HELP - how do you keep these damn eels from tangling my line!

[Jim H]

I have yet to catch a fish with live eels...everytime I cast one out, it swims around for a while, but then tangles itself on the line. HORRIBLE mess....slimmy tangle.

I am using my spinning gear with a 5/0 Gamakatsu live bait hook. Have tried casting and slowly retrieving with no weight.....have tried using 2 oz weight on a fish finder rig....both methods yield TANGLED MESS.

What am I doing wrong? I read and re-read the John's Eels 101 in FAQs, but only touches on the tangle problem if you leave them dangling out of water. Is it that I need to STUN them before use? I keep them in an eel bucket (3 bucket method with ice dripping on them).....

I actually stopped using them and went back to clams. After catching this 41 incher on Sunday in the mouth of the Merrimack River, I am wondering WHY I am so focused on eels!

Jim

[Mugz]

Check out #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&s article in the Projo.........he wacks his on the head to stun it before he uses it.

[BigFish]

Keep them "ON" the ice not with the ice "dripping on them". This will chill them out and you should have no need to stun them! I put the ice right on top of them and they are fine....put the hook through them no problem and after a few casts they will awaken a bit but you should have no tangle problems!

[The Dad Fisherman]

Smack their tail on the cooler a couple of times

[RIJIMMY]

Thats not the problem, stunning it.....you say you cast it out and let it swim around? Thats the problem. Live eels need to be "plugged". Cast them out and reel them in slowly, but keep them moving. That way they cover more ground and cannot tangle the line.

[fishaholic18]

Originally Posted by RIJIMMY

Thats not the problem, stunning it.....you say you cast it out and let it swim around? Thats the problem. Live eels need to be "plugged". Cast them out and reel them in slowly, but keep them moving. That way they cover more ground and cannot tangle the line.

Exactly.. I never stun them or put them on ice.
I just hook them from the lower jaw out the eyeball then get it into the water right away and reel slowly!! Never get tangles.

[BigFish]

Confused yet JimH?

[zacs]

I don't know, RIJ, looks like he is on a boat, and from the my boat we have had good sucess both drifting and 3-waying eels. I seem to get an eel ball back every now and then, maybe once every two or three trips. I don't stun them or anything, but I am very quick to get them in the water or else it is trouble. It doesn't happen enough that it bothers me. Don't even try fixing it. Just snip it off and re-rig. If it happens all the time you are doing something wrong. Do you tie your leader to a swivel?

_Z_

[RIJIMMY]

Originally Posted by zacs

I don't know, RIJ, looks like he is on a boat, and from the my boat we have had good sucess both drifting and 3-waying eels. I seem to get an eel ball back every now and then, maybe once every two or three trips. I don't stun them or anything, but I am very quick to get them in the water or else it is trouble. It doesn't happen enough that it bothers me. Don't even try fixing it. Just snip it off and re-rig. If it happens all the time you are doing something wrong. Do you tie your leader to a swivel?

_Z_

Ahh, you're right. I cannot comment on the boat thing.

[eelman]

I keep my eels on ice but if you hook an eel like that, while its easy, once it hits the water it comes right back to life and the tangles start. Here is what you do, grab the eel with a rag holding up near the head, whack the tail on a rock or whatever you have a few times, this will prevent the eel from tangling up your line, you want to break the spine about a quater of the way up the eel, this still gives the eel plenty of movement but no tangles. Cast it out and start a very slow retrieve just fast enough to keep tension on the line, make sure you reel the eel all the way in! many, many hits come in close as bass will follow it sometimes. Thats all there is to it.

For a shore bound angler , live eels will outfish any single other method there is, and they are availible all year! I know herring are good etc....but that doesnt last for consistant action use live eels.

I hook my eel different than most. Put the hook in the mouth and out the bottom of the throat.

As long as the eel is still alive it will work, I check mine by periodically pinching them near the head, if the tail curls a little its still fine to use.

As for the hit it feels like a bang or someone smacked your rod its unmistakable, sometimes its a light tap-tap, in either case drop the rod tip as soon as you feel this and let the fish run for an 8 count or so then pick up the slack and send the hook home! Sometimes you will get runs from small bass that will drop it, this happens and is normal, bigger fish dont drop the eel. During the 8 count I always feel the bass stop once and then move off again, at this point she is yours!

Everyone has different methods for fishing eels, this is what has worked for me for 20plus years.

Good luck! eels do work and you will hook up with them , just give it time.

[Nebe]

Originally Posted by #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&

During the 8 count I always feel the bass stop once and then move off again, at this point she is yours!

The pause is the bass saying "ohhhhhhh $hit!!"

[eelman]

Now see I acually helped someone!!

[Homerun04]

IMO - best thing to do is get them in the water ASAP once hooked.....they will go right for the bottom without wrapping around the line.

[Sweetwater]

I see a lot of advice here...most of it's good EXCEPT for whacking them. Don't damage the eel, the live activity catches more fish. Here's the advice I would go with:

1. Keep them on ice, they are not nearly as active, but once they hit the water they come to life. They will not ball up you line when they are in the water.

