Does anyone catch sand eels?

Does anyone go out to catch sand eels? Is it possible to catch them from the shore? If it is, where?

Reading my mind IDP?
I was wondering the same thing, how to catch them and where.
Help and ideas would be much appreciated.

Hi guys

You can purchase small mini-mackerel feathers that are specifically geared towards sand eels, best at dusk but finding a shoal is the problem. Another month or two of good weather will see them in...

FWIW...

Found May and June good months for launce and ordinary sandeel. They appear to spawn at this time of the year and alot of the marks we fish tend to have plenty around, big shoals of tiny (2 inch) close in at high water, the fish were full of them also. Using small feathers (mustad shrimpers very good)then it was easy to get some of the launce by casting further out. I'm not sure if the launce were also spawning or simply preying on the smaller ones Once July came around they seemed to disperse and were very difficult to find (this is launce in particular). I thought about getting a casting net to try for them but have no idea where you could buy one. Alternatively if you want to fork out a few pounds you could purchase a seine net, seems like a lot of bother though.

PG

A great place to catch sandeel would be from Cat Rock in Howth where I saw huge shoals of them swimming right beside the rocks last summer while fishing. During the summer months on a hot day go down with a net made of bound together orange or onion nets (make sure the holes are not too big) and you should get some.

I used to catch my own using a large triangular push net bought from a company called R. & B. Leakey of Settle, North Yorks, England (can't find any trace of them now).
Each side of the heavy wooden broom handle triangle was approx. 3' long with the handle being about another 3-4' in length.
Galvanised metal skids were built into the two corners at the base and the bottom spar incorporated a heavy polythene comb to disturb the Sandeels.
The netting used was described as "white nylon match-head sized mesh".
Unfortunately, some sod made off with it.
Typical areas were, low water marks with coarse sand, prefferably with a bit of a tide run over it and it was always more productive at night.
I still have the old brochure containing the illustration. If anyone is thinking of fabricating one for themselves and needs a visual idea of how it should look I'm happy to scan it in and e-mail it on to them.
On the other hand, if anyone finds a source for a Sandeel Net, I'm in the market for one.
Bill

I know a certain Sandbank in my local area that you could fill buckets with Sandeels, Its them, Whiting, and not a lot else.

On another note, my mate modified a Keepnet to try and catch teh blighters, aint tried it yet...

Pushnets - Mike Thrussell has all the instructions on making one - have a look at
http://www.worldseafishing.com/baits/pu ... nder.shtml. I followed the design except for a metal plough at the front, which skidded along quite well. Didn't have enough time to really road test it, but it's fun to use and good for tiny flatfish, crabs and prawns. Never did get a sandeel with it (nearest was half a sandeel :? ), but that wasn't the net's fault!

Tim

OK.... in know I'm lifting an old thread here but since its in every-ones interest i don't think you´ll mind.

Catching sandeel is very easy to do with a spinning rod and a trace, like the ones for mack but with smaller hooks, preferably smaller than the hooks for herring. Hook size 8 should do the trick.

honestly i use a herring-trace for this... but the Yugoslav's here tie their own.
Throw it out and jig it home close to the bottom.

i was fishing for herring yesterday and i unintentionally got 5 of these little buggers... know I'm going to AIM some of my fishing for them since i just received my first Surf-casting rod and need them for bait. BTW, if you are going to sweden and are looking for Sandeels, they are called Tobi - Tobi's here.

Check for pic's
http://fiskeforum.se/ff/index.php?topic=285.0

Missed this post before.
Launce (greater sandeel) are fairly common around Co. Antrim and Co. Down coastline. They take mackeral feathers and spinners readily to such an extent, they can be a pain when fishing for mackeral and herring. The're normaly 10 to 14 inchs long.
They take a white and silver fly as well, and a larger one gives a bit of sport on light fly gear.
Bill.

hi idp your favourite mark to the lefts side of the light house on sabikies rigs had a good few launce here

seems to be a few there alright- must try deliberately targeting them for bait! october(early) is a good month.

does anyone know if its possible to keep them in a tank???
would be nice to have access to livebait without having to go fishing for the critters first and then move on the a better spot for surfcasting...

i see loads of them swimming around wicklow pier and turns are always diving on them at newcastle beach so i decided to by some really mini feathers to give it at a try. it will be great if it works. was wondering though what weight i should put on the end. would 1 or 2 once be to heavy and scare away the things or should i try some really light tactics and go with mabye a mepps trout spinner at the end or split shot. would be interested to know what u think, any tips welcome. :D

Myself and Phildublin have a proper sandeel net and we stock up regularly from various parts around North Dublin and Waterford regions. It is possible to get 2000-3000 a haul and that would last us all through the winter, and yes if you have an airator you can keep them for a good peiod of them once the water is changed regulary. Any standard fish tank airator works fine. As for rod and reel cathing them its true light gear and micro sabhiki type rigs will catch them and thier bigger brother the Launce, I know places like Wicklow pier is a model for them. I hope this helps!! Rob.

We net em all the time down here in Kerry. The net we use is a home made one. It's just a length of that really fine green netting you see in building sites wrapped around scaffolding. You can actually buy it by the metre at most garden centres. I think they call it "windbreak" or something.... Ours is 15ft with a really heavy chain threaded through the bottom of it to get it down.

Two of use then don wetsuits wait out to our necks in the local estuary (very dangerous practice - be careful) and just chase the sandeels up onto the beach.

Spotted the real McCoy here:-

http://www.southwestnets.co.uk/sandeel.html - 65 feet long with bridles & warps and stg ?275 + VAT and Carriage

Saw EXACTLY the same product for sale at a slightly different price via

http://www.anglingcentre.net/acatalog/Baitnet.html

Having said that, given the price of frozen sandeel, one good haul would pay for the lot....