I have yet to catch a fish with live eels...everytime I cast one out, it swims around for a while, but then tangles itself on the line. HORRIBLE mess....slimmy tangle.

I am using my spinning gear with a 5/0 Gamakatsu live bait hook. Have tried casting and slowly retrieving with no weight.....have tried using 2 oz weight on a fish finder rig....both methods yield TANGLED MESS.

What am I doing wrong? I read and re-read the John's Eels 101 in FAQs, but only touches on the tangle problem if you leave them dangling out of water. Is it that I need to STUN them before use? I keep them in an eel bucket (3 bucket method with ice dripping on them).....

I actually stopped using them and went back to clams. After catching this 41 incher on Sunday in the mouth of the Merrimack River, I am wondering WHY I am so focused on eels!

Jim

Check out #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&s article in the Projo.........he wacks his on the head to stun it before he uses it.

Keep them "ON" the ice not with the ice "dripping on them". This will chill them out and you should have no need to stun them! I put the ice right on top of them and they are fine....put the hook through them no problem and after a few casts they will awaken a bit but you should have no tangle problems! :wavey:

Smack their tail on the cooler a couple of times

Thats not the problem, stunning it.....you say you cast it out and let it swim around? Thats the problem. Live eels need to be "plugged". Cast them out and reel them in slowly, but keep them moving. That way they cover more ground and cannot tangle the line.

Thats not the problem, stunning it.....you say you cast it out and let it swim around? Thats the problem. Live eels need to be "plugged". Cast them out and reel them in slowly, but keep them moving. That way they cover more ground and cannot tangle the line.
Exactly.. I never stun them or put them on ice.
I just hook them from the lower jaw out the eyeball :exp: then get it into the water right away and reel slowly!! Never get tangles.

Confused yet JimH? :doh:

I don't know, RIJ, looks like he is on a boat, and from the my boat we have had good sucess both drifting and 3-waying eels. I seem to get an eel ball back every now and then, maybe once every two or three trips. I don't stun them or anything, but I am very quick to get them in the water or else it is trouble. It doesn't happen enough that it bothers me. Don't even try fixing it. Just snip it off and re-rig. If it happens all the time you are doing something wrong. Do you tie your leader to a swivel?

_Z_

I keep my eels on ice but if you hook an eel like that, while its easy, once it hits the water it comes right back to life and the tangles start. Here is what you do, grab the eel with a rag holding up near the head, whack the tail on a rock or whatever you have a few times, this will prevent the eel from tangling up your line, you want to break the spine about a quater of the way up the eel, this still gives the eel plenty of movement but no tangles. Cast it out and start a very slow retrieve just fast enough to keep tension on the line, make sure you reel the eel all the way in! many, many hits come in close as bass will follow it sometimes. Thats all there is to it.

For a shore bound angler , live eels will outfish any single other method there is, and they are availible all year! I know herring are good etc....but that doesnt last for consistant action use live eels.

I hook my eel different than most. Put the hook in the mouth and out the bottom of the throat.

As long as the eel is still alive it will work, I check mine by periodically pinching them near the head, if the tail curls a little its still fine to use.

As for the hit it feels like a bang or someone smacked your rod its unmistakable, sometimes its a light tap-tap, in either case drop the rod tip as soon as you feel this and let the fish run for an 8 count or so then pick up the slack and send the hook home! Sometimes you will get runs from small bass that will drop it, this happens and is normal, bigger fish dont drop the eel. During the 8 count I always feel the bass stop once and then move off again, at this point she is yours! :D

Everyone has different methods for fishing eels, this is what has worked for me for 20plus years.

Good luck! eels do work and you will hook up with them , just give it time.

I don't know, RIJ, looks like he is on a boat, and from the my boat we have had good sucess both drifting and 3-waying eels. I seem to get an eel ball back every now and then, maybe once every two or three trips. I don't stun them or anything, but I am very quick to get them in the water or else it is trouble. It doesn't happen enough that it bothers me. Don't even try fixing it. Just snip it off and re-rig. If it happens all the time you are doing something wrong. Do you tie your leader to a swivel?

