eel skin needles

[stripercrazy]

looks like jan will be needlefish plug month working on some skin meedles 6 inch,maple,both have bellyweights under the eye and 2 .20oz tailweights...the one with two bellyhooks one weight is behind the rear swevel and one(.2)is in frount of the swevel...2oz each

[ProfessorM]

looking good

[Pete F.]

Looks good Ed.
Just be careful with the swivels, if they stick out too much it can be hard to get a skin over them.

[pbadad]

Good thoughtPete F. I just made a few BM Jrs w/ 2 hooks. Moved the head hook forward and rear belly hook approx 3 1/4" back from front hook. Deepen the hook hole to 3/4" and used 310lb. Krok swiwels. They are flush with the body in order to slide a marginal skin on w/o tearing. I eliminated the tail weight. With the added swivel and 6X 3/0 @ 5grams it made up for the tailweight. Swims great. With tailweight and added hook it was too much to get the proper slow retreive action w/skin. Swims nicely right under the surface.

[NIB]

Nice I like the 2 hook job.You'll have to watch to be sure the tail does not foul on the tail hook..Perhaps if you made it slightly longer it would not be a problem.Weighting is key the fish will tell ya.
I like to use a lighter wood for my needles as I can the action I prefer with the weight..With a wood like Maple it is already on the heavy side.Adding weight becomes tricky as you not far from making a fast sinker..

[numbskull]

I had trouble with the tail fouling on a clone of the large BM skin needle. Trying the thing with the stiff mono didn't help. Eventually went to just one hook. I used to fish a large Habs with a skin and just one belly hook. The thing was about 14" long. Big fish just inhale these skin needles so I never felt I was missing anything good with just one belly hook. Even if I was, it makes up for all the ineffectual casts and time wasted when the tail tangles.

[Mr. Krinkle]

I agree with Numbskull, I fish some homeade 9" skin needles with 4/0 vmc's 6x, to avoid the tail tangle with the rear hook.

[Dr.fish]

Ed,
I know...long time no post...I was planning to build some "skin" plugs and one thing I thought of as I looked at them was the swivels sticking out of the bellies. Due to slim design of the needles I think that the use of hangars made of 316 stainless would be the way to go. With my arthritic hands it's a bear to bend 2 curls, but I think it will make sliding the skins on a whole lot easier...Ummm... I haven't made one yet, but I'm thinkin' about it

[ProfessorM]

i would think you would be able to slid those swivels up into the body of the plug good enough to allow the skin to be slid over them.

[stripercrazy]

the swevel holes should be deep enough so the swevel will go up so the skin fits...I'm going to bet better swevels kroks...I hate when they hang

[stripercrazy]

hopeing to throw these at beavertail this year...hopeing to get a mod sink

[stripercrazy]

maybe I could epoxy a plastic coffee stirer to keep the tail out

[Lower]

Nice needles ed. I'm sure they will treat you well.

[Flaptail]

Skin needles, even big ones (3oz +) don't need to be wired through. The very nature of storing in coarse damp salt, the effect of the skin on the plug make making a needle with all the athestics (spelling?) un-nesceary and irrelavent.

I use birch, drilled weighted and with screw eyes for hook retension. A well seated ss screw eye will never pull. You can replace hooks and eyes when needed and at the sft end of the plug I insert a weight of the appropriate size and then seal and round over with a gob of 2 ton epoxy. No rear eye loop, no hang up for the tail skin that can shred the skin and no tail over 3 inches long is nescesary.

It just a vehicle to carry the skin which does the attracting and undue overbuilding painting etc is frankly a waste of time. Also the skin should go as near as possible to the head or within a 1/2 inch of it.

No rear hook is needed. 99% of your hits are at the head. I make single and two hook versions from 1/2 oz to 3oz.

Don't over think a skin needle's construction. A straight piece of dowel with a weight each end and a skin over it will fish just as well.

[stripercrazy]

I'm still tinkering away...moved the cut up...put the weight behind the hook hole.6grams....2x.2oz in the tail....one's got no belly weight just 3x.2oz(3inches lead)......I haven't fished eel skins before...will the skin slow down the sink rate? thanks for the input...maple/about 6inch/1.4-1.6oz as they sit,no sealer...I'm thinking they'll end up around 1.75

[pbadad]

I fish and make many skin needles. My favorite go to plug. I haven't notice the skin slowing the sink rate. My most successful needle is a stubby style. .24 tail weight w/ 4 gram belly 1/2" in front of hook hole on center. 5" length. I usually have floaters, slow sinkers and sinkers. very your tail weight. Also load one up w/lead to bomb the wind. The skin does cut down the casting distance. 2-3" tail is doable. Good luck. Remember the stubbys do work. Make a few stubbys.