Eels are the most versatile
of Striped Bass baits
Tutorial by the King of Eels
Joe Brotz (Roccus)
Different methods come from different areas.
In areas with deep water over under water reefs they are fished with a large
sinker and 3 way swivel.
The main line is attached to the 3 way, 18" of 40 or 50 lb floro
and a 6/0 circle hook go to the middle eye,the sinker is attached to
2' of 20lb test and a breakaway rig,just like the one used in some
bottom hi-lo rigs.
Circle hooks work best for this set up because the bait is often taken before
you feel the bite,heavy tackle is the key here.
Up my way (Merrimack river mass) eels are drifted, trolled (with an electric
motor) and plugged.
when drifting eels, river mouth, under water reef, under water mussel beds,
rock piles and sandbars make good ambush points, 20- 30lb test line and
a 18-24" length of 25lb floro carbon leader and a 4/0-6/0- hook (I
like Gamigatsu octopuss style) will give you a shot at a decent fish,a
small rubber core sinker can be added if you feel the eel isnt getting
to the fish (bottom) but I find this un necesarry most of the time.
I combine trolling and plugging, when fishing the river 20 lb test is as
light as I go, my standard trolling outfits are 6 1/2' lami glass customs
and penn 320 GTI lever drags loaded with 60 lb power pro with a 6' 40lb
shocker leader and a 18" 25 lb floro leader, a #30 lb barrel swivel
connects the rig to the leader and a 4/0 Gami is at the buisness end.
The eels are trolled with the tide, just fast enough to make headway speed,
look for mussel beds, creek mouths and grassy banks, while trolling, another
eel is cast and retrieved (slowly) up ahead and to the boat,with fantastic
results. Make sure you reel all the way to the boat,I cant count the baths
Ive seen guys get when they lifted the bait as a bass made a last effort
to snag the eel.
Fishing the beachfront I'll go lighter if the
fish are fussy and the water is loaded with fire, 15 lb line
is standard for my casting outfits, I use custom made lamiglass
6' rods and shimano 4500 baitrunners, where there is nothing
to break off a fish on, the technique is simular, I troll the
edges of sandbars and plug the eel into the surfline, on beachfront
rock piles like we have at boars head, Ill use the electric motor
to work the boat in and around the rock while i plug the eels
into the bones.
Handeling eels can be a PITA if your not used to it, some people accuse me
of having studded vise grip hands, I dont , I've just had lots of practice.
For the beginner, get a pair of buckets that fit into one another, drill
1/4" holes into the "insert"to let the water out and put
in a bag of ice, dump your eels onto it,they will take a nap...until..
they hit the water, handel them with a coarse dry rag, I like the standard
red shop towel.
Some times eels like to "ball " up and knot your line, a sharp
smack on water will take the fight out of them most of the time, sometime
a good beating is in order, as long as that sucker curls his tail...he'll
catch fish. when moving from place to place I like to lay down the rig
to keep the little squirmer from balling up,on the otherhand if there is
room I'll let 115 horses lay them out straight! a word of caution,check
your leader often, when you break off a big fish is not the time to find
a knot was in your leader
Eels are under most circumstances are a nighttime bait, but, I too have done
well with them during the day, mostly during the fall run,thats the great
thing about bass....they dont read books on what they are supposed and not
supposed to do!!!!! On the contrary, I remember being told that herring (live
during the herring run) were only effective after the sun came up, I remember
one june trip when my partner and i got all our herring by 3:30(AM), the
rest of the crew went back to the camper to eat some breakfast and get a
wink or two, we wanted to fish,long story short, we were out of bait when
the rest of the crew came out, we begged a few livies from them, under the
pretense that all ours had died (they did,the bass ate 'em!)...man were they
P.O'd when the found out how many fish we got!
Moral of the story, never limit yourself to one method or belief,fish dont
read books, try something different even if it seems crazy,if I had a buck
for every fish that I caught that wasnt supposed to be where it was or eat
a certain bait or feed on a certain tide,I'd retire and go somwhere warm
and find me a striper or two!
There is much more to it than what I've put in here
Tight lines
Roc
