How I hook an Eel
 

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Thought you may want to see this, I had to take the photo for someone else that is writing an article but anyway, thats how I hookem!

You should post your pics as a thumbnail. Side scrolling sux.

man you guys will find anything to complain about :rolleyes:

#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&, I notice that you have a hook with a bent in point rather than the straight point. Is that your hook of choice? I find the straight ones hook up slightly better, but they do foul on the rocks more frequently so i guess it's a toss up for me.

The pic is nice, I was lucky enough to have John show me your method...

What size hooks do you use?

6/0 is what he uses

I notice no difference in the hook up ratio with the slightly bent hook but it will slide over rocks better again the hook I use is

Mustad 94150 6/0 short shank live bait

That hurt my eyes so I adjusted the pic - all set....

Is this your rigging method for throwing live eels? Or is this for dead/ riggies? Seems to me that it might be tough keeping a live eel frisky throat- hooking it? (Or, am I wrong? Haven't tried it myself...)

Boy, that's one heck of a barb on your hooks! I would think a sharpie (mostly) crushes that down? Must be hard to release Bass in good shape, if not? Yes, I understand that SOME barb is important/ necessary, to keeping the eel on the hook-- but the Gama Octopus 5/0 & 6/0's I use come with a much smaller barb to start with... and even these I crush 75% down, & see no downside to this lost amount of barb (but major up-side in releasing fish in good shape).

Not "complaining," EM... Just asking/ wondering?...

Nope never do I crush the barb on an eel hook, that would be the time a 40 hits! I never hook a bass deeper than the start of the throat and never have a problem getting the hook out for a fast release, in the rare occasion I have hooked them deeper I just cut the line and let them go, the hook rusts out in a few days. With one hook, I want every advantage I can get, crushing the barb would be counter productive.Often times a bass in the teens or 20s will be lip hookes and during the fight a hole will develop, sometimes that barb is the only thing that keeps them on! When I do use plugs, I crush the barbs on the trebles but, I always leave one hook intact on each treble it is still easy to release fish but there is some security.

As far as the eel staying alive? I get a good 45mins to an hour out of my eels hooked this way, they live longer than hooking them thru the brain and out the eye socket.

Oh ya, thats the way I rig for live eels....


One thing I have noticed when hooking bass, often times the hook "moves" you may have the hook in the mouth when you set up but during the fight the hook comes out and catches again in the lips, I swear I can feel this when it happens, I want that barb!

That hook doesn't looked hand sharpened. Do you sharpen them? I usually have to sharpen Mustads myself.

Yes I always sharpen them, I just used that hook on a dead eel for the picture, I sharpen them to a razor point..........

That's a pretty neat way to hook-em,I've never seen it that way on a live eel.I kinda like the other way w/ the hook upwards I thinnk the eel would swim true,I would also tend to think the hook would get snaged alot more frequently.

I like the Gamakatsu live bait HD 5/0.

Thank's for sharing the pic!

5/0

Funny but the eel never gets snagged and acually the eel runs more true this way, the hook acts like a mini keel, anyway I have hooked them like this for years and it really works great

Thanks for sharing!! I will try this if I ever get to fish again! I am a Gammy hook guy also.

I'll have to give that a try.
I've always hooked them uo thru the eye, but I'm willing to try new things.
Part of the learning process. :D
The only problem I've had with hooking them the way I do is that once in a while the hook will turn and the point will embedd itself into the eels body, maybe this will eliminate that problem.

Dave, that is a huge reason to try this way, Its hard to explain but I will try.Once A bass hits the eel, the way I hook them, the eel rides right up the line! if you notice the way its hooked you can picture what I mean, the bass kind of pushes the eel off the hook and up the line it goes, leaving just the hook solidly hooked in the fish.Once landed just slide the eel back down on to hook again, I used to get that also where on the hookset, I would bury the hook back into the eel, no more........

I like the method shown by #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& when casting round structure. I like the eye method when drifting over structure or 3 waying. The eels seem to swim down more vigorously than through the throat. FWIW, the point of hooking them through the eye is to miss the brain, which is between the eyes.

The great thing about those hooks is that they are effective, cheap, and rust out quickly.

Thanks for posting the pic. I'm sending it to a few people I know that are getting a start eeling.

Alot of people think that the hook does not rust out but it does, If I leave my hook on the line when I get home without rinsing it, I am amazed how rusty it is the next morning.Those hooks are cheap, very strong, and promote release if hooked deep, its a great hook!

That eel kind of looks like he is about to talk...I bet if he did, he would have a few choice words for #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&.... :laugha: :laugha:

It's a tracheotomy for the eel but if it gets free (or released as a reward having coughed up some nice fish) the hole will grow over :hihi: . Just a little more incentive for your eel when you give it that pre-first cast speech. In the tone of Bill Murray "This ain't gonna hurt, Doctor's orders"

Makes sense..I'll try it.

I am sure they hate it! John your to funny with the "Trachiotomy" :laugha: :laugha:

Ellman, what are your thoughts on Eel size?? personally when i eel, i shy away from little ones and super large ones. I like them around 12 inches. How about you?? do you think small ones are less effective?

eel size
 

Eben, I know your question is for #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&, but I find that the only real problem with small eels is that they are difficult to cast, especially into the wind. For surf-fishing, I like an eel heavy enough to get a good casting distance, even if the blow is a bit in my face.

Thanks, #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&. Hey, off the subject, I tried whacking the eel and it kept moving (no jokes, please). It was my error to leave a bucket of 1/3 water and leave them in and swim around. I gotta put ices on it next time.

I dunno bout you but IM to cheap to go on buying new hooks all the time or for that timely matter I don't have the time to hone down all of my hook's(new or old) before I go fishing.I constantly recycle my hook's.If my leaders are frayed I'll wash & re-ty them.If I bring fish home & if they are deeply hooked "I'll get it back" & re use it!I have also learned that Gam's really don't need to be honed "for that extra point" even after re-use IM not gonna preach but IMHO there the best friggin hook's out there.Just to put a twist on this thread I strongly feel that leaders are the way to go as well!

5/0

Hooks with mojo :kewl:

To answer Eben, I also like a medium eel, More so than length I like girth! eels in the 12 to 14 inch range are my favorites and I like a "good looking eel" Nice white belly and dark on top.
Yes small eels work but dont cast well especially for me using conventional gear. I stay with mediums and want them fat.

Cheap? You have to be joking right? I buy my hooks in bulk, I mean they work out to be a few cents a piece?? No need to recycle.

The gamis are ok but the octopus hooks are way to thin for me and tear thru the eel to fast, The mustads are just a perfect eel hook in size, length etc..And it only takes a second or two to sharpen them to a razor point. The gamis come out of the package very sharp but, hit a rock with it once and you need to re-sharpen anyway??