Beginner would appreciate your help

[toughguy]

Just spent some time viewing photos in the Gallery. Some incredible pictures there lads. Im blown away by the pictures of enormous conger that appear to have been caught from the harbour. I badly need advice on how to go about catching one of these conger.....a smaller one I must stress...10 lbs would be my strength, I'd imagine. Ive been fishing in Slade but dont know if there are conger in the area. Appreciate the help folks, cheers.

[taz]

what fishing gear do ya have

[saltydog]

Put up your location and I'm sure you'll get plenty of advice

[toughguy]

Put up your location and I'm sure you'll get plenty of advice

Im living in the Wexford area near Enniscorthy. As regards what gear Im using, well its just an ordinary 8 foot and reel I bought years ago. Will I need a special rod???

[Al]

Put up your location and I'm sure you'll get plenty of advice

Im living in the Wexford area near Enniscorthy. As regards what gear Im using, well its just an ordinary 8 foot and reel I bought years ago. Will I need a special rod???

Well you would want to have gear that can stand us to the task, Congers have a habit of burying themselves into holes when hooked, so you would need a rod that has the backbone to bully the fish before this happens. Also, It will reduce the amount of gear lost and left in fish.

[Al]

Here's a link to another forum with recommendations of gear to use, If you do a google search I'm sure you can find more info.

Plenty of Conger fishermen/women here will be able to give ya more advice i'm sure

http://www.fishing-forum.info/conger-fi ... tions.html
http://www.wirralseafishing.co.uk/Featu ... eature.htm
http://www.shoreangler.co.uk/forum/cont ... er-Fishing

[evan699]

I've caught and landed congers or all types of gear. 20-30 lb class boat rod, 10ft 1-3 oz pier caster, 13ft 3-5oz beach caster and on multiplier and fixed spool reels. When i started fishing for them i used the 10ft rod all the time and fixed spool reels with 30lb main line and 80lb shock leader. Heavy pulley rigs are my preferred rig for congers but running and fixed ledgers work too. Large mackerel baits work well, a whole head or a large fillet chunk will do the trick most of the time. Size 6/0 or 8/0 meet hooks. You'll get congers off most piers and quay walls. But once you hook a few smaller ones you'll be searching for better spots with bigger eels. Everyone has different opinions on the type of gear to use and it's just up to yourself what suits you. I tend to use lighter gear these days but i wouldn't have had the confidence to use the same stuff when i was starting off. And as for the congers getting back into their holes. That happens alot at some spots and very rarely at others. If you're fishing piers or quay walls to start off i find if you cast 15 or 20 foot out, the eel will be far enough away from the wall to get them up. If they take the bait close to the wall or pier it's likely that their whole body isn't even out or the hole when they bite so you haven't much or a hope of pulling the eel out if this happens. I like to fish for them on fairly slack tides and find i catch much more fish around that time. Fish a rising tide into darkness. That's what catches congers for me anyway so i hope some of what i said helps. It's gettin a bit cold for them now though so i'd say i'll be packing my conger gear away till next season.

[gfkelly1969]

this site might you with the congers http://www.britishcongerclub.org.uk/

[toughguy]

I've caught and landed congers or all types of gear. 20-30 lb class boat rod, 10ft 1-3 oz pier caster, 13ft 3-5oz beach caster and on multiplier and fixed spool reels. When i started fishing for them i used the 10ft rod all the time and fixed spool reels with 30lb main line and 80lb shock leader. Heavy pulley rigs are my preferred rig for congers but running and fixed ledgers work too. Large mackerel baits work well, a whole head or a large fillet chunk will do the trick most of the time. Size 6/0 or 8/0 meet hooks. You'll get congers off most piers and quay walls. But once you hook a few smaller ones you'll be searching for better spots with bigger eels. Everyone has different opinions on the type of gear to use and it's just up to yourself what suits you. I tend to use lighter gear these days but i wouldn't have had the confidence to use the same stuff when i was starting off. And as for the congers getting back into their holes. That happens alot at some spots and very rarely at others. If you're fishing piers or quay walls to start off i find if you cast 15 or 20 foot out, the eel will be far enough away from the wall to get them up. If they take the bait close to the wall or pier it's likely that their whole body isn't even out or the hole when they bite so you haven't much or a hope of pulling the eel out if this happens. I like to fish for them on fairly slack tides and find i catch much more fish around that time. Fish a rising tide into darkness. That's what catches congers for me anyway so i hope some of what i said helps. It's gettin a bit cold for them now though so i'd say i'll be packing my conger gear away till next season.

Thanks a million my friend, sounds like great advice to me...Im anxious to have a go next year....