_Z_
Ahh, you're right. I cannot comment on the boat thing. :fishslap:

Now see I acually helped someone!! :btu:

IMO - best thing to do is get them in the water ASAP once hooked.....they will go right for the bottom without wrapping around the line.

I see a lot of advice here...most of it's good EXCEPT for whacking them. Don't damage the eel, the live activity catches more fish. Here's the advice I would go with:

1. Keep them on ice, they are not nearly as active, but once they hit the water they come to life. They will not ball up you line when they are in the water.

2. Hook them through the lower jaw and out through one eye, being careful not to enter the braincase, this will keep them solidly on the hook and alive for a long time. I've caught as many as three bass on one eel.

3. Get them into the water immediately. When boat fishing this is easy, I simply make sure I have enough slack line to hook them and the immediately drop them into the water. Then I simply reel the line up to casting length and toss them out. From the beach, I grab the eel with a rag, hook the eel but I continue to hold the eel (in my left hand) with the rag until I get to where I'm going to cast. I drop the rag, rear-back, and cast the eel.

4. Never "whack" the eel.

5. I've had good luck with circle hooks, however they take some getting used to. Don't try to set the hook when you get a pick-up. Rather, when you feel the pick up (sometimes I even fish with an open bail or live liner set-up), you let the fish run. Then close the bail (or set the liveliner drag), and apply solid, steady pressure without snapping the rod tip. You'll get a hook in the corner of the mouth 90% of the time (use good sharp Gammies for this).

I don't get a "ball-up" using any of these approaches.

I see a lot of advice here...most of it's good EXCEPT for whacking them. Don't damage the eel, the live activity catches more fish. Here's the advice I would go with:

1. Keep them on ice, they are not nearly as active, but once they hit the water they come to life. They will not ball up you line when they are in the water.

2. Hook them through the lower jaw and out through one eye, being careful not to enter the braincase, this will keep them solidly on the hook and alive for a long time. I've caught as many as three bass on one eel.

3. Get them into the water immediately. When boat fishing this is easy, I simply make sure I have enough slack line to hook them and the immediately drop them into the water. Then I simply reel the line up to casting length and toss them out. From the beach, I grab the eel with a rag, hook the eel but I continue to hold the eel (in my left hand) with the rag until I get to where I'm going to cast. I drop the rag, rear-back, and cast the eel.

4. Never "whack" the eel.

5. I've had good luck with circle hooks, however they take some getting used to. Don't try to set the hook when you get a pick-up. Rather, when you feel the pick up (sometimes I even fish with an open bail or live liner set-up), you let the fish run. Then close the bail (or set the liveliner drag), and apply solid, steady pressure without snapping the rod tip. You'll get a hook in the corner of the mouth 90% of the time (use good sharp Gammies for this).

I don't get a "ball-up" using any of these approaches.

Totally 100% disagree with your post on not whacking them, I have fished eels longer than most here, And never once did I have a problem after whacking my eel, I have caught countless bass with the methods I descibe above, They also live a long time on my hook, Trust me I have experiance in this area.

WHACK THE EEL! The worst thing you can do is let an take your line and swim into the rocks, bingo, your snaged on the bottom.

Whackem! :hihi:

Used to always ice down the eels. Lately just been giving them a good whack. Keep eel moving. You could also just get jumbo eels, their too big to ball up and will cull out the smaller fish.

During the 8 count I always feel the bass stop once and then move off again, at this point she is yours! :D


The pause is the bass saying "ohhhhhhh $hit!!"

:shocked: the nuns said I'd go blind if I whacked the eel :cool:

:shocked: the nuns said I'd go blind if I whacked the eel :cool:


:rotfl: :buds:

sprinkle a little tobacco on the eels head- kills them almost instantly

WHACK THE EEL! The worst thing you can do is let an take your line and swim into the rocks, bingo, your snaged on the bottom.

Whackem! :hihi:

#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&, if you fish extremely rocky areas, then possibly I agree with you. But damaging the bait is a LAST RESORT. Note that the question was about tangling the line and not about getting stuck in rocks and obstructions. Given that, I stand by my recommendation.

