Eels are slippery, hard-fighting fish that turn up in a lot of Aussie creeks, rivers and estuaries. Most anglers don’t target them on purpose, but they’re tough customers and can be a real surprise when they grab a bait.
In Australia, eels are common in freshwater rivers, lakes, farm dams and tidal estuaries, especially along the east and south-east. They like structure, mud bottoms, snaggy banks and anywhere with cover like rock bars, weed beds or fallen timber.
Eels are scavengers and hunters, eating worms, small fish, yabbies, prawns, insects and pretty much any meaty food they can find. They feed mostly by smell and tend to move around more confidently after dark.
Tide matters most in estuaries, where a bit of run helps move food and scent, while slack water can slow things down. Low light is a big trigger, with dusk, night and dirty water usually better than bright middle-of-the-day conditions. Light to moderate wind can help by stirring up the edges, but strong wind can make bait presentation messy in smaller systems. In coastal rivers and estuary mouths, a modest swell can push extra food around, though too much swell often dirties the water and makes fishing awkward.
Use simple running sinker or paternoster rigs with strong hooks and tough leader, because eels twist, roll and find snags fast. Worms, pilchard strips, chicken gut, prawns and other smelly baits all work, and fishing close to structure is usually your best shot.
Some Australian eels migrate huge distances out to the Pacific to spawn, even though most anglers only ever see them in local rivers and estuaries.