Wolf eels

After taking a nice one the other day I thought id share a little of what I think is an often overlooked very tasty fish! Quite often while looking for lingcod in the rocky outcroppings I will come a crossed a wolf eel. They are not shy of divers and will usually allow you to touch them which is why it always leaves me with a twinge of guilt harvesting one :weeping:. The big ones I typically shoot because they will go after you once you piss them off and the smaller ones I grab behind the head like you would a snake. After I manage to get one home with out getting bit I find them to be one of this areas better eating fish. its a firm flaky whitish meat and takes well to any recipe people use on other bottom fish like halibut or rockfish.

You fillet them like any other fish just with a tail section that is 4' long. That one weighed 12lbs and only about the fist 10" of the fillets have the horizontal bones running threw it.

Quote from sdeisen

Also I am cold just looking at this photo

Waters nice right now been around 60. I dive year-round and have to say theirs just some thing calming (lack of a better word) about coming up for a breath with snow falling on the water. It's all about the gear that time of year!

Quote from Don Paul

Billy, do you ever see king crab where you dive? and is a free diver allowed to take in season?
Thanks, Don

I have never seen adult kings while diving just juveniles. They're not a common catch this far south but we do have them, they are usually deep 200-400' for reds 600-1200'for browns. In January the reds migrate threw the shallows and divers get a few but it only last a week or two and I seam to miss them every year. Residents are aloud six a day in my area(diving or pots) and it's closed to nonresidents.

Went out today after work to try my gopro setup for the first time and ended up getting another wolf eel. The water was really murky in the top 20' viz maybe 3' once below it the viability opened up to about 25' but that surface water made it so dark down at 55' wear I found this guy that the video came out black. At least now I know how much light it needs.

Quote from Dan

Is there normally such a difference in coloration between individuals? I find his 2nd one's "camo" pleasing to the eye.

It's the difference between male and female. That's the first brown one Iv taken which was female. All of the browns Iv seen in the past were small under 3' and I used to think color had to do with age and size because as baby's they are orange. As for camo of the males it is nice but you can see them a long ways off so I think it's more for flash and defense then for hiding
Id agree with Anders in that ours have a shellfish taste but its very slight the meat is firm and holds together well while cooking. If you like rock fish you will like wolf eel