Also, I've never lost an eel to a rock except in the ditch. :hihi:

I am just going to have some more popcorn.... :lurk: damn this stuff is good but we need some cotton candy! :hihi:

I whacked the eels when I first learned to use them in the 70s. Once I got used to handling them I found it to be unnecessary. I don't use ice either. I keep it simple. A paper towel to grab the eel, hook it and catch a bass. Well, at least the first two steps are guaranteed.

FWIW, I don't have a problem with eels snagging bottom either (or other live bait). When snagged, I just give a moment of slack line so the eel can unsnag itself, then a quick pull to get it out of there.

I should have also mentioned that instead of using a rag, I sometimes use a nylon "scrub pad." It's about a flat piece of nylon or plastic material and is about 6" x 6" and is un-soaped, that gives you a good purchase on the eel, but it doesn't get slimy with eel goo and water so you can really get a good hold of the critter.

do not question the #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&.. :rtfm:

I should have also mentioned that instead of using a rag, I sometimes use a nylon "scrub pad." It's about a flat piece of nylon or plastic material and is about 6" x 6" and is un-soaped, that gives you a good purchase on the eel, but it doesn't get slimy with eel goo and water so you can really get a good hold of the critter.
Sounds like you read to many books, that could be a quote from "secrets of fishing at night by doc moeller"

Use a rag it give a fine"purchase" :laughs: on eels

Throw them in the sand first and grab em with your bare hands! thats how the old timers did it.
:laughs: I just love the word "purchase" :hihi:

This is not rocket science, eels are easy to fish, whack em, put them on the hook cast out and bring in slowly, simple as that.............

I am deferring all future striper fishing related questions to #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& cause he will just tell us how we are all wrong instead of just saying "everyone has their own way". Come on #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&....cut us some slack....we ain't all stupid ya know! :laughs:

Popcorn please! :lurk:

#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&, if you fish extremely rocky areas, then possibly I agree with you. But damaging the bait is a LAST RESORT. Note that the question was about tangling the line and not about getting stuck in rocks and obstructions. Given that, I stand by my recommendation.

Also, I've never lost an eel to a rock except in the ditch. :hihi:

Nothing but problems, 99% of people who have never fished eels have the tangle problem, simple solution beat the sh$$t out of them, = no more tangles, they catch just as good , just as long....

Damaging the bait? there not pets, whack'm,smack'm,cast'm,catch'm!! :gorez:

I think we may be here a while, hey eben pass the smokes and :lurk: :lurk:

extra butter please

I am deferring all future striper fishing related questions to #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& cause he will just tell us how we are all wrong instead of just saying "everyone has their own way". Come on #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&....cut us some slack....we ain't all stupid ya know! :laughs:
read my original post, I said there are many different methods, But no one is going to tell me that smacking an eel takes away its fish catching ability, I have fished them to long to fall for that

#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&.....you got butter on yours? :shocked: Cause I ordered butter on mine and this one is plain! :hihi:

Nothing but problems, 99% of people who have never fished eels have the tangle problem, simple solution beat the sh$$t out of them, = no more tangles, they catch just as good , just as long....

How would you know since you always whack em?

I've done it both ways and can tell you that they last much longer without beating them up. It may not matter much though since I've caught lots of fish on fresh dead eels as well.

Feel free to whack em if you need to, there are lots of ways to skin a cat.

How would you know since you always whack em?

I've done it both ways and can tell you that they last much longer without beating them up. It may not matter much though since I've caught lots of fish on fresh dead eels as well.

Feel free to whack em if you need to, there are lots of ways to skin a cat.

When I whack them they are far from dead they can still squirm and move fine, they just cant tie me up, look I have no idea what the hell I am talking about and I am a googan.

Please all further eel questions should be directed to the master of all things bass

EBEN

Sounds like you read to many books, that could be a quote from "secrets of fishing at night by doc moeller"

Use a rag it give a fine"purchase" :laughs: on eels

Throw them in the sand first and grab em with your bare hands! thats how the old timers did it.
:laughs: I just love the word "purchase" :hihi:

This is not rocket science, eels are easy to fish, whack em, put them on the hook cast out and bring in slowly, simple as that.............

