Convench for eeling the canal?

[Rob Rockcrawler]

Im looking for a new rod. Either factory or a custom for throwing eels in the canal, shad bodies, and lighter stuff like mombos. Im using a Tica 10' its rated 2-8. It works good for casting big plugs, 2.5 oz and up but its kinda stiff, its decent for shad bodies. I used it throwing eels all year and now i want somthing a bit softer. IT worked good but i know there is something out there a hell of a lot better. Probably 9'6" with a softer tip. Also would like to be able to throw a mombo a bit better. I can get it out ok now but if there is a headwind its tough. So basically is there a rod that can pretty much do it all, matched up with ab abu7000.

[MAC]

no

[bud8fan]

Ya might want to feel a Lami SB 1213M. I think thats about the closest your gonna get and still have the balls to handle a decent fish in the current at the Ditch! You could try a 1205 but I seriously doubt your gonna throw a mambo with it! Oh yeah and that rod is an accident waiting to happen walking on the rocks at the canal! Trust me I know from experience!

[spence]

I'd get the 1213m and forget about mambos you could throw them, but not far...

-spence

[Nebe]

This is the classic case of why you see a guy carrying 2 rods down at the breachways or at the canal. He's got one rod for jigging that is probably a conventional, and he has another lighter rod for plugging that is usually a spinner-

[Rob Rockcrawler]

I had a feeling i wasnt going to get a real answer. I dont use much spinning tackle at all, it hurts the hell outta my wrist, i usually pack it in around the end of june. Since im pretty much done fishing now its time to spend all the money that i am saving by not fishing. Thanks for the help guys.

[East Tide]

Hey Rob, I used to only fish eels pre-dawn at the ditch so I tried alot of different set-ups. Spinning hurts my wrist too. But where distance is a concern, I found it harder to fish eels with convetional b/c when they move mid-cast it means that you have to thumb the spool to slow it down resulting in a shorter cast. I prefer spinning for eel fishing the ditch but since fishing eels aren't my primary focus as they used to be, I've had to adjust. The best setup I have found to date is a Sabre 1208 cut 6" from the tip with a smaller reel like an Abu 6500 CS Rocket or Penn 965 with 20 lb mono. THe downside is this setup (IMO) is only good for 1 hr before and after slack. The rocks are tough and braid doesn't stretch enough so when a fish pics up your eel it feels the line go tight instead of it giving as mono does. Myself, a guy named mario, an old guy with a beard and a camper and occasionally John R used to kill them with 1 pound eels at slack. That's actually how I learned to fish the ditch. I'm still learning . GOod luck! Can't wait until I don't have to drive 1200 miles to catch 30 lbers! -PS my biggest ditch fish (40lbs) has come on a jig!

[RIROCKHOUND]

"I had a feeling i wasnt going to get a real answer."

I think you got real answers... thats a tough call to make, as Wireline Eben said, bring two sticks, its a tough thing to throw big wood/eels and then throw mambos on the same set up....

[5/0]

I'll second Ebens reply with the duel rods. It might not be the answer your looking for, but think about the applications you're attempting....That's kinda tough to split too different fishing presentations with one rod and expect it to work properly.


When fishing the Canal, drifting eels, large plugs, 4.0 + oz.metals I use conventional. When I use smaller plugs, stick baits or small eels I'll bring my spinning, it kinda sux lugging around to poles, but ya gotta do what it takes to do different applications, right.
My . 02

[Rob Rockcrawler]

I hear ya with the two rods, i was just hoping that i could narrow it down a bit. I got a bike all rigged up for the canal but it doesnt fit very well in my truck when i have all my gear in there with the topper on so i usually just leave it at home. Mobility is a problem with two rods when ya dont have a bike. I do bout half my fishing at the canal the rest either in SoCo or connecticut. Most of the time im moving around quite a bit. Thanks for all the help.

[Rob Rockcrawler]

"I had a feeling i wasnt going to get a real answer."
That was just me saying that i was pretty sure i wouldnt be blessed with the answer of the perfect rod. I knew i was thinking wishfully.

[spence]

I don't think it's possible to tell somebody what the perfect rod is. You have to use is, and eventually that will be the stick you grab.

There are plenty of rods that are very versatile. You may have to make a compramise here and there, but that's all part of figuring out how you really want to fish.

I'm sure there are guys who can, but I can't imaging throwing a Mambo on a 7000 into a headwind.

-spence