When I was a kid on Cape Cod (1950-60s) my father and his friends used to spear eels in the salt water estuaries around Cotuit. We would cut a series of holes (2x2 ft) and using antique eel spears about 15 ft long jab into the mud to find the eels that had buried themselves into the mud (a bunch in a ball). The eel spears ( about 12-15 inches across with maybe 8-10 shafts) had barbs that caught the ells on the "up pull". I t was hard work for the Dads. Our job as kids was to grab the eels as they flopped around on the ice after getting free from the barbs. As I remember the salt/brackish bays did not freeze every year. The eels were skinned and soaked in milk over night and then either smoked or baked in tomato sauce. It was great fun. Does anyone still spear eels???
