Caught an eel at Helton nature park between San Antonio and Floresville. I guess it's pretty rare. I informed fisheries department. Eel was released unharmed.
Thanks, I believe it is an American Eel and their life cycle is amazing swimming thousands of miles between fresh and salt water. After catching it, the one article mentioning eels in San Antonio talked about fish and game's excitement over netting one in the Medina river.
Sick! I've always wanted to catch an eel. Awesome catch and release
Catch and release. The dream - to catch one of every species of Freshwater fish in our great state! If only I can resist Carp... https://txmultispecies.imgur.com/
Kesagami, the biodiversity center in Austin, Texas is doing a study on freshwater eels in Texas and would probably be very interested in the details of your catch. You can call 512-471-8845 to see if they are interested. You can tell Adam that Barry, the black buffalo guy, gave you the number lol. Great job on the catch.
Leo we caught those things by the dozens when I was a kid growing up in Va. Dams don't bother them much (at least the little earthen dams on ponds and smaller lakes) and have seen them overlanding their trips during and just after thunderstorms in the late summer. I was surprised at the late winter/spring time catch though. I seem to remember them more in the late summer early fall.
I would think any body of water that leads into the Gulf or the Atlantic in what ever roundabout fashion has the potential to have them. Surprised kesagami was able to grab him with just a was towel. We usually kept newspaper in the tacklebox if they were about or just cut the line. they have more slime and are slicker than a gafftop.
Thanks for all the great replies. Probably only one I'll ever catch here, but I will try next time I go to that spot, something broke me off just before the eel. I looked at maps to see about dams and didn't see any. Thanks again.