help me make rigged eels
 

OK. Is there someone on here that is a jedi at making rigged eels that would be willing to make/teach me how this weekend in person to make these things?. I have read and tried and no can do. TLapinski whipped em out in front of me last fall, but was too tired/ half in bag to get it. if anyone is/can, please pm me and we can work it out. just let me know exactly what I need and I will come to u. very flexible.
thanks in advance.

rockhound is good at making them.

Al Bentson is the king of the rigged eel but it will be like getting an audience with the pope.:tooth:

I'd show you, but then you'd have to take me to your rock

What style - Jersey, New York, or Rhody? And then there are the bobs.

You'll really be dangerous if you learn to rig em.

DZ

Am not.

Mike.
I'll be offshore this weekend.

PM sent

And then I showed you how to rig an eel... :fishslap:

Seriously, it is not that hard once you are shown your first. Bryan's method in the Fisherman a few weeks ago was interesting. Takes a few steps out that I do and adds his own twist. I learned from Pat Abate a few years back and really liked his method. The secret knot is the trick in his style, not sure who taught him. John Skinner also has a decent write up in "A Season on the Edge".

Thanks. Not sure if interesting is a complement or not :bl::bl:
Easy and durable though!

FYI. "The Secrets of Surf Fishing at Night" by W A Muller has 2 chapters by Al Bentsen describing (with plenty of pictures) how to rig and fish eels.

maybe Z will chime in...

So many ways to rigg eels..They are all good.I could not imaguine the damge you could do on that rock with a jersey rigged..Maybe if your nice I will rigg a couple for ya an bring em wit me.As long as you don't show BB..:)

I beleive the secret to rigging a really good eel is a realy good rigging needle. One that is thin enough not to tear it all up.. one that is sharp enough to glide through the flesh and one that is thick enough not to bend and poke out the side...
From there, the hooks you use make a difference- short shanks will let your eel wiggle more than a long shank hook.

I agree with NIB.. a NJ rigged eel on a squid is a sexy beast... I was using one for a little while 2 seasons ago and named it the zombie before I forgot it in my plug bag :yak:

Rigged eels are !@#$^&** addictive !
I am fortunate to have Al Bentsen close by (he was kind enough to wrote an introduction for me new book) but I learned how to rig them by Al's best friend Roger ,who is in my club. For the most part I played with them on and of but never serious. In putting together this book with McKenna, Skinner, Alberto and others, I read a chapter on rigged eels by Manny Moreno in April. It got me so wrapped up that I took a dozen dead eels to Cutty and came back with a "rigged eel disease". Now I fish them about 90% of the time when conditions allow. Redlite ,I wish you were closer ,I'll be glad to show you. Unfortunately ,the darn distance is quite a bit and Manny chapter wont help you this year.
I second the Secrets of Surf fishing at Night. Wonderful chapter written by Al Bentsen.

If you wonder what is all the fuss about (btw ,I haven't thrown a live eel in years) ..............someone asked Al Bentsen recently " Al ,what is the difference between fishing a lure or a rigged eel?"
Al replied
"About 20 pounds"
:jump:

In a pinch,I can fashoin a needle out of a coat hanger in about 30 seconds...
I have all kinds of needles..U can get some bait rigging needles from offshore catalogs..If you have access to a welders supply you can get some 3/32" SS rod your in..Peen one end down with a hammer an drill a small hole in it.sharpen the other end some and your done..

I use waxed bow string to lash the eels head to the front hook.Waxed line holds knots better..I use 50 lb dacron or 80 lb braid to connect the hooks.80 lb braid to hopefully catch the SOB bluefish that tries to shorten my custom offering..I use a form of a surgeons knot to connect the twin lines from the tail hook to hook to the front hook.
:hang:

Redlite, send me a pm. I'll guide you through it and send you a step by step instruction manuel. I just did a semiar on rigged eels for the Narragansett club.

I just looked this book up on Amazon and there are 3 used books STARTING AT $99.95?!?!?:eek5:

What gives?? Is this book some secret night fishing treasure or something??

He wants to know how to rig because he spotted one hanging from my rod tip a couple nights ago. I informed him he's caught enough fish already this year and told him to figure it out on his own...

Mayday' I'll only charge 69.95 for the same info!

I was talking about a NJ rigged..The one with a swim plate(squids).Makes the eel come in like a SSSssnake...I know you may think you have tried/seen them before..There are many different types of squids..The hits are knock the gear out of your hands hard..
I think your a meanie.. you won't show em how to do the benson eel..
In NJ we share secrets with fellow OTW team members..:uhuh:

Cept for the benson stuff the book is you basic 130 page beginners type intructional book.I think it cost me 12 dollars..

the part that I always had trouble with was the soldering.

i've been using a metal epoxy in its place and it has simplified the whole thing alot. once you get the head hook set up, it's pretty simple really.

i'm far from an expert on them, but i'll post a pic or two when i get home that may help you out. i'd offer to show you in person, but i think i'm pretty far from you, and you'd probably be better off with someone more experienced with them.

I'm far from a pro, but have the solder thing down pretty good. You can't really attach solder directly to the hook shank, at least I couldn't figure it out. What I do now is wrap two turns of 12 guage copper wire around the shank and tighten it down. Then I heat the wire with a blow torch, but not too hot. Next, I touch the solder to the copper wire and it melts down and forms a bond between the hook shank and copper. Its quite easy, but you have to experiment with how hot to get the copper otherwise the solder liquifies and runs right off the hook.

I've never used a rigged eel, but would imagine having a blue destroy it is pretty frustrating.

How do you store them? Brine & a jar?
I am gonna try to adopt this for the fall

In the past I have used size E rod building thread and zap a gap.. I make a knob out of it on the shank of the hook.
I do the same thing to a lesser amount on my jighooks to hold rubbers on..
I have some 9/0 siwash hooks with large swivels attached to them.I have heard of a technique where you pull the swivel back and rap the eel over the bulge from the swivel..
On Bensons style rigged,the hook only goes in the head about a inch.In other words the front hook is not buried up to the bend.Half of the shank sticking out the bottom side of the eel..
I thought that was odd..Looks like a place where the line could tangle on it on splash down..
What is the reason for this..

i think its to create more of a keel

Yes it is.. It takes about 20 mins per eel.After a while you will get faster at it..
All it takes is one second..
That is why I like to hook the bastages if I can...:deadhorse::humpty:

Exactly. And the hit on a riggie is like nothing else. For some strange reason it just pisses the Bass OFF

My rigging needle was given to me by Charlie Murat. You talk about MOJO!!!!! he actually gave me 2. A big one and a smaller one for small eels.

I'm gonna have to come up there with some NJ rigged eels and hurt your fish real soon, maybe this week. I got some of the best eel squids ever made ;).