HELP - how do you keep these damn eels from tangling my line!

[CAL]

Never fish eels with a fishfinder setup like you're fishing a chunk. Instant eelball.
Never just let them sit down there, reel them in.
If you gotta get them down try stuffing an egg sinker in their mouth.

[zacs]

I have never used a fishfinder for an eel, so maybe thats the problem. I either just drift them with no weight [swivel to leader to hook], or use a 3 way swivel, and hang weight off one hole and the leader, usually a few feet, and send them to send them to the bottom. I rarely anchor, and I can't remeber if I have drifted eels w/o weight, but I have 3-way'ed em at anchor without problem.

Unlike people keep insisting, you do not need to reel them in constantly when in a boat, although you can with success.

[eelman]

There are times when three waying eels out off block when you need lots of weight to hold bottom, the trick is to let the sinker hit bottom then reel in a couple of cranks and drift, the tension of the water will prevent the eel from curling up on the leader, as for three waying at anchor, I have never heard of it, three waying is synonomus with fishing a drift just like drifting for fluke. I would cast and retrieve at anchor but not just let the eel sit there on the bottom. When I fish currents like in our breachways I add rubbercore sinkers to the line to get thye eel down more but other than that I still fish them the same way.

I know guys who fish the race and sometimes need 13 ounces of lead just to get down and stay down in a good moon tide rip!

Alot of guys I am hearing from are now just using an egg sinker above a good sampo swivel instead of the three way rig, when a bass picks up the eel it does not feel the weight and they say this is working out great!

I also got the tip on the orvis mirage flouro from these boat guys they say it makes a ton of difference and now that I use it for leaders I have to agree its great stuff and really takes a beating, I use the 60lb orvis mirage and my leader is long at about 8 or 9 feet, it can really take a pounding in the rocks, give it a try.

But boat fishing aint my thing so I am no one to ask! Just my opinion!

[Fish On]

Jim,

Let me help. Grab the eel with a dry paper towel for the best grip. Put the first 3 inches of eel into your mouth and suck the blood up to the head. This puts the eel into a trance-like state that last for over an hour. Easy to now put on the hook and he'll swim slowly almost unconscious, never ball up, never tangle, and never go into the rocks.

[Slingah]

eeeeewwwwwww!
thats icky

[BigFish]

Slingah likes his eels the long way!

[Slingah]

drop the gay crap on everything I post or you will have war....and I got plenty of ammo