Winter Eeling

Type: Tidal
Region:
Location:

We�ve all had our Covid projects in the past year around our homes and one of mine was to try to organize piles of things I�ve collected over the years that are stashed in my barn. Several items found in an old wooden fish crate brought back a flood of childhood memories of growing up along the coast of southern New Jersey.

When the tidal rivers and bays would freeze over during the winter months some of the older men would venture out on the ice to spear American eels that spent the colder months nestled into the bottom. The eels seemed to prefer quiet coves where the sandy and hard bottom transitioned into softer mud. Men would cut holes in the ice approximately 2 foot square and work their spears around the hole with their catch lying nearby.

After mentioning my observations to my grandfather, he mentioned some interesting items that might be found in one of the barns on our cranberry farm. Digging through dusty horse harnesses and other long forgotten farm items, there hung on the wall was a strange 18� shaft with an old rusty eel spear head. Winter eel spears do not have pointed tips like one would think but flat and rather blunt tines with long sharp barbs and a central tine that was longer than the rest that did not have a barb. The spear heads were made by local blacksmiths. I sharpened the barbs, received a few tips from my grandfather and headed out onto the river with the long spear shaft undulating as I walked, it was a lot to keep control of.

When spearing eels through the ice, the spear is gently pushed into the mud and sharply pulled up when something is felt and grabs hold of the eel. I was to find out that the eels usually line up parallel to the tidal currents and that central tine that was longer than the rest is the first thing to hit a sunken piece of wood or other debris. I also learned that the spear could be worked in a 45 degree arc all around the hole if your spear shaft was long enough.

The older men offered some valuable tips and treasured locations and my success began to increase with that knowledge. Eels are skinned much like catfish and the meat is rather juicy due to the fat content and my grandfather was very happy to enjoy one of his favorite dishes, although my mother did not enjoy frying them.

One of the old baymen who befriended me taught me how to make a smoker out of an old Frigidaire refrigerator (no internal plastic in those days) and I was soon smoking eels which greatly enhanced their deliciousness. It did not take long before I was asked by men who fished for striped bass if they could have the eel skins which they salted and used on a rig with a lead wobble type head or swimming plugs. I was soon to be introduced to fishing for striped bass in the inlets by these men. The smoked eels were a very welcomed treat to many of the older local men who were too old to work the water any longer and I made many friends who were full of stories of rum runners, German submarines and adventures along the coast, just the kind of stuff a 9 year old boy is all ears for. Time passes on and the old men I knew are all gone now but hopefully there are those that will take their place with their own knowledge and stories and can pass them on to a younger generation and anyone who is willing to listen.