Yeah, I learned some good stuff from the "oldtimers." But progress marches on. The problem with throwing an eel into the sand, is now you've got sand on your hands, then you touch the rod and reel, and guess what!? Now you've got sand on the rod and in the reel. Nothing wrong with trying some new things.

But I must admit, #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& has a 50 and I do not. So I'll admit that #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& is the expert. But, I'll leave it up to the rest of you...whack or don't whack, rag or scrub pad, do what works for you. :tm:

I am the eel-The eel is me

1)Thou shalt not fish the eel without massive whackith

2) Thou shalt not marketh the eel or prayith to any false eelgods exeptith the #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& master of all things eel


3) Thou shall pray to the lowely eelith nightly and give it offerings of ice


4) Thou shalt not hold any other serpant abovith the eel


5) before one fishes the eel one shall swim to the sargosso sea and watchith the eel spawn

6) Thou shall not covet anothers success with the eel (me)

7) Thou shall not ever fish the eel anywhere exeptith rocky out cropings


8) Thou shalt scorn lowley shoestring eels that makith there way to fine baitshops on cape cod


9) thou shall only fish the eel with conventional gear

10) thou shalt anoint himself in eel water at a local baitshop by ceromonisly having ones partner baptise him by dunking his head in the eel tankith, the eeltank is sacred ground and should be bowed to upon approach



"There are many eels, but this eel is mine, I shall whackith him to a dizzying stupor at will , I shall impale the serpant on my hook and cast my offering to a boundless sea in the hopes that a great fi%$%$%$%$h shall consume said offering, I will bow my great stick to the mighty bass as the offering is being taken out to sea, I shall smartly setith my hook on the beast by crossing her eyeballs, I shall haul out my trophy and postith my picture all over striped-bass.com, I shall pissith off the minions here yet one more time with my great prowness of the sea and yet again assert my eel mastery"

Praise be to me and my eel, you may go now in peace and slime! :hihi: :hihi:

:lurk: :gu: :hihi:

Looks like someone's taking themselves a bit seriously. ;) :jump: :lurk: :lurk: :wid:

Why oh my children do you abandon your eel master? where has my flock gone astray? Seek and you shall find, ask and you shall be ansewerd my flock of eeler's I fear that there is a judas amongst us, however the hour will come tonight whereith I shall hook up once again with the mighty bass and be risen from the depths for all to see my trophy :hihi:

Dont stray to far fellow eel slingers or I will have to have you drink eel water and put everyone to bed with there waders on and instead of the halle bop commet we shall leave this world and catch the next cast to the sargosso sea for all eternity. :shocked: :shocked:

leave #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& alone :hihi: he is all mine :hihi:
I some times wack an eel but I really never have the ball problem, that happens when Youw walkin down to toss the little %$%$%$%$ing son of a stankin beyotch in the water.
I will toss the little filthy heathen out and reel it in alittle fast or at times just keep control of the little %$%$%$%$ untill it learns that im going to stick a nail down its little %$%$%$%$ing throat to sink the little %$%$%$%$ing ***hole
herring makes me mental and i love short scup the best but butter fish live rules my world I get them along with eels in the toilet bowl of love near my house :hihi:

leave #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& alone :hihi: he is all mine :hihi:
I some times wack an eel but I really never have the ball problem, that happens when Youw walkin down to toss the little %$%$%$%$ing son of a stankin beyotch in the water.
I will toss the little filthy heathen out and reel it in alittle fast or at times just keep control of the little %$%$%$%$ untill it learns that im going to stick a nail down its little %$%$%$%$ing throat to sink the little %$%$%$%$ing ass hole


Ok here we have an example of a true follower! A woderfull man of the eel! :lurk:

Man, your annoying

any dogfish that eats my eel while under a drift or a full moon dies a slow death
england eats them things :yak6:
ifems You guys fish the full moon an eel on the bottom only to be reeled in as its in the wash will get U bass
and yeah I painted one yellow. they squirm reaL GOOD :hihi:

Another trick is to take a hunk o glass and scrape the eel blue, some times this works.
sundown, white bucket = olive eels

Funny stuff!!
You guys are too serious...loosen up a bit B4 ya have a stroke... :nailem:
#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&'s right about not damaging the bait...I've gotten many bass on a beat-up dead eel.
OK..please continue... :lurk: :lurk:

