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Overview

How to target

Conger Eel
Species ID: conger-eel

Conger Eel

Conger eels are classic UK shore targets from rough, snaggy ground, rock headlands, breakwaters and harbour walls where there’s depth, kelp and structure close in. They’re most rel...

🌊 Tide: flood 💨 Wind: calm 📅 Peak: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov

Best tide

flood

Moon

spring

Season

May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov

Wind

calm

Max weight

31.1 kg

Day vs night

Day 20%
Night 100% (best)
Conger eels are classic UK shore targets from rough, snaggy ground, rock headlands, breakwaters and harbour walls where there’s depth, kelp and structure close in. They’re most reliable from dusk into full dark, with the flood tide pushing bait in and a strong bite window in the last couple of hours up to high water. Aim for coloured or settled seas rather than heavy swell; calm or light onshore conditions make bite detection and holding bottom easier. Fish big, smelly baits hard on the seabed—mackerel heads or flappers, squid or cuttle, or a legal-size pout/whiting—on very tough tackle: 80–150 lb mono rubbing leader and hooklength, 6/0–10/0 strong hooks, and a pulley/dropper rig with a weak-link (rotten-bottom) lead and 5–8 oz grip weights. Bites are often slack-liners or slow lifts; give a couple of seconds, wind down firmly and bully the fish clear of cover before it can hole up. Use long-nose pliers or a T-bar and a drop-net for piers; never hand-line or lift conger by the trace, and release quickly as many are resident fish. Best sport is May–November as sea temps sit around 10–17°C, though deep-water South and West Country marks can produce in winter during settled spells.

Temperature

9–18°C

Depth range

3–25 m

Baits

  • Mackerel Head 9.6/10
  • Mackerel Flapper 9.4/10
  • Squid 8.7/10
  • Bluey (Pacific Saury) 8.3/10
  • Pouting Fillet 8/10

Rigs

  • Running Ledger 9.2/10

    Low-resistance take for wary conger; anchors big fish/squid baits tight to structure. Ideal from rock marks and piers at night. Use heavy mono trace and strong hooks to handle abrasion and power.

  • Pulley Pennel Rig 8.8/10

    Casts big baits into rough ground; pulley lifts lead to reduce snagging. Pennel secures bulky bait and boosts hook-ups. Good when you need range from rocks or beach gullies near reefs.

  • Rotten Bottom Pulley 8.6/10

    Weak-link dropper sheds the lead if snagged—perfect over kelp, boulders and wreckage where conger dive for holes. Keeps pressure on the fish and saves gear on the retrieve.

  • Flowing Trace 8.5/10

    Long trace lets a whole mackerel/squid waft in the tide, building a scent trail and reducing resistance on the take. Great downtide from piers/harbour mouths around rough ground.

  • Sliding Pennel (Livebait) 8.3/10

    From piers/harbours, slide a live pout/whiting down by structure. Pennel keeps the bait straight; minimal lead for natural movement. Deadly for resident conger on neaps or slack water.