Thread: Will an eel take a rapalla lure?

Was fishing Lake Waihola tonight. Which I know he’s trout and large perch.
I hooked something very large indeed. Didn’t get it anywhere near the surface before the hooks pulled (I use barbless singles to make release easier)

Just wondering if it could have been a large eel.
Ny thoughts?

It’s possible but unlikely

Can't answer that, but maybe you foul hooked something (eel or trout)? I've done that a few times and once with a salmon on the Clutha. That thing felt like.nothing else as it was hooked behind the dorsal fin and it could swim around without any restrictions like a normal.mouth hooked fish, and took me on a merry dance downstream before I lost it.

I'd say yes, but it's not common. I've seen them chase my lures once or twice.

Had one take a rapala the was brown trout colors in Nelson Lakes once....

It's possible. I have hooked eels while fly fishing thrice. One monster in Waikaremoana, another in Taruarau and once in upper Waikato . I failed to beat any of them.

If it smells they'll take it.But chasing a lure quiet rear.

interesting one that Woody was there for 8 years at Waikaremoana never saw one -and never heard of anyone actually seeing one either during my time there- all the storys seem to be older - lots of storys about huge eels in the lake - one old german chap camped at Hopuruahine said he was cleaning two trout alongside lake when a huge eel came up and grabbed one of his trout from the shoreline - storys of divers on the outlets coming across big eels so they must have been in there - would be old females and likely really big - locals could have bought them in to - but a rapala yes they well might - have had the buggers follow me crossing the rivers further south -

I hooked and landed a decent sized eel while fly fishing (with a big streamer) one night so I would say yes it could have been an eel

I caught a decent eel at dusk on a softbait in the Wairau river last season. Most surprised.

Whatever it was and wherever it was hooked, it was a very substantial weight.

Having spent a lot of youth in around loch ness - the old imagination started to go wild

yah hooked a DIVER no one came up swearing- bubbles

Never say never - it's not uncommon for eels to bite things for territorial reasons and it's likely a bite for territory on a lure will result in a hookup.

I saw a trolled fly get absolutely monstered on Lake Rerewhakaaitu - only time in my life I've seen a trolling fly reel literally smoking. It near spooled this thing in about 8 seconds, longest 8 seconds of the guy hanging on to it's fishing life I think. Hook came back straight, literally straight. I'm fairly sure it was a fly being trolled, rather large one if I recall. The guy on the helm stopped the engine out of gear on the hookup and the little boat started going backwards no joke. There is nothing else in that lake that can do that but an eel.

except for a diver No 3 poor bugger down there surveying and next thing big pain in arse

Originally Posted by Barry the hunter

interesting one that Woody was there for 8 years at Waikaremoana never saw one -and never heard of anyone actually seeing one either during my time there- all the storys seem to be older - lots of storys about huge eels in the lake - one old german chap camped at Hopuruahine said he was cleaning two trout alongside lake when a huge eel came up and grabbed one of his trout from the shoreline - storys of divers on the outlets coming across big eels so they must have been in there - would be old females and likely really big - locals could have bought them in to - but a rapala yes they well might - have had the buggers follow me crossing the rivers further south -

Yes. The one at waikaremoana followed fly on the surface and it was about 5ft long; about halfway up hoparuahine arm. Circa 1969.