Man, your annoying
me pick me im an annoying, pick Me :wavey:
anyone who can eel can fish needles

:lurk: :lurk: :lurk: :lurk: :lurk:
:lurk: :lurk: :lurk: :lurk: :lurk:

Man, your annoying

:hihi: :hihi: thank you now get away from my thread!! :wavey: :wid:

Oh man, I hate to bail on this fun thread but, I need to go fish!!!! :lurk: :lurk: :lurk: :lurk: :lurk:

:hihi: :hihi: thank you now get away from my thread!! :wavey: :wid:
back off he was talking to me
:nailem:

:hihi: :hihi: thank you now get away from my thread!! :wavey: :wid:
No..Let him stay...More excitment...... :cool:
I stroke my eels........They are soooo sexy....... :shocked:

back off he was talking to me
:nailem:


I am the one they hate! and I am proud of it :claps: No go forth and dont be mad because your second most anoying :fishslap: :shocked: :shocked: :lurk: :lurk:

I am the eel-The eel is me

1)Thou shalt not fish the eel without massive whackith

2) Thou shalt not marketh the eel or prayith to any false eelgods exeptith the #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& master of all things eel


3) Thou shall pray to the lowely eelith nightly and give it offerings of ice


4) Thou shalt not hold any other serpant abovith the eel


5) before one fishes the eel one shall swim to the sargosso sea and watchith the eel spawn

6) Thou shall not covet anothers success with the eel (me)

7) Thou shall not ever fish the eel anywhere exeptith rocky out cropings


8) Thou shalt scorn lowley shoestring eels that makith there way to fine baitshops on cape cod


9) thou shall only fish the eel with conventional gear

10) thou shalt anoint himself in eel water at a local baitshop by ceromonisly having ones partner baptise him by dunking his head in the eel tankith, the eeltank is sacred ground and should be bowed to upon approach



"There are many eels, but this eel is mine, I shall whackith him to a dizzying stupor at will , I shall impale the serpant on my hook and cast my offering to a boundless sea in the hopes that a great fi%$%$%$%$h shall consume said offering, I will bow my great stick to the mighty bass as the offering is being taken out to sea, I shall smartly setith my hook on the beast by crossing her eyeballs, I shall haul out my trophy and postith my picture all over striped-bass.com, I shall pissith off the minions here yet one more time with my great prowness of the sea and yet again assert my eel mastery"

Praise be to me and my eel, you may go now in peace and slime! :hihi: :hihi:


Class study these words of greatness!!

anyone who can eel can fish needles

I must be the exception :tm:

Originally Posted by #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&
I am the eel-The eel is me

1)Thou shalt not fish the eel without massive whackith

2) Thou shalt not marketh the eel or prayith to any false eelgods exeptith the #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& master of all things eel


3) Thou shall pray to the lowely eelith nightly and give it offerings of ice


4) Thou shalt not hold any other serpant abovith the eel


5) before one fishes the eel one shall swim to the sargosso sea and watchith the eel spawn

6) Thou shall not covet anothers success with the eel (me)

7) Thou shall not ever fish the eel anywhere exeptith rocky out cropings


8) Thou shalt scorn lowley shoestring eels that makith there way to fine baitshops on cape cod


9) thou shall only fish the eel with conventional gear

10) thou shalt anoint himself in eel water at a local baitshop by ceromonisly having ones partner baptise him by dunking his head in the eel tankith, the eeltank is sacred ground and should be bowed to upon approach



"There are many eels, but this eel is mine, I shall whackith him to a dizzying stupor at will , I shall impale the serpant on my hook and cast my offering to a boundless sea in the hopes that a great fi%$%$%$%$h shall consume said offering, I will bow my great stick to the mighty bass as the offering is being taken out to sea, I shall smartly setith my hook on the beast by crossing her eyeballs, I shall haul out my trophy and postith my picture all over striped-bass.com, I shall pissith off the minions here yet one more time with my great prowness of the sea and yet again assert my eel mastery"

Praise be to me and my eel, you may go now in peace and slime!


