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  High Res Photo Click on "High Res" to view a larger image of the eel monster. Tentatively identified as an American Conger eel, these guys have been known to viciously attach divers and swimmers. They are neutral hunters and have row on row of very sharp teeth. This one in the picture above terrorized a group of brave fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico. A R-eel Fish Story This story ran in the Texas Sea Breeze newspaper. I salute editor and writer Steve Hoyland Sr. for granting me permission to post the story, which reads like a Freddie Kruger afloat nightmare with a twist of Good-Ol’-Boy humor. By Steve Hoyland Sr., Editor Sea Breeze Newspaper, Bayside, Texas Posted October 8, 2009... A group of four men, Steve Hoyland Jr. with friends Bruce, Ken and Erik, set off on an overnight offshore fishing trip. They left at noon on a Tuesday and went about 120 miles out into the Gulf. They were having a great night of fishing, catching big snapper, grouper, ling and kings. About 3 am, two of them went down below to catch some sleep, while their mates remained on deck, catching fish and drinking beer, enjoying the warm tropical night air. Suddenly, Bruce got a big run on his line. This thing went all around the boat and took more than twenty minutes to bring up to the surface. When it finally did surface, they could not tell what it was. It looked prehistoric. Steve Jr. gaffed it and the two men dragged it aboard the 33-foot boat. When the big creature hit the deck, it went crazy, attaching them. It was an eel over 6-feet long, weighing close to 100 pounds. It had a mouth full of sharp teeth and was extremely pissed off. The eel was later estimated to be 60-years-old. Bruce said it came at him and Steve, Jr like an anaconda, rearing its head up and striking at them like a rattlesnake. It was highly agitated and quite energetic. In the midst of thrashing around, the creature fell below deck onto the cabin floor between the two sleeping men, Erik and Ken. When they heard the thud and turned on the light, the eel raised its head right above Ken’s face. Erik rolled over and grabbed his 9 mm pistol. Steve Jr. started yelling: “Don’t shoot the gun in the boat! We’re 120 miles from land” In a flash, all four fishermen were on deck while the gigantic eel had sole possession below deck. The four needed to work up a plan of action, so they drank beer while discussing strategies. They decided Steve Jr. would distract the eel because he had drank the most alcohol and believed he was bullet proof. He opened the sliding cabin hatch to see what the “monster” was doing below deck. As the hatch opened, the eel came up the two steps leading to the deck, biting at anything along the way. The four brave men then ran to the wheel house like women and slammed the door. They never did identify which of them screamed like a girl. Inside the wheelhouse, they calmed down drinking a beer or two, while hatching a new battle plan. Finally, Steve Jr. went out on deck to get the beast’s attention. The eel attached and Steve retreated to atop the captain’s chair. Ken threw a blanket on top of the giant eel, while Erik and Bruce beat the hell out of it with a steel gaff and a large ice-chest lid. After they finally subdued the creature, they stuffed it into a large ice chest, and closed the lid. The four brave sailors got themselves a beer and were laughing about the situation when the lid of the ice chest flew off and the eel sprang onto the deck and resumed his attack. Bruce stated the eel was clearly out for vengeance. The four men each grabbed weapons and the fight was on. After beating the creature with gaffs, ice chest lids and fire extinguishers, they once again subdued the massive carnivore and stuffed it back into the ice chest. This time, they tied down the lid while placing another ice chest atop it. Eighteen hours later they returned to the dock and unloaded the boat. None of them was anxious to open the lid to the ice chest; in fact, they did “rock, paper, scissors” to determine who would pop the lid. Above is a picture of Bruce Gordy with the eel that he caught and bravely fought in an epic and desperate battle for control on the high seas. Group
Grand Haven | USCG
Office of Boating Safety
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