as i was looking over Saltheart's how to thread, http://www.striped-bass.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1483 , i couldn't figure out what knot to use to attatch the line coming from the rear hook to the front hook. any one have any tricks?

Polamar the rear hook on. I have used many different knots on the front hook and don't truly like any of them. Best bet is to be sure to rig with heavy line and tie a knot that won't slip down and shorten the distance to the tail hook. even if you end up with a big snelled knot , it won't matter cause the whole thing ends up inside the eels mouth and lashed closed. Its important it doesn't slip cause if the length to the tail hook gets shortened , the eel will take on a bend and then twist on the retrieve.

very important to use very sharp hooks when doing the rigged eels. I like lazer sharp or other chemically sharpened hooks. I evn sacrifice a little hook stregth for sharper , thinner wire hooks to get a sticky sharp point. Just remember to play the fish more gently when bringing it in to compensate for the super sharp , thin wire hooks.

Don't need a tail hook for eels on Striped Bass as the keeper size on up always hit the eel head first and you take em on the head hook.
The rats grab the eel by the tail to shake it and whack it against a rock to stun it and then chomp on it but you don't want small fish anyway!
The other thing you get with the tail hook, and why "they" recommend wire on the tail hook is for that darn Blue Fish. He will always come up behind the eel and chomp him in half. With the second hook you will catch the Blue Fish.

Saltheart, I like your approach. Very streamlined. A couple of questions. Do you do anything else to secure the hooks, i.e. sewing them to the eel? Do you think a larger hook, say 7/0, 8/0 would provide more keel to help keep the eel tracking straight and not spinning? I realize the bigger the hook the better the chance of hanging up.

Thanks

I don't know if you clicked on the link shown but there is a big discussion there on rigging them. Lots of guys do use big hooks. I got nothing against even 10/0 hooks as long as they are super sharp like the chemically sharpenened ones. I don't think the hooks will give you a keel effect no matter how big.

The rigged eel is different than a live eel. You don't wait on the take , etc like a live eel. You nail anything that touches it immediately. Its as good as a snag as it is a lure. I catch as many bass foul hooked on the tail hook as i do mouth hooked on the head hook. Big bass will often wach the eel , then come back to eat it. Sometimes they just wack it with no intention of eating it. (bad mood maybe! :) ). Anyway , rigged eels are not like a live eel in the way they hook fish or in the way you fish them.

I have caught fish to 34 pounds on the tail hook. The best is when they get foul hooked under the chin where they can shake their head in the fight.. A twenty pound fish hooked under the chin will feel like a whale with the leverage it can get with its head shaking.

Oh teah , forgot about they other question CSK. I do often sew the hook through the body but always lash heavy around the outside of the eel along the hook shaft. Most important is the lashing around the shank of the head hook behind the eels head. This is what allows you to cast them so hard without damage and without pulling up on the tail hook which ruins the action.

Gotcha on both answers Saltheart. Thanks. P.S, I saw the rod you made for Rich in person. Wow!

Thanks CSK. :)

First off, thanks to Saltheart for taking the time to put this together and to all the others that have added to it. There are great threads.

I have a question about the best way to attach the line exiting from the mouth to the running line. I've been using 80# black dacron rather than mono. It seems easier to tie the front hook after it has been fed through than with 50# flouro. I end up with about 6 inches of dacron out the front end and have been tying a loop (double surgeons knot) and attaching to my leader or to a swivel.

Question is... Is there a better way? I'm concerned that the black rope hanging from the eels mouth may be costing me strikes.

If I could piggy-back on this thread...

My problem is figuring out the best way to attach the line coming from the rear hook to the front hook.

The problem is...I use doubled over braided line from a split ring attached to the rear hook. So you have two tag ends coming to the mouth from the eye of the rear hook that need to be secured.

And then what's the best way to sew the mouth shut?

-WW

WW,

I sew the lips shut with heavy black button thread.

I have been using this same thread for the wrap around the back of the head but I'm thinking of changing that.

Last time I used one, the wrap around the head came loose. I used a zip tie like a collar to secure the head hook and continued casting. It continued to catch bass 'til the blues showed up. I'm going to rig a few more tomorrow and may try these initially.

As far as the front hook, I'm wondering if a knot is really needed. I'm thinking of using a Gamakatsu 5/0 Octopus, tying a knot in the dacron (thicker than the width of the eye) and feeding it through the upturned eye and out the mouth.

Still puzzled about what to do with the extra line.

As far as the knot to the top hook... First of all, I have never rigged an eeeel... I often tie sand eel flies designed to be fished in tandem. I take a 2' or so section of mono and lay it on the top of the shank and then put it through the eye and lay it back on the bottom of the shank. I will then just wrap thoroughly up and down the shank with 3/0 floss or thread or maybe mono and glue it. I tie a second fly to the tag. It is very strong and the mono comes off straight off the end of the hook. This may be an option while rigging the eel since some of you are already using a bobbin. This can be done in about 10 seconds, in a vise anyways. You then just tie off to your line. Great information here Saltheart and all, thanks.
Brian:kewl:

To attach rear hook to front hook, take doubled dacron which was attached to tail hook via palomar knot and run it through the eye of front hook. Tie 2 half hitch knots , one behind the other on shank of front hook and glue in place with zap a gap.