Conger from the shore

by Davey Mon Mar 15, 2010 1:48 am

There are few species caught from the shore in the UK that incites such
a varied amount of reaction from anglers as the conger eel. Bit like
Marmite, you either love it or hate it. As for me, I love them. Though
can’t say the same for my mate, who’s the poor sod who has to go down
to the waters edge to beach it.
Most anglers that come in contact with them do so by accident, the eel
taking bait put out for other species, invariably the fight doesn’t
last long, the eel either biting through the light snood or more often
finding a near by snag and then its all over.
And even if you are targeting them the eel still has the advantage due
to the rough ground you find them in. So why bother? Because the fight
you get from a large eel from the shore will remain with you for the
rest of your life.

Conger eels are common around the coast of the UK. Deep water rock
marks, piers, jetties and dock walls are all typical areas where the
fish lives. Certain marks are noted for producing big eels,
particularly those of the River Tamar at Plymouth which currently holds
the UK record of 68lb. Portland Bill is another. Living on the Isle of
Wight I’m lucky as the whole of the back of the Wight, From Ventnor in
the East to Brook in the west will produce some good sized eels, with
many over 40lb and the Island record of 64lb coming from here.

Before tackling the shore conger, the first item that the shore angler
needs to be equipped with is patience. Bites may be few and far between
and even when a take occurs the angler still has an uphill battle
before the fish is finally landed. This is not a sport to be undertaken
by the lone angler or at a mark that anglers are not familiar with.
Before fishing, the method for landing the fish should always be
considered.

Strong tackle is a needed for shore conger fishing. Soft rods have no
place for shore conger fishing as the first few moments of the fight
are crucial to prevent the fish reaching a bottom snag. This is where a
stiff beachcaster comes in to its own as it has the power to lift the
fish clear from the bed during those important initial moments of
contact. The rod also needs to be capable of casting large baits with
lead, although distance casting is rarely required. Many of the rods
sold for rough ground fishing are suitable for the task. Reels also
need to be suitably strong with good line capacity and suitable models
include Abu 7000 or Penn 535’s or Slosh 30s. The reel needs a good line
capacity as the normal line for shore conger work is between 30 – 40lb.

Now for the business end, terminal tackle needs to be strong and made
from good quality components. I usually use a pulley rig with the hook
snood being made of 150lb surfix mono coupled with a rotten bottom
link, invariably conger will be found in little or no tidal flow, so
plain leads will also cut down on lost gear.
Good quality swivels of 80 –100lb b.s are also required as part of the
trace, as conger will often rapidly spin at some point during a fight.
This often occurs as the fish is near the shore and it is at this point
that many fish are lost.
Large hooks, in the 6/0 to 10/0 size range, are required so that the
point is clear of the large baits that are used. Stainless steel hooks
should not be used as it is not always possible to unhook the fish,
particularly if deeply hooked, and the trace will need to be cut. A
bronzed hook will quickly disintegrate in seawater.

There are three main bait types for conger eel fishing:-
• Large fish baits
• Squid
• Cuttlefish
Mackerel, herring, Pollack, whiting and pouting are all good baits for
conger eels with freshly caught baits being preferred. These baits can
be fished in a variety of ways from head sections, tail sections,
flappers and large fillets. The key for baiting up is that plenty of
hook point should be exposed.

Other things you will have to think about before you start is what
happens when you land the eel. Good lighting is essential; I always
carry a spare headlight with me.
A pair of thick gardening gloves will be handy for dragging the eel up
the beach by grabbing the snood, they will protect you from the line
cutting into your hands.
The other method is to gaff the fish through the lower jaw to reduce
the damage to the fish. Gaffs should have a fixed head as screw-on type
heads can become unwound from the struggles of the eel.

Conger eels are generally nocturnal in habit. On deep venues or where
water is coloured, eels can be caught during daylight. However, the
pursuit of conger is best undertaken at night.

Conger eels tend to be most active during small tides and slack tide
periods. Neap tides should be targeted as the prime time for conger
angling. Where tidal flows are present the peak of eel activity usually
occurs during the slack water period around the turn of the tide at
high or low water.

At deep water marks conger can be caught throughout the year although
tend to become lethargic during prolonged cold spells. Generally the
peak season for conger fishing from the shore is during the autumn
months. Noted periods of peak eel activity are after a frost, a settled
period after high winds or prior to an advancing storm. Conger eels
tend to become more difficult to catch from most marks from December
onwards.

by **h4ppy-chris** Mon Mar 15, 2010 4:03 am

loving the posts your putting up Davey very informative Very Happy

cheers

by wijonty Mon Mar 15, 2010 5:20 am

cheers davy thats really help- full to the novice please keep up the good work

by tomcat Mon Mar 15, 2010 5:46 am

Nice article Davey. Sadly the ground required to hold Conger inshore is sadly lacking off the Lancashire coast. As you describe though. we do have an influx of strap Conger closer inshore interupting our Autumn boat Cod fishing. A few of our offshore wrecks hold some good examples. Very few seem to venture close enough to the shoreline for the shore rods to target. Our nearest productive Conger ground for shore rods is Angelsey. A rocky Island with features more native to the South West than the North West. The myths and folklore surrounding Conger seem far out of proportion to the nature of this shy predator.

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