2. Hook them through the lower jaw and out through one eye, being careful not to enter the braincase, this will keep them solidly on the hook and alive for a long time. I've caught as many as three bass on one eel.

3. Get them into the water immediately. When boat fishing this is easy, I simply make sure I have enough slack line to hook them and the immediately drop them into the water. Then I simply reel the line up to casting length and toss them out. From the beach, I grab the eel with a rag, hook the eel but I continue to hold the eel (in my left hand) with the rag until I get to where I'm going to cast. I drop the rag, rear-back, and cast the eel.

4. Never "whack" the eel.

5. I've had good luck with circle hooks, however they take some getting used to. Don't try to set the hook when you get a pick-up. Rather, when you feel the pick up (sometimes I even fish with an open bail or live liner set-up), you let the fish run. Then close the bail (or set the liveliner drag), and apply solid, steady pressure without snapping the rod tip. You'll get a hook in the corner of the mouth 90% of the time (use good sharp Gammies for this).

I don't get a "ball-up" using any of these approaches.

[eelman]

Originally Posted by Sweetwater

I see a lot of advice here...most of it's good EXCEPT for whacking them. Don't damage the eel, the live activity catches more fish. Here's the advice I would go with:

1. Keep them on ice, they are not nearly as active, but once they hit the water they come to life. They will not ball up you line when they are in the water.

2. Hook them through the lower jaw and out through one eye, being careful not to enter the braincase, this will keep them solidly on the hook and alive for a long time. I've caught as many as three bass on one eel.

3. Get them into the water immediately. When boat fishing this is easy, I simply make sure I have enough slack line to hook them and the immediately drop them into the water. Then I simply reel the line up to casting length and toss them out. From the beach, I grab the eel with a rag, hook the eel but I continue to hold the eel (in my left hand) with the rag until I get to where I'm going to cast. I drop the rag, rear-back, and cast the eel.

4. Never "whack" the eel.

5. I've had good luck with circle hooks, however they take some getting used to. Don't try to set the hook when you get a pick-up. Rather, when you feel the pick up (sometimes I even fish with an open bail or live liner set-up), you let the fish run. Then close the bail (or set the liveliner drag), and apply solid, steady pressure without snapping the rod tip. You'll get a hook in the corner of the mouth 90% of the time (use good sharp Gammies for this).

I don't get a "ball-up" using any of these approaches.

Totally 100% disagree with your post on not whacking them, I have fished eels longer than most here, And never once did I have a problem after whacking my eel, I have caught countless bass with the methods I descibe above, They also live a long time on my hook, Trust me I have experiance in this area.

WHACK THE EEL! The worst thing you can do is let an take your line and swim into the rocks, bingo, your snaged on the bottom.

Whackem!

[Sweetwater]

Originally Posted by #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&

WHACK THE EEL! The worst thing you can do is let an take your line and swim into the rocks, bingo, your snaged on the bottom.

Whackem!

#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&, if you fish extremely rocky areas, then possibly I agree with you. But damaging the bait is a LAST RESORT. Note that the question was about tangling the line and not about getting stuck in rocks and obstructions. Given that, I stand by my recommendation.

Also, I've never lost an eel to a rock except in the ditch.

[Nebe]

do not question the #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&..

[eelman]

Originally Posted by Sweetwater

#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&, if you fish extremely rocky areas, then possibly I agree with you. But damaging the bait is a LAST RESORT. Note that the question was about tangling the line and not about getting stuck in rocks and obstructions. Given that, I stand by my recommendation.

Also, I've never lost an eel to a rock except in the ditch.

Nothing but problems, 99% of people who have never fished eels have the tangle problem, simple solution beat the sh$$t out of them, = no more tangles, they catch just as good , just as long....

Damaging the bait? there not pets, whack'm,smack'm,cast'm,catch'm!!

I think we may be here a while, hey eben pass the smokes and

extra butter please

[t.orlando]

Used to always ice down the eels. Lately just been giving them a good whack. Keep eel moving. You could also just get jumbo eels, their too big to ball up and will cull out the smaller fish.

[ThrowingTimber]

the nuns said I'd go blind if I whacked the eel

[Nebe]

Originally Posted by ThrowingTimber

the nuns said I'd go blind if I whacked the eel

[Roger]

I whacked the eels when I first learned to use them in the 70s. Once I got used to handling them I found it to be unnecessary. I don't use ice either. I keep it simple. A paper towel to grab the eel, hook it and catch a bass. Well, at least the first two steps are guaranteed.

FWIW, I don't have a problem with eels snagging bottom either (or other live bait). When snagged, I just give a moment of slack line so the eel can unsnag itself, then a quick pull to get it out of there.

[CAL]

Originally Posted by ThrowingTimber

the nuns said I'd go blind if I whacked the eel

?????????????????????????????????????????????????? ????????????????????????

I dont fish eels just mack