Dude that sofa king tight!!! I was fookin howling... tight lines! I got fish to catch latez :buds:

In reguards to smacking the eel, I do it too. The reason i do it is that it breaks all the vertebrea and pretty much paralizes the rear portian of the eel. I dont do this to elemenate tangles, i do this because the eel's tail will dance and flutter better under water, plus and this is the important part, when the eel dies, you can hardly tell its dead.

Another thing-
#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& gets away with a 9 foot pole because he uses a conventional and can easily freespool... i find it difficult to eel with a 9footer and a spinning rod- i drop more bass than if i am using a 10 footer.

thats all i got to say. :lurk:

#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& gets away with a 9 foot pole because he uses a conventional and can easily freespool... i find it difficult to eel with a 9footer and a spinning rod- i drop more bass than if i am using a 10 footer.

thats all i got to say. :lurk:
Why do you freespool?
Drop tip...set hook..Seldom miss...10' or 9' rod..Don't notice any diff.
Only advantage I see of 10' is it's easier to haul the large over the rocks. :hihi:

I had my eel whacked last night :hidin:

I had my eel whacked last night :hidin:
Me too..first in a while.
Glad for ya Vic.... :tm:

:shocked: the nuns said I'd go blind if I whacked the eel :cool:
:laughs: :laughs:

Not you BM, sorry

Not you BM, sorry
:(
i like eels see........

I like eels too
fishing eels is the easy way to catch big bass imo
slimey heathen devils
I keep em on ice and give em an occasional beating if they are bad

2....twoooooooooooooooooooooo

:(
i like eels see........

looks like U liked "mullet" too..
nice hairdo :hihi:

Awesome Fish Slingah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :claps:

I caught my biggest fish the other night on an eel that had the back 1/4 taken off by a blue. I said screw it and threw it back out, got a hit almost right away.
I also caught numerous fish on an eel with it's head barely on by a thread from all the fish caught on it.

mooooooooooooooooooooooooooo :buds:

:buds: moooooooooooooooooo

whodat? :laughs:

:musc: :drool: yeees sir TT :claps:
I love fish porn :shocked:

BI Jeff's 50 from this week- :behead:

Eben! nice fish! See eels do work, as long as you don't "whack 'em" :rude:

The #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& returns having his eel taken by no less than 8 striped bass this fine foggy evening!

As I have said before, I let the fish run because it is what I have always done and the way I learned, I do not want my next 40 hooked in the lip sorry, just me. I want it in his throat! the last thing I want to see is that hook in a hole in the lips the size of a half dollar :hihi: Yup that may be old school but thats me the deeper the better :tm:

Now go out and stick some bass!! :lurk: :lurk:

I like eels too
fishing eels is the easy way to catch big bass imo
slimey heathen devils
I keep em on ice and give em an occasional beating if they are bad

why would you not want it easy?? fishing does not have to be hard just for hards sake? people work hjard all week fishing should not be a chore! if eels are easy use em!

I like eels too
fishing eels is the easy way to catch big bass imo
slimey heathen devils
I keep em on ice and give em an occasional beating if they are bad

I like the picture of the fish inside the house :hihi:

Also you guys whack the tail end of the eel , I always whacked the head portion this is an interresting techinique for me to try

why would you not want it easy?? fishing does not have to be hard just for hards sake? people work hjard all week fishing should not be a chore! if eels are easy use em!
I do use eels...I catch fish with eels...I like eels...Slingah=eel lover
...Ive been trying to go large on pluggage,,,,just a personal goal.....back to eels soooooon

Give em what they want :lurk:

OK

I think the problem is I am letting the eel sit too long...not reeling in slowly the whole time after a cast.

Also saw suggestions of throwing them at rocks - I've been mostly drifting/reeling them on Joppa Flats. I assume that should work too (right).

Whack or not to whack....that is the question. Sounds like both will work.

I'll try both methods next time out.

Thanks again for the help (and laughs!) :laughs:

Drifting eels works great just keep in touch with your line, also, in a deep water drift use a rubber core sinker...........

Jim,
I think my post got burried in there somehwere.
Drifting eels is fine. YOu don't have to reel them in. I do it all the time in my boat and they hardly ever tangle. Threeway is fine too without reeling. I put 'em on the bottom with 4 oz. of lead and never have any problems. I will dead stick a couple at lunch time and rarely have any problems w/ tangles.

