Initial hook placement for an eel

[Sundowner]

I went to the "how to" forum and read the entire "Eeling 101" thread and saw some disparities in the "hang up" part of the forum as to how to place the hooks. I am looking to, not get away entirely from plugging, but I want to learn Eeling. Could you post favorite hooks(again), weights, and swivel or knots according to situations. I know its asking alot, but any input could really help a guy out that has been trying really hard for a few yrs and has finally succumb to the fact of eels tearing it up. I actually just want to know how to hook them so they dont snag but anything else I welcome. Thanks all.....

[Circlehook]

Gami 6/0 Octopus hook. insert hook in lower jaw, out through an eye. After cast always keep tension on the line or you'll get an eel ball. Reel in super slow. set hook. Reel in fish.
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[AL617]

Kill the buggers and rig em with 2 siwash hooks. I don't think I'll bother with live ones ever again
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[striperswiper75]

I use 7/0 gama octopus hooks. Hook from under the jaw then out an eye socket. I also just put the hook on by clipping it to my breakaway clip. Allows for quick transition from eel to plug. I haven't noticed any negative drawbacks to the breakaway approach either.
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[piemma]

Old way. 50# mono leader 36 to 40" long. Swivel between working line and leader. Gami 5/0 to 7/0 Octopus hook. Hook the eel through the lower jaw and out one eye.

Never any weight. Never a clip. Simple, effective and not much that came fail except your knots.

[Grapenuts]

we always just used 24" of 20lb. leader an a old reg. 5/0 hook....17 lb. running line on the reel....corse we had sandy beaches,no stones.
hooking the eel was always in an out the bottom cause we figured with the hook point pointing down it would catch the lower or side of the mouth which is softer..being the roof of the mouth is nothing but hard bone on a bass...only time when we missed was yanking to soon...first fish of the nite an all.

[RIROCKHOUND]

Originally Posted by piemma

Old way. 50# mono leader 36 to 40" long. Swivel between working line and leader. Gami 5/0 to 7/0 Octopus hook. Hook the eel through the lower jaw and out one eye.

Never any weight. Never a clip. Simple, effective and not much that came fail except your knots.

Same. weight in very occasional circumstances not to be shared here Sundowner, next time I make a meeting for the club, flag me down and we can chat...

Mustad #94150 6/0 for me though. Switched after talking to him who's name we can't say...

I used rip a lot of eels off w/ octopus hooks... too thin wire.

[tlapinski]

5' leader of either 50# or 60# mono or fluoro. 180# swivel and 7/0 Eagle Claw big game bait hook. Used to use Gami's, then I cored 1000 EC's on eBay so I use them. Tried cirlces for a while, hated them. I like to set the hook and I still ad deep hooks. Tried octopus hooks, cast off too many eels (thinner wire??) Hook goes in bottom of throat and out the eye to the inside of the current swing. Right to left gets right eye, left to right gets left eye so the eel is lss likely to turn over and spin (or so I theorize).

[Rockfish9]

Unless you are fishing deep water... you will have far better sucess with a short (18") leader of #30.. floro is OK, I prefer Ander clear..it's tough, and abrasion resistant and also is a little stiffer, harder for the eel to knot up.. unlike most, I do not bring the hook up through the eye socket.. the reason, that is a loose hole, stright through both lips just short of the skull bone will produce a straighter , more natural swimming bait... it also gives the barb another palce to grab.. i save each eye for the second or third "rehook"... I'm not an advocate of circle hooks for eel fishing... a high percentage of fish get lost because the hook ends up in the eel.. it can happen with "J" hooks , but not nearly as often ..My prefered hook is a 4/0 Gami "J" hook...most people use hooks that are way too large, it leaves a bigger hole in the eel and also is harder to sink in the jaw of a large bass.. I've landed enough fish over 50lbs to have faith that that hook will hold the biggest bass in the sea.....I allow my eels to dry out slightly in the bucket.. because... I grab most of my eels bare handed ( those that have fished with me have seen it)...I imediately jamb my thumb into the throat area at the base of the skull.. this will temporarily paralize the eel... allowing me to hook it swiftly... when you release it ..it's normal functions( including balling) will continue.. so get it in the water quickly...most of my fishing is in shallow water 5' or lless... trolling with an electric trolling motor just fast enoght to keep them near the surface and casting and retrieving are my standard method of presenting them.. in the river .. along the beach... and cast into the craggy rock piles in both the river and along the shore line...

[Sea Flat]

Originally Posted by piemma

Old way. 50# mono leader 36 to 40" long. Swivel between working line and leader. Gami 5/0 to 7/0 Octopus hook. Hook the eel through the lower jaw and out one eye.

Never any weight. Never a clip. Simple, effective and not much that came fail except your knots.

This is exactly how I do it too, always 7/0 for me though.

[Kierran]

Originally Posted by striperswiper75

I use 7/0 gama octopus hooks. Hook from under the jaw then out an eye socket. I also just put the hook on by clipping it to my breakaway clip. Allows for quick transition from eel to plug. I haven't noticed any negative drawbacks to the breakaway approach either

Same here.
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[Stewie]

Once you have hooked the eel, continuously jiggle the end of your rod with the eel hanging until you are ready to cast. This will keep the slimy bastage from knotting himself up into an eel ball.

[Pete F.]

Originally Posted by Stewie

Once you have hooked the eel, continuously jiggle the end of your rod with the eel hanging until you are ready to cast. This will keep the slimy bastage from knotting himself up into an eel ball.

I have better luck hanging onto the slimy bastages till they stop having a fit about me putting a hook thru their heads, about thirty seconds I think, but they do slime you pretty good if they are good sized.
They always slime me unless I deslime and rig them.

[Rob Rockcrawler]

From the bottom up either through an eye or the middle, i have not noticed a difference. I like to use a Gami Live bait hook in 5/0-7/0. I use circles in moving water when i am drifting, regular hooks when just casting and retrieving. Another tip to avoid an eel ball is as soon as you hook it get it in the water. The first cast i tend to reel in faster than normal just to avoid the ball, a couple casts into the eel and he is relaxed.

[Clogston29]

gami 6/0 live bait hook (not the HD ones), hooked in mouth and out bottom of throat, 3'-4' of 40-60# mono, quality swivel

give them a good beating on the rocks before hooking them. its mean, but so is hooking them in the head and feeding them to a fish.

[joebaggs99]

here's a tip. hook through bottom jaw and through the left or right cheek muscle. I notice the muscle hold better for casting and will keep life to the eel. fresh riggie is always good to...

[striper50trout]

I found that if I keep eels in ice until hooking them up I don't have trouble with them balling up. Once they are in the water for a few seconds they wake up.

[JLH]

Mustad ultrapoint 7/0 or 8/0 hooks to about a 6' 50# or 60# leader is what I use. I usually fish the biggest eels I can find and the larger hooks seem more appropriate and seem to hook up more often using them than I did with the gami 6/0s. Definitely use small to medium weights in some situations, mainly moving or deep water especially as the eels gets tired or if it has died.
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