I always hear about eeling rods, but was wondering what everyone here is using for an eeling reel??? I've always used either my abu 7000 or a shimano baitrunner. this year im gonna try my VS 275. Let hear em

my VS200 works pretty well

PMbrac,
The 275 might not be the best choice if you want to keep your eel retrieve slow as it has a high speed retrieve ratio. IMO look for a slow retrieve reel for eeling.

DZ

i think a VS 275 might be a little fast for eeling, but if you're drifting eels it won't be a problem.

i love my tricked out 704s and 706 :love:

DZ beat me to it

7001 i abu :fishin:

VS 200...

VS 275 might not be the best choice but it's fine. You just need to be more disciplined with it. I've been eeling with a Saltiga 4500 which has literally no resistance on the retrieve but I'm liking it alot. I don't mind giving up the slowness of a vs for the improvement in casting.

Calcutta 400

Calcutta 400

also a good choice :jump1:

Eventually I need to pick up contentional. I can only imagine how many bass have passed up my eel as I fumble to pull the line off my spinning spool while the eel is moving around unnaturally in the current. :smash:

I've never understood the slow retrieve reel for eels thing. I understand the concept, but always wondered why I wouldn't just turn the handle slower on a faster reel.

Over 20 years, for Spinning I've used Stradic 6000/8000, Sustain 6000, Penn 550/650 SS, Penn 704, Saltiga 4500, Shimano Baitrunner 4500, Fin Nor Ahab 12 and 16's, and Daiwa BG 30 all with the same results. Never thought any gave me any particular advantages as far as actually fishing/reeling eels with it. Casting and fighting fish is a different story. Fast reel? Slow down your retrieve until you find a speed the fish bite at.

Ultimately, I've sought the lightest, toughest reel with the best drag I can afford. I also like 6:1 retrieve for pulling eels/lures quickly through unproductive water or over snags. (Or away from rampaging bluefish!) Currently using a Sustain 6000, but would really like a Saltiga 4500 (favorite that I've used so far) when I scratch up the dough for one.

Digging my Calcutta TE 400's, 400 BSV, and Trinidad TN 14's (On the boat) for conventionals.

Abu's all the way. I havent developed a lot of confidence eeling with spinning reels yet. When i do use them i prefer a bailed reel. If one was drifting eels with a bailess reel i would think it would be tough to get it on the pick up.

I like slower retrieve ratioreels. It is also nice if when you let go of the handle of the spinning reel that it just doesn't spin on it's own IHMO.

Out of a boat, I like the Abu 6500 size or Penn 975. Casting from shore, my trusted Shimano Spheros 8000 or Baitrunner 4500B. The old trust worth Daiwa BG30 is fine as well.

YMMV - use what you have already. Why waste the $. It won't help you catch fish any better ..... LOL.

I think if we all learned to reel SLOWER, we would hook up more. Too bad the reel MFG keep making there reels that are 6:1 instead of 4:1 ! Give me a slower reel ANY day.

VS 200...best all around surf reel I have ever owned... the best piece of equipment Ive ever purchased...

I've never understood the slow retrieve reel for eels thing. I understand the concept, but always wondered why I wouldn't just turn the handle slower on a faster reel.


Exactly! What is easier, reeling faster when you need it or reeling slower when you need it? I have eeled with just about all of them and can not honestly say there is a best reel out there. For MANY years, I thought you were a googan if you ever threw an eel on anything other than conventional. Then I started wetsuiting a few years back and realized I had to open my mind if I was going to succeed. Since then, I have successfully used every size VS, a Saltiga, a ZeeBaas, throw in a conventional once in a while from a dry perch, and ultimatley have used my VS275 the most this season. Simply put, the best eeling reel out there is the reel you are most comfortable with in the given suituation you are fishing.

For myself it doesn't matter what reel or rod I am using when I am fishing. I've use my daughter's Southbend push buttom if I have to as long as I am catching fish. :) Funny how that rod has survived and was allowed to remain in the trunk of my wife's car for so many years (couple of spoons, smiling bills and some bunker Wildeyes in a ziplock bag). Nothing worse than watching a school of breaking fish in front of you when you have nothing to cast out to them with.... LOL.

When I first handle a new reel I have never touched before, I reel is super slow to find out if it binds before I consider buy it (rubber worm speed). I also reel the bail very slow to see if it will still trip correctly or not. I stop the handle it different positions to see if it will move on it's own, too. I test out the automatic bail at super slow speeds and different positions as well just to learn some of it's finer points.

I don't love one rod or reel over any another. I just like to fish when time permits! :D

For myself, I enjoyed fishing more when I owned less gear and couldn't afford to buy what I play with now. Simple if good IMHO.

Penn 560

I've never understood the slow retrieve reel for eels thing.

If I had to fillet all the fish I've taken with eels on a very fast retrieve I'd have tennis elbow.
Most fish I take eeling are either while in free spool or dead sticking them on the bottom. Second to that would be on a fast retrieve.

If I had to fillet all the fish I've taken with eels on a very fast retrieve I'd have tennis elbow.
Most fish I take eeling are either while in free spool or dead sticking them on the bottom. Second to that would be on a fast retrieve.

I won't ever forget the "Buzzbait" retrieve out on the outer cape in the late 80's/early 90's!

KERSMASHHHH!

Same thing happened in Soco during June/July of 2001 when we had the big fog banks roll in and stay for weeks at a time. Flat calm water and large fish up on the surface sipping/finning. We were buzzing eels right over the surface in front of them and doing quite well!

I've caught fish on eels at every imaginable speed of retrieve, though slow and on the bottom usually is the best.

maybe ill try out the saltiga surf 5000. may be better than the vs 275 since the retrieve is slower

lets see if I can calculate this correctly. Please correct my math if I screw up.

On an abu 6500 or a calcutta 400 I count 10 seconds to 1 turn of the handle when dragging the eel in. So for the abu 6500 with a ratio of 5.3 to 1 and a spool diameter of say 2 inches we get 3.14 X 2 X 5.3=33 inches in 10 seconds. If you figure the spool at 1.5 inches you get about 24-25 inches in 10 seconds.

So now you can figure how fast to crank any reel if you know the spool diameter and gear ration.