A Comprehensive Analysis of Loach and Rice Field Eel Catching Techniques
1. Bait Trapping Method
Rice field eels like to forage at night. Therefore, when using bait to trap rice field eels, it is generally done in the evening. The method is: at the daily feeding platform, place a cover net or a 3-6 sq m polyethylene fine-mesh net flat on the bottom of the pond in the water, then scatter the bait that rice field eels like to eat into the middle of the net, and cover the bait with a layer of grass mat or a broken net piece to lure the rice field eels to enter the net on their own. After about 20-30 minutes, raise all four corners of the net at the same time, take out the covering material, and then use a hand net to catch the lively rice field eels into an eel basket. The catch rate of this method can reach 60%. If you need to catch young eels, you can put the feed in a grass bundle and place it where you feed them; the rice field eels will slowly burrow into the grass bundle, and at that point you can take out the grass bundle. Alternatively, place 3-4 dried old loofah gourds per sq m of water surface; after 15-20 minutes, the young eels will burrow into the loofah gourds on their own, and you only need to take out the loofah gourds.
2. Net Catching Method
When catching artificially farmed rice field eels, a summer fry fish net can be used to catch them. However, this kind of net mesh should be fine, and the net piece should be soft so it does not easily damage the fish body, and the catching effect is good. When catching, enclose the aquatic plants in the pond together within the net. When lifting the net out of the water, first lift out the aquatic plants, and the rice field eels will remain in the net. If catching all of them, first use the full net to catch 1-2 times, then drain the water and catch them, which often can catch all the rice field eels in the entire pond.
3. Hook Catching Method
In summer, rice field eels often hide in holes, while their heads constantly protrude outside the holes. At this time, take a fishing rod, pull off one wing of a live horsefly bait, put it on the fish hook, and place the hook on the water surface at the entrance of the hole; the horsefly will keep spinning on the water surface. Once the rice field eel is startled, it will immediately dive into the hole. At this moment, wait patiently; the rice field eel will slowly stick its head out of the hole again, peep at the eel bait, and then suddenly swallow the bait and shrink back into the hole. At this time, you can take the hook and the rice field eel out of the hole together, then gently remove the rice field eel from the hook and put it into the eel basket. At the same time, you can also use the method of threading an earthworm onto the hook, putting the earthworm on the eel hook and placing it into the hole to lure the rice field eel to take the hook. After the rice field eel is hooked, immediately take the rice field eel out of the water and put it into the fish basket. The catch rate of the hook catching method can reach 50%-70%.
4. Cage Catching Method
There are many methods for catching rice field eels. Using the method of luring rice field eels into cages to catch them is simple and easy to carry out, and the harvest is very large.
(1) Making the lure cage: Use bamboo strips with barbs to weave a bamboo cage 30-40 cm high, about 15 cm in diameter, and thinner at both ends. Its bottom opening is closed, and the top opening is open. The opening should preferably be large enough to put a hand in, making it convenient to grab the rice field eels. At 7-8 cm from the lower end of the cage, weave on 5-8 thin bamboo pieces and form a small inverted-whisker opening with a diameter of about 5 cm, so that the rice field eels can freely drill in from the outside but cannot withdraw out of the cage.
(2) Making the bait: Use a section of bamboo tube about 20-30 cm long and 6-8 cm in diameter. Do not open the node interval at the bottom of the bamboo tube, so as to avoid leaking the bait. At a height of 5-6 cm, cut several 6-7 cm narrow slits around the circumference. These slits are called bait windows.