How I hook an Eel - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

eelman · 07-30-2005, 09:14 AM

I notice no difference in the hook up ratio with the slightly bent hook but it will slide over rocks better again the hook I use is

Mustad 94150 6/0 short shank live bait

JohnR · 07-30-2005, 09:47 AM

That hurt my eyes so I adjusted the pic - all set....

LeCounts1099 · 07-30-2005, 09:53 AM

Is this your rigging method for throwing live eels? Or is this for dead/ riggies? Seems to me that it might be tough keeping a live eel frisky throat- hooking it? (Or, am I wrong? Haven't tried it myself...)

Boy, that's one heck of a barb on your hooks! I would think a sharpie (mostly) crushes that down? Must be hard to release Bass in good shape, if not? Yes, I understand that SOME barb is important/ necessary, to keeping the eel on the hook-- but the Gama Octopus 5/0 & 6/0's I use come with a much smaller barb to start with... and even these I crush 75% down, & see no downside to this lost amount of barb (but major up-side in releasing fish in good shape).

Not "complaining," EM... Just asking/ wondering?...

eelman · 07-30-2005, 10:03 AM

Nope never do I crush the barb on an eel hook, that would be the time a 40 hits! I never hook a bass deeper than the start of the throat and never have a problem getting the hook out for a fast release, in the rare occasion I have hooked them deeper I just cut the line and let them go, the hook rusts out in a few days. With one hook, I want every advantage I can get, crushing the barb would be counter productive.Often times a bass in the teens or 20s will be lip hookes and during the fight a hole will develop, sometimes that barb is the only thing that keeps them on! When I do use plugs, I crush the barbs on the trebles but, I always leave one hook intact on each treble it is still easy to release fish but there is some security.

As far as the eel staying alive? I get a good 45mins to an hour out of my eels hooked this way, they live longer than hooking them thru the brain and out the eye socket.

Oh ya, thats the way I rig for live eels....

One thing I have noticed when hooking bass, often times the hook "moves" you may have the hook in the mouth when you set up but during the fight the hook comes out and catches again in the lips, I swear I can feel this when it happens, I want that barb!

eelslinger · 07-30-2005, 10:08 AM

That hook doesn't looked hand sharpened. Do you sharpen them? I usually have to sharpen Mustads myself.

eelman · 07-30-2005, 10:11 AM

Yes I always sharpen them, I just used that hook on a dead eel for the picture, I sharpen them to a razor point..........

5/0 · 07-30-2005, 10:46 AM

That's a pretty neat way to hook-em,I've never seen it that way on a live eel.I kinda like the other way w/ the hook upwards I thinnk the eel would swim true,I would also tend to think the hook would get snaged alot more frequently.

I like the Gamakatsu live bait HD 5/0.

Thank's for sharing the pic!

5/0

eelman · 07-30-2005, 10:55 AM

Funny but the eel never gets snagged and acually the eel runs more true this way, the hook acts like a mini keel, anyway I have hooked them like this for years and it really works great

JohnR · 07-30-2005, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeCounts1099

Is this your rigging method for throwing live eels? Or is this for dead/ riggies? Seems to me that it might be tough keeping a live eel frisky throat- hooking it? (Or, am I wrong? Haven't tried it myself...)

It's a tracheotomy for the eel but if it gets free (or released as a reward having coughed up some nice fish) the hole will grow over

. Just a little more incentive for your eel when you give it that pre-first cast speech. In the tone of Bill Murray "This ain't gonna hurt, Doctor's orders"