Eel Skin Jigs: How To Set 'em Up?

[fishweewee]

Have eel skin jigs (thank you Saltheart).

Have eels.

Have sharp knife.

What do next?

Thanks...

-WW

[Slipknot]

Wipe the slime off real ggod. Now you need to nail the head to a board or something, slice not very deep behind the head all the way around the eel. Then grab ahold of the skin with pliers or something and pull it off slowly without taking chunks of meat off, when you get to the vent carefully snip it so ya don't tear the skin. Store them in kosher salt. Now go to tackle shop and but them for a buck each seeing how nasty it is When ready to rig the skin on the jig get some plastic wire zipties or floss to tie it on. Leave only 2 - 3 inches or so after the hook. Put some blue side out and some black side out.

Do a search and you should come up with all kinds of info. There are articles on it also. J Powers is an expert.

Have fun Ben, I hope you have your own refer. to put them in.

[fishweewee]

Thanks Bruce!

I noticed eel skin jigs are really a New England phenomenon - I don't see it much in use down in NY or the mid-Atlantic. Look forward to trying it out.

-WW

[MAC]

HeeHeeHee, I tried skinning them years ago....not as easy as it looks and like Bruce said nasty. I would much rather pay the buck or buck and a half. Ben use one of your wifes tupperware containers to store the skins in. Oh and word of warning never believe what people tell you about storing them in the back of the refrigerator. Sure it works great but the wrath of your better half ...I usually rig up a half dozen or so in various weights and put them in another container before I hit the ditch.

[fishweewee]

Dave-

The wife is used to seeing everything in the fridge/freezer.

Sometimes it's a zoo in there.

From time to time, you'll see a flat of sandworms, fresh shucked clams, pogies, mackerel, green crabs, fiddler crabs, live eels, dead eels, half-dead eels, sand eels, sand fleas, butterfish, bay anchovies, killies/mummies, choggies, and spearing.

What's another eel skin or two (or a dozen)?



-WW

[NIB]

mental note to self: DONOT EAT SEAFOOD AT BENS HOUSE.

[Jenn]

sand fleas

[Adamfishes]

if you can get the last issue of "ON THE WATER" they explain how to make eal skin plugs, although u want jigs ehh thought id throw my 2 cents in

[JPowers]

fishweewee:

I posted a long reply just a second ago but it somehow disappeared.

So here's shorter version. SlipK is correct - I am an expert......... at BUYING eelskins.

A tip :

When you've skinned your last eel for the morning, remember to take that last dead naked eel down from the garage door. I forgot to once. The wife found it hangin' there later that afternoon. Not a pretty sight.

[fishweewee]

Mr. Powers...

The friendly neighborhood coyotes usually take care of that for me.

[BasicPatrick]

Hey Mr. Saltheart,

Was it you that was offerring Skin Jigs a while age. I thought I got on the list but didn't hear anything after that.

Any left????

[MAC]

Ben , you are one lucky guy. i tried the skins in fridge a few years ago.......well let's just say when the wifey found them it wasn't a pretty sight.

[macojoe]

I got smart after the wife found my bait and threw it all away!!! I got my own fridge and a small chest Freezer and I put anything I want in them now.
But the problem here is that I have no one reminding me what I have in them! So i have had to throw away some pretty funky looking things in the past. I don't now how this stuff gets in there?? It isn't the same as when I put it there?? And the smell!

Macojoe