when eeling from the surf do you..
 

hold the line with your fingers to have a better contact with the eel? My Dad always did while fishng both conv and spinning. He said it allowed him to feel the hits sooner. I used to, but stopped and recently tried it again and my catch rate went up. Just curious if other do this.

On the drift i do

I don't. Bass are usually not very subtle about hitting an eel. As long as I can feel the eel on the end of my line I don't see the need.

No, no need - especially with braid....

If letting current take the eel when drifting from a BWay I'll run my line over my finger to keep it coming off the spool well and to tell for hits on the drop...

I am with John. :btu: Braid is so sensitive I can pick up the slightest tap. There are times when under the right conditions I think I have felt misses.

Not with eels. I have done that when fishing other bait though , especially shiners for LMB on freshwater.

you mentioned letting the eel drift in the current. What about fishing a river that has a really hard rip would drifting it out and then reeling it in be the best bet or cast and retrieve?

The Schwooosh? Yeh, felt that too...

when drifting..you bet I hold the line...but when useing an eel like a plug,,cast out-sink-reel in I don't...on spinning..//but do hold the line on conv. when reeling in.

there's been many a time they've hit so lightly you wouldn't even know their there / when they hit and come right at you.

:kewl: Exactly...the Schwoooosh.

i use casting outfits when i throw eels (be it boat or surf) as i like the feel and ease to release the clutch quickly if needed. it takes an extra second or so just to do it w/ a spinning rod.

so, that being said, i hold the line as i reel it in. particially for feel, but mainly for keeping the line a little more snug on the reel for the next cast. loose line = overrun real fast.

IMo all it does is keep you focused. if im not doing something like that i tend to stare up at the stars and think about all sorts of stuff.

Neb, I think you are right. It forces me to focus and reel slower. I do feel the hit better. I never feel bass slamming the eel, its always the tap-tap feeling.

i know i am right :D

eeling live eels is booring to me. yes you catch a lot of fish, but I like the finnesse of artificials- that always keeps me alert. twitching, pausing... etc. I guess you can finnesse a live eel, but you can finnesse a pogie chunk too under the right conditions :hihi: