Fast or slow action for eels?

[spence]

What do you guys like for tossing eels, a faster or moderate action rod? I've got a few All Stars (1208, 1088) which I love for plugs and metal, but they don't seem to load nearly as well with a big snake hanging there. Although I've not thrown one off yet, it sure feels like I'm going to...

What would you guys suggest, 9-10', used mainly on the rocky RI shore and probably done conventional with a Calcutta 400TE?

thanks - spence

[capesams]

1088......cal 400....17* silverthread.......3' flo. carb. leader[25#]...5/0 bronze hook.....12" eel...killer set up..........here anyway.

[mikecc]

Price of the rainshadow are great but I still like my lamiglas 1204 and 1201L for eeling.

[tlapinski]

i throw a lami 121 3M or a 120 1M with an abu 7000C3 and 30# yo-zuri hybrid in RI. i built a 1208 all star and a 1088 sabre, but they did not load for how i like to fish eels. the 1088 did not have enough nut to put the breaks on a bass, and the 1208 was to fast. i cast off a lot of eels on the 1208.

[Mike P]

Soft medium or medium/fast action is best for eels---you'll cast too many off with a fast, stiff rod.

[Nebe]

This is slightly off topic but if you take a hole puncher for paper and punch holes out of a plastic milk jug you will never cast off an eel again. After you hook up your eel, slide one of your plastic disks on the hook.

[spence]

So litter your little milk jug disks? Shame...

I actually have a BSB1213M I bought for jigging and a little chunk here or there. I always knew it would make a nice heavy eel rod, as long as they were healthy eels. Have a 7000BG on it...

Any comments on the 1204 vs the 1084? They both look like a good fit for a calcutta 400....so does the batson...

-spence

[Nebe]

Originally posted by spence
So litter your little milk jug disks? Shame...
-spence

I keep them in my little plano box that i keep my hooks, swivels, snaps.... I don't litter them.. they stay on the hook for the whole duration of eeling.... they act as a little stopper on the barb. I use one or 2 a night

[Crafty Angler]

I gotta agree with Mike - I do like my Lami 120 1L for eeling - but I think I may have stumbled on a real beauty. I found an old 10'6" fiberglass rod in an antique shop in almost like new condition for $27.

Don't know what the blank is, it's sort of a honey/mustard yellow - anybody got a good guess? It is a custom rod and as soon as I picked it up I knew it would be great for eels. Guides, wraps, cork all in excellent condition, whoever had it either used it very little or took damned good care of it.

Yup, match that up with my chromed 704 'American Chopper' converted Penn and I could have a helluva combo going.

Time will tell .

[ThrowingTimber]

hole puncher? Circle hook dood.

[fishweewee]

Originally posted by Eben
This is slightly off topic but if you take a hole puncher for paper and punch holes out of a plastic milk jug you will never cast off an eel again. After you hook up your eel, slide one of your plastic disks on the hook.

Eel implants.

I don't think I'd have the manual dexterity to do that in the middle of the night (sleep deprived, cold hands, low light, hands slimy from eels). If I stick myself with an eel hook I'll come-a-lookin' for ya Eben.

[bart]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Crafty Angler
Yup, match that up with my chromed 704 'American Chopper' converted Penn and I could have a helluva combo going.
QUOTE]

that sounds like such a sick set-up

[Nebe]

I admit I dont use them on every eel I use but If I'm running low, I'll stick one on. I figured this out one day when I noticed that the hole that the hook made through the eels head was starting to stretch out. Then after 2 more casts the eel was lost. I know it sounds wierd putting a little plastic tab on your hook, but it acts as a stopper when it pushes up agianst the barb. I'd go so far and say that by using those tabs, you can use 1 eel all night-

I have an old 9' Harnell blank thats just waiting to be wrapped for my eel pole.

[Mike P]

Originally posted by Crafty Angler
I gotta agree with Mike - I do like my Lami 120 1L for eeling - but I think I may have stumbled on a real beauty. I found an old 10'6" fiberglass rod in an antique shop in almost like new condition for $27.

Don't know what the blank is, it's sort of a honey/mustard yellow - anybody got a good guess? It is a custom rod and as soon as I picked it up I knew it would be great for eels. Guides, wraps, cork all in excellent condition, whoever had it either used it very little or took damned good care of it.

Yup, match that up with my chromed 704 'American Chopper' converted Penn and I could have a helluva combo going.

Time will tell .

Both Lamiglas and Fenwick made those honey blanks. I'll guess a cut-down 11-1/2' Lami, as they were more common than Fenwicks and more popular with custom builders.

[spence]

For those that know...how does the 1201L compare with the 1084? Does the 1084 have enough balls to throw big eels well? I'm assuming the 1084 is a bit less powerful...

