them with salt and hang before smoking...
Hungry again!
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Posted By: Kenshin
Date Posted: 30 Mar 2010 at 3:11pm
eeewwww...
  ------------- Be patient and calm – for no one can catch fish in anger. –Herbert Hoover |
Posted By: Michael Jenkins
Date Posted: 03 Apr 2010 at 6:07pm
Wrong way round dude, they live in the streams (and estuaries too it seems) then head into the open ocean to breed and die then return as babies with the whitebait runs. http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/1966/eels-long-finned-and-short-finned/1 - http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/1966/eels-long-finned-and-short-finned/1 It makes managing the fishery very difficult because you need to make sure some eels of all sizes are left alone and grow big enough to have that urge to go out to sea to breed and die. |
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