Had several dozen dead eels given to me this weekend. Skinned about a dozen or so . Rest went into the freezer for future use (Wife's thrilled...). I have the skins in a jar with a heavy liquid brine solution (sea salt). Somewhere I remember reading that it needs to be more of a paste. Can anyone refresh my memory a bit? How long are the skins good for? Do you take the skin off the plug after use and put it back in the brine, etc.?

For the skins I just make a paste stick em in a freezer bag an put em in the crisper.Makes Yummy lettuce.
On the plugs I try to use split rings If I am gonna store em for some time I take off the hooks a put the plug in the same bag.If for a short time I take a rag an damp'n it sprinkle salt all over the plug an roll it up bag it an in the crisper drawer.
They will stay like that for a good few months if u want em longer just tro the whole shebang in the freezer.
I need skins......

For a real strong brine boil water an add salt till saturation. Let cool an jar it.This will pickle ur skin.

Another question. A few of the eels were just beginning to smell "fishy". Guess they had been in the sun a bit... At what point is they not worth skinning and the eel should just be tossed to the crabs.

Also, saved the skinned bodies. Good for chum or bait?

Tro the skins in the brine they should be fine.
I don't have any idead what do do wit the bodies.
Put em in a crabtrap.