I like the idea of the 1204 but it sounds like it may be a bit light. The 1205 may be a bit much for the Calcutta, although the TE is a bit beefier than the regular 400.

So whadd'ya think? It's starting to look like everybodies favorite 1201L may be the rod...

thanks - spence

[Crafty Angler]

Thanks, Mike I was hopin' you'd chime in on the glass rod - Tattoo was here yesterday and we sorta guessed it was probably an old Lami -

On the 120 1L, it'll throw a good medium eel, but not a conger sized snake. I'm gonna get a Lami 120 1M for this year - then I'll have all the bases covered from one end to the other.

Don't know much about the 1084 - I think JohnR has one, not sure -

[tlapinski]

ask BM about the 1084. he loves that rod!

[Mike P]

If you like a 9' slow to medium action eel rod, you can take a foot off the butt of the 120 1L, too. John Schauer, the guy who runs Fishstix custom rods on LI, has been making them as his "Montauk Special".

Closest thing you'll find to a Fisher 8706.

[Nebe]

Originally posted by Crafty Angler
Thanks, Mike I was hopin' you'd chime in on the glass rod - Tattoo was here yesterday and we sorta guessed it was probably an old Lami -

I have an old honey lami and heres how to tell the difference between a lami and a fenwick. The Lami will look very opaque honey color and the fenwick will have more of a transparent look to it like there is more resin in the blank-
Or at least, this is what I have neoticed over time-

The 1084 is awesome! I have one and love it. Not a good pole for light plastics, but for medium sized eels and wood it's supah

[Saltheart]

I think the 1205 would be good for eels. I fish one at the canal , it will handle heavy but also does 2 nd 3 and that's about eel weight. For eels not in a current , best rods are the arras 1322 , 1204 -----, Allstar 1145 , 1265 , 1087 -----Lami GSB 1020 1L and 1081L(depending on eels size but good for all but the biggest) .

In a current I would use a Loomis 1266 , Arra 1205 or Allstar1088.


A think the new Ziplex 11 footer would be killer too. For length , I like longer on open beaches like the 10 to 11 footers. around rocks I like 9 to 10 feet.

Anyway , after all that , i think best all around is an Allstar 1145 despite it being 2 piece.

[bassmaster]

1204 hands down

[bassmaster]

Originally posted by tlapinski
ask BM about the 1084. he loves that rod!

I do But I would go with the 1204 as My 1st in a 10' rod
I never eel'd with the 1088 yet any way
I have a 120 1L i wrapped and cut the Butt down on that would work
I do have a grey lami ,not sure of the number, But it is an awsome eeling rod
I just think the 1204 is an awsome rod for snakes

[spence]

I've fished eels with the 1088 Allstar. Like casting with a broomstick. Much better for big plugs.

I'd rather error on the heavy side as I would mostly be fishing around structure or heavy current. Do you guys think the 1205 demands a bigger reel than the 400TE? I'd be fishing braid so I'm not as concerned with capacity...

To be honest I'd probably be happy with any of them

thanks for all the comments,

-spence

[tlapinski]

personally, i think the 400TE sucks for the surf. a friend of mine had one, and he sold it after not too long. they are not as forgiving as the abus.

i would lean towards the 1201M over the 1205 . i was back and forth on the two, but the 1201M had more lifting power, from what i was told, than the 1205. i like that rod so much i just built a spinner to match my conventional.

if you like the smaller size reel, maybe give the new 7000HSN a shot. i love the 7000c3 for eeling, though.

[spence]

Interestingly enough I was contemplating selling the TE to pay for the rod I bought it so cheap I could probably make money on ebay...

-spence

[fishdog13]

the rest are all wimpy try a 5m

[Crafty Angler]

GLad to hear that about the 120 1M there, t'lap. - I wanted something that would put the boots to fish in tight quarters -

Hey, Seawolf, ya listenin' ? Shoot me a PM, bud - - I'm ready if you are - can you say squeteague?

[spence]

What's the sweet spot on the 1201M? The catalog looks to have a typo, but it looks like 4-12???

-spence

[Mike P]

Originally posted by spence
What's the sweet spot on the 1201M? The catalog looks to have a typo, but it looks like 4-12???

-spence

Lami's ratings are a little on the, uh, "rosy" side. Maybe they're rating the rod for lob casting bait.

The 1M does best with 2 oz to about 4-1/2. Once you get to 5 oz and a small chunk of bait it starts to weep a bit.

Sweet spot in the 3 to 3-1/2 oz range.

[spence]

Actually the typo was that it looked like they had 1202M listed twice, instead of 1201M and 1202M...

I should have looked at the 1201M when I was at CMS today. The L looked pretty nice...so did the 1205.

-spence