What I would fish with at the RI Tourney this weekend.

[Saltheart]

OK , big tourney this weekend. Fishing has been good along the coast. Good weather predicted.

If I could fish only one thing this weekend , it would be RI rigged eels . If you search under my name you'll find a thread on rigging eels.

Of course chunks and eels are excellent as are needlefish and mombo minnows (white , olive , black). Put a teaser on with everything but the live eel (even there if you can keep it untangled). My favorite is black hackle over white bucktail tied with red thread on a 4/0 mustad. many others work but that's a good one. A graded green sand eel works well too for a teaser.

For the afternoon and early AM , a popper with a teaser will get you lots of blitzing fish both blues and bass. I like 2/14 OZ poppers. White and red , white and blue , and orange and yellow. I still have stock of old Atom poppers but Habs and creek chubs and Stan Gibbs poppers are all good. just vary how you work it till you hook up. Don't spaz out on a strike and yank it out of the strike zone. Stay cool so if the fish misses it can come back for another whack. This time of year if you play the lure right , the fish will just keep coming back and whacking it as long as you keep it in play.

Again , if I could have only one thing for this weekend it would be rigged eels and you can use a teaser with a rigged eel.

[STEVE IN MASS]

Great Saltheart. I got three eels rigged in my freezer ala your method and have two more I can rig up. I'll be looking for your critique on my rigging efforts. Looks like I'm good to go!

[Patrick82]

I'm fishing with what I have.

Here is the list of what I have and you can tell me what's best. I'm bringing it all but don't know what to use.

Bridgeport eel jig (Metal tin with a green surgical tube)
2 Acme Fiords with yellow tubes
2 Windcheaters. One green over white, one black over white.
A blue over white 5/8 Casting swimmer.
A 1 5/8 oz blue over white darter.
A blue over yellow darter (not sure of the weight, maybe I can weigh it up there but it's large)
A black over grey Habs Needlefish.
A blue scale Boone Needlefish.
A 5 inch black over silver Redfin
A 7 inch blue over silver Redfin.
Krocodiles of 3 sizes
A 1 5/8 oz Danny Swimmer in a mackeral finish.
A Gag's popper in blue mackeral finish.
A large creek chub popper in silver
A small creek chub popper in red head/white.
A green over white Acme Need-L-Eel
Some smaller bucktails (about an oz)
A 4 inch Yo-Zuri in firetiger.
A Bagley Top Gun in Yellow over white.
A roadrunner
A 7 inch Mambo Minnow in black.
A 7 inch Cordell Pencil popper black over silver.
A 3 oz hopkins.
2 Mr. Bunkers by Gags.
9 inch sluggo in black over white
10 inch Fin-S fish in black over white.
An Atom plug redhead/yellow.
A Rapala SuperShad Rap in shad finish.

That's about it. I don't have much for teasers. I have one teaser fly and then 3 from the rig my mom bought me in Ireland. Oh well, I can get by with that. I don't even have a blasted eel hook left.

[TheSpecialist]

Patrick those 9" sluggs and the 7" mambo are bad for your health. You are in luck though I know just how to dispose of them. I will bring my haz-mat gear with me and take care of it for you. We would'nt want you getting sick on your first fling.

[BCY]

Rigged eels are nice... very nice.... too bad I don't have any right now. I'll just have to make do with my sluggos. The only problem that I have is trying to decide which color to use. Choices... choices....

[The Iceman 6]

Decisions, Decisions it is. Last time in Cape, nailed them on 5 and 8 inch (like the 8) curly tails also big fan on 5 inch assassins, very low on both and cannot find anywhere.

Iceman