Are you using a swivel? Is it a good one? What kind of line do you use? what kind of leader material and what kind of hook.

If the bite isn't on, I can drift an eel for an hour without a tangle. Tell us about your setup.

_Z_

Jim,
Are you using a swivel? Is it a good one? What kind of line do you use? what kind of leader material and what kind of hook.

If the bite isn't on, I can drift an eel for an hour without a tangle. Tell us about your setup.

_Z_

I am using 20lb fireline with a slider fish finder rig(one with plastic sleeve and metal clip) to hold a small 2 oz bank sinker. Tie snap swivel ("decent" bass-pro shops one) to the fireline. Using about 2 ft of 20lb test mono as a leader. Tie a small loop in one end (and connect to swivel) and tie the 5/0 bait hook to the other end.

What is happening is the eel wraps up all around the leader by doing that awful slithering twisting routine.......but it happens after my cast and not before. I grab em with a rag, shove the hook from under the throat up and out one eye. IMMEDIATELY throw in the water.....then lift up and quickly cast out.

I feel the eel swimming around....pulling....then NOTHING.....when I reel in....he's in a ball...all tangled in the leader. Throw him back on ice where the slime coating turns milky white and solidifies on leader hook swivel....YUCK :yak6:

It has happened both when I toss him out and slowly reel in AND when just letting it sit there on the bottom. I have been anchored or from my dock - not drifting.

:huh:

Never fish eels with a fishfinder setup like you're fishing a chunk. Instant eelball.
Never just let them sit down there, reel them in.
If you gotta get them down try stuffing an egg sinker in their mouth.

I have never used a fishfinder for an eel, so maybe thats the problem. I either just drift them with no weight [swivel to leader to hook], or use a 3 way swivel, and hang weight off one hole and the leader, usually a few feet, and send them to send them to the bottom. I rarely anchor, and I can't remeber if I have drifted eels w/o weight, but I have 3-way'ed em at anchor without problem.

Unlike people keep insisting, you do not need to reel them in constantly when in a boat, although you can with success.

There are times when three waying eels out off block when you need lots of weight to hold bottom, the trick is to let the sinker hit bottom then reel in a couple of cranks and drift, the tension of the water will prevent the eel from curling up on the leader, as for three waying at anchor, I have never heard of it, three waying is synonomus with fishing a drift just like drifting for fluke. I would cast and retrieve at anchor but not just let the eel sit there on the bottom. When I fish currents like in our breachways I add rubbercore sinkers to the line to get thye eel down more but other than that I still fish them the same way.

I know guys who fish the race and sometimes need 13 ounces of lead just to get down and stay down in a good moon tide rip!

Alot of guys I am hearing from are now just using an egg sinker above a good sampo swivel instead of the three way rig, when a bass picks up the eel it does not feel the weight and they say this is working out great!

I also got the tip on the orvis mirage flouro from these boat guys they say it makes a ton of difference and now that I use it for leaders I have to agree its great stuff and really takes a beating, I use the 60lb orvis mirage and my leader is long at about 8 or 9 feet, it can really take a pounding in the rocks, give it a try.

But boat fishing aint my thing :hihi: so I am no one to ask! Just my opinion!

Jim,

Let me help. Grab the eel with a dry paper towel for the best grip. Put the first 3 inches of eel into your mouth and suck the blood up to the head. This puts the eel into a trance-like state that last for over an hour. Easy to now put on the hook and he'll swim slowly almost unconscious, never ball up, never tangle, and never go into the rocks.

eeeeewwwwwww!
thats icky

Slingah likes his eels the long way! :laughs:

drop the gay crap on everything I post or you will have war....and I got plenty of ammo :nailem:

Put the first 3 inches of eel into your mouth and suck the blood up to the head.

:yak4: :yak4: :yak4:

Dude, you owe me $2.98 for the ice coffee and bagel that I just launched all over my screen.

:laughs:

:laughs:

Jim,

On second thought you might just want to try keeping them on drained ice or wacking the tail....

FO

?????????????????????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? I dont fish eels just mack