Hey guys, I just started using eels, used them for the second time on Sat night. Couple of issues: 1) casting off- I am hooking them through the mouth and out the throat - the first time I used them I did this and they stayed on the hook just fine, then Sat night I did the same thing and casted off two eels!!! What did I do wrong? Did I not hook them deep enough down the throat or what?
2) I use spinning - and I missed a couple of hookups. I was holding the rod at about 11 and when I felt the take, I lowered the rod down the water and then set the hook. Should I have opened the bail and let them run a little more? I didn't feel too bad about missing the hook up because the ones I did land were just under keeper-sized, so I kind of figured they were dinks not getting the whole eel in their mouth - but ya never know they could have been cows!

1) Lob the big ones, don't load the rod up like you are flinging a Pt Jude tin over the outer bar.

2) You miss them some times. Drop rod give a five count, reel up slack and set the hook, occasionally you will feel the eel come out of the mouth.

what Fishpart said, plus. I hook my eels down the throat and out the bottom. They cast all night and rip a lot less.

I come up thru the bottom jaw and out thru the top, dont go too far back and into the eels brain.
Your gonna cast off eels occasionally, just the way it goes. Youve just gotta be more gentle with them.

I was always told to go through the Bottom jaw and out one eye....use the skull to your advantage. I've been doing it this way and haven't lost one yet....and I Grip it and Rip it when I'm casting them.

through the lower jaw and out the eye, sometimes after a few fish and the eye starts to look a little ripped and the hole has gotten larger, i go through the other eye and continue to fish the same eel.

Third that, through the lower jaw and out the eye. Eeels are going to swim off the hook every once in a while. I prefer opening up the bail and giving a nice 7 count or so depending on size of eel...then when I hit 7 I give it another 3 count as I tend to count fast during the excitement...

:usd:

Ice

casting off eels.

take a plastic milk jug, and cut off a flat side of plastic.

Cut this into strips.

Cut the strips into squares

You want the squares to be a little bit larger than the widest part of your hook at the barb.

hook eel on whichever way you prefer.

Then slide the plastic square onto the hook and behind the bard. This will act as a stopper of sorts to prevent from casting off eels. It does happen though, and this has come in handy for me when we've got some heavy action going and not enough eels around.

theres other stuff you can do also.

Through the lower jaw and out the eye. Don't try to reach Spain with your casts. You'll find with practice the optimum casting technique that maximizes distance while keeping the eel on. And so what if you lose an eel or two. It happens to EVERYONE at some time or other. Finally bow to the cow and set the hook. Sometimes you get the fish sometimes you don't. That's why it is called fishing not catching. Good Luck.

thanks for all the advice guys! I'll give it a try!

Think you'll find that the use of circle hooks will assist in preservation of your eel as well as not contributing to gut-hooked fish. If you're going to open your bail on a hit, use circle hooks and get a jaw-hooked fish 95% of the time...

.02.....change to an eel hook with a bigger barb.