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Kevin,
I am by no means an expert. I was lucky enough to be taught how to rig a whole dead eel by a shop owner on long island who was taught by "an old timer".
The skins are new to me, I bought some eel skin jigs from Pt. Jude and NJ Tackle and proceeded to give it a try. It was relatively easy.
You cut the skin around the head of the eel, some say nail the eel down on a tree or a board but I found this was more difficult in handling the eel. Using surgical gloves, after cutting the skin, I took a rigging needle and pushed it into the eel between the skin and the meat and proceeded to turn the needle 360 degrees (kind a like stirring soup). This loosens the skin off the meat. I then took a needle nose plier and turned the skin inside out about an inch all the way around. Once I have in this position, I hold the eel by the head as tightly as I can and pull the skin down with the pliers in one continious motion until it is off.
Once it is off, the difficult part begins, reversing the skin. Again turn the right side out about a an inch and then gently push the rest of it through with the end of a wooden spoon (some have suggested running water through the skin to get the right side out).
After the skin is turned out, run it through the hook (measure approximate by aligning the open end of the skin to the area of the jig to tie off to) and push the hook through. Pull it to the tie off area on the jig and tie it off with two double overhand knots using 80 lb. dacron and then drop a drop of crazy glue.
You are now done. Pyt them in a freezer bag and sprinkle kosher salt.
Good luck....you will have sucsess with them (dead eels - rigged eels and skins).....they do work.
Kadir
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