Well I solved the big eel problem...I checked my eel pots yesterday and found two that were over 24" big enough to fit over an atom forty. One problem when I skin an eel no matter how carefull I am I allways leave some meat on the skin. I have tried scraping the skinn with a dull kitchen knife and have had difficulty getting rid of the excess meat on the skinn. Does anyone out there have a better way to get the meat off the skin? thanks charlie

They should be dead a while before you skin them.

I seldom have any significant amount of meat stuck to the inside. A little is OK as long as you overall see that irridescent blue color. I guess if I had a lor of meat on there I would scrape sideways with a knife. Also , if you toss them in salt , the meat will dry up and become easier to remove.

use a plastic knife ... like one you get with fast food that has little teeth... works great for taxidermy, should be great while skinning eels

I will try your suggestions in the morning. Finally got eels big enough. one was so big I didnt want to pull it out of the trap. a real serpant.

just try to stretch the skin tight, and hold the knife almost on top of the blade so it doesnt flex alot and scrape the meat off... also helps if the skin soaks in water for a bit prior to scraping, but I'm sure its always wet anyways

Have had luck using a spoon...