re: What is the OB's opinion of eels?

I think something that is born in the Sargasso Sea, travels a thousand miles or more to freshwater, spends 40 years in said freshwater, and then makes the journey back to Sargasso to breed and die, is worthy of our respect and conservation efforts.

When you catch a large adult in freshwater (which are always female btw, the males stay relatively small and in brackish water) she may be nearly 40 years old.

There is a species of snake, the rainbow snake, that specializes on eating American eels. They, like the eels, end up disappearing from areas above dams. The dam blocks the eels...no more food for rainbow snakes.

Catch and release for me all the way with American eels.