Eel skin rig, info

[beamie]

Guys,

I have a couple of these down in the Man Cave. As you can see I was fooling around with the Powder Paint. These were given to me when I was a boy and never have used them.

Do any of you guys use these? And what is its history? How long of an eel skin would you use? I can catch some radiator hoses in the North River.

Was thinking about putting it on the wire rod and dragging it through the sand like a bucktail.

Any info would be interesting to hear. Hope the image comes out correctly.

Jon

[Slipknot]

I use eelskin jigs in the canal jigging up cows off the bottom. Mr.Pogie makes some killer jigs. I have one similar to the one in your hand. Saltheart would know more about the history of them more than I.
Put a skin on that trails the back hook a few inches but no more.

I/ve caught some radiator hoses in that river before too

[new jack]

there are two differnt styles that i know of. the one you have in your hand is more designed for sandy areas. the hole is offset like that so when it bounces it does not clogged.

slip is right about mr pogies jigs

[ProfessorM]

Now your talking. IMO the best lure for the canal. I also make my own rigs. I am lucky enough to get ahold of a great mold every winter from what I consider the best old school canal fisherman still alive today. My opinion could be bias. I make the rings at work and trade him for use of the mold. I have several hundred ready to go. He goes to Fla. every winter and he uses the rig to land many big wahoo. He tells me they used to troll them off P-Town with good success. I tried them on Billingsgate this year a few times without any luck.They work on the open beach at nite too but a good tidal flow is where they shine. I prefer a skin where the inside dia. of the skin is just big enough to go over the ring on the jig. I rig them up inside out and outside in. Like previous post only a few in. behind tail hook. I have a big container of brine with lots of skins in my fridge. Some as old as 4 years. I rig them a few at a time. Also if you have been lucky enough to talk to another expert Stan K. he can talk for hours about the history and how to make, and use the rig. He prefered to use a rig with just one hook. He said that over time he found the tail hook got stuck in the fishes gills and can kill them if you are going to release them. I have not found that problem but he has caught a hell of a lot more fish than I have. P.M.

[Slipknot]

I also like the ones with one hook, especially the mr.pogie ones with a fixed hook, not on a wire extension.
I have had too many deep hooked bass with the other kind.

[beamie]

No one has to go into a big history thing. I think I really was looking for if they were really meant to be trolled behind a boat or from the surf etc. Like I said just curious for I have never used them yet.

Jon

[NIB]

U have short thumbs.Nice thread. I love eel things anything with eels. Its bait u fish like a lure.I'm really suprised the NJ rigged Eel does not get more use up north.the real rigged with a swim plate not the one tied off on a siwash boy they snake through the water. An bass crush em.Only thing better in my opinion is Live baits Like BUNKER.

[reelecstasy]

Originally posted by NIB
U have short thumbs..

[Stroth]

I do not see any reason why you wold not be able to troll an eel skin rig.

You would just have to experiment a little to see how close you are to the bottom. You might even be able to get that rig to bounce right along.

If you really think about it...the rig is not that much different than the ever popular tube and worm rig.

I would just want a good swivel somewhere.

You can also cut that wired hook off of that rig. You do not need the other hook and it will cause more harm than good.

The key to a good eel skin rig is the skin's ability to let water pass through it. More hooks = more holes = more problems with the water not flowing through it correctly. I blow through mine after almost every cast to make sure they are working. You know you are addicted when you are kissing those rigs ever night.

I have dozens and dozens of jigs down in my basement that I have accumulated over the past couple of years. Get your hands on some of Pogie's jigs and you will not be sorry. He is the professor of the eel skin jig and the work that has gone into that jig is truly remarkable.

Oh---my last tip---you want the skins in different sizes. Sometimes the fish will be on short skins and I am talking like 4 or 5 inches short and sometimes they will want them longer.