WW I used them for years and still have some rigs from last year, but made the switch in the summer to the Gami's and havent looked back... come to the dark side.... :D

oops for a change I fall into the Majority. I use the Gami 6/0 or 7/0 Ocotpus. I like the sharpness and they are a very strong hook for the diameter. Also I like to slightly off-set the hook so it can catch easier. Might want to try that. Very Slight Off-set. :) happy that it's sunny out. Now I want to fish.

Yup, WeeWee, that's da one - except I use the one without the kirbed point ('cause I won't and don't snell). Can't think of the Mustad number, it's a 5/0 short-shank Live Bait hook.

And nothing wrong with it rusting quick - it's always a reminder to me not to use the same leader and hook two nites in a row. ;)

Crafty, why don't ya like to snell? and what knot are you tying with mono directly to your eel hook or any hook for that matter? Thanks T

Crafty,

People think I am strange because I rinse off all my terminal tackle - including these hooks, after every trip. Then these hooks get lovingly dried and I givem a good coating of unscented mineral oil before they get put back into the plano box. :hihi:

-WW the obsessive compulsive angler :laughs:

Ya scarin' me man :eek:

I am with Slingah and T-Lap, I use 4/0 or 5/0 Gami Octopus Circle hooks.....they work great for me and like Slingah says, they fit the eel just right! :kewl:

T-Lap...can you believe that "WE" agree?:huh:

5/0 Gami's

Among other reasons :D :laughs:

De-ice the driveway with gasoline lately? :happy:

5/0 or 6/0 Gami Octopus non circle.

Hmmmm....WeeWee, ya got me a little worried there, Cap. Overly fastidious? Maybe, I dunno - hey, not that there's anything wrong with that. Hell, come to think of it, I like a good rinse myself once I get back to the tackle bunker - always have a coupla cold ones while I'm doing the damage report on my gear.

Goose, the reason I don't snell anymore is because 8 or 9 years ago I was out slow trolling eels with a friend of mine (okay, no wisecracks about being a latent boat-fisherman) and I got hung up on the bottom - or so I thought. Even the skip thought so - so I loosened the drag until he started backing down on the hung-up eel, I screwed the drag down good and tight, yanked a couple of times, and all of a sudden the bottom started peeling off line hell bent for leather. Looked down to loosen the star drag just a little just as the fish broached and I looked up to find nothing but the hole it had left in the water - it looked like someone had thrown a friggin' mule off the bridge.

All the while my friend is yelling "Holy #$#%$##, didja see the $#%$#^## size of that #%#*&&$ fish? Oh man, oh man, are ya still on?" I start pumping the rod reeling as fast as I could and then my heart sank - kept winding real slow until the little curly-cue at the end of my leader crossed the transom. :smokin:

Nope, I don't snell.

Since then I'll just use a clinch or an improved clinch knot on 50 lb. flouro for my eel hooks, which are just the run of the mill bronze Mustad Live Bait (short shank, straight point) in 5/0 or 6/0, touched up with a diamond file.

I know DZ uses a clinch for his eeling and so does Iron Mike, if memory serves. I've never had a clinch fail yet, knock wood.

well, i refuse to fish circle hooks anymore so we are ok. :D i put a full season of testing into them about 4 years ago. i had more dropped fish and gut hooked fish than i have ever had with normal hooks. i don't stick to any one plan when getting a hait such as drop rod and count or stick right away. the feel of the pick-up delegates what procedure for me. the first trip each year is always a little unproductive, but once i get the feel feel back my take to hook up ratio stays very high. as with a lot of things, if it works for you stick with it. if not, copy me and you'll do just fine! :laughs:

sounds bout the same to me I do not have and set count for eels either....all feel.........
the hooks I use for eels and from what I see T-Lap posted are Gami Live Bait not Octopus circle hooks

That hook above looks about 4 times stronger than an octopus IMHO...

that hook is the gami heavy duty big game live bait. i have been using them for about 2+ seasons with great success.

That hook may be stronger than the octopus hook, but I know the octopus hook is at least 4 times stronger than the 15 to 20 lb test line I'm using. I've never lost a fish to a bent hook accept when using store bought cheap lures.

I agree with Armen, I use both the octopus and big game stlye hooks and I prefere the octopus over the BG hooks. To me the off set and smaller diameter adds to a better hook.

Hey Goose, if you trade the hook for a book you become a fisher of men :)

But both is good too ;)