eels from shore

[ecduzitgood]

I find putting my hand in a tube sock works great to get a grip even protects my arm while hooking them up, just pull the sock off inside out and no mess. Make sure to keep them moving either let the current move them or a slow retrieve just keep a little tension on the line you can kinda feel what the eel is doing.

[Roccus]

From shore or boat, a live eel is your best ticket to a large night time bass....

for leaders, 18" is about as long as you want, anything longer than that is difficult to cast and not needed...Most people use hooks that are simply too big.. the bigger the hook the harder it is to set... a 4/0 Gamakatsu octopus style is a perfect size for all but the largest of snakes...

How you fish the eel depends on many factors, from water depth to tidal flow and the area of the water column where the fish are feeding, a weightless eel will find it's way to the bottom up to about 20' unless the tide is really ripping , once your tempter has reached the strike (desired) zone, if the tidal current is sufficient, the eel can be allowed to drift, maintaining a tight line to keep it out of trouble...

From a sandy beach, wade out and cast parallel to the beach, work the eel slowly along the beach shore or bar..

where offshore bars are prevalent, an eel tossed into the breakers and slowly worked back can often times draw savage strikes..

As far as handling eels, practice makes perfect... the less time spent on gimmicks the better, I rarely even use a rag, most often, I simply grab the little beast, jamb my thumb under it's jaw, thus rendering the eel limp.. it will return to life as soon as you relax your grip... it takes practice, the Roc stunner isn't mastered in one season...

For transport, I have a two bucket system, the "insert" is drilled to allow slime and water to drain, the bottom bucket catches the slime...

My eels are kept in a keeper on the dock, holes are drilled to permit water to pass through.. the jug is weighted to keep the water from heating up during periods of slack water....

First picture is of the Stunner being applied...

Second picture is of liner and bucket...

Third is the leader set up...18" of 30lb floro carbon, 280lb Kroc swivel

The next tow are of the "keeper"... where unused eels get stored until the next trip..

Lastly.. striper's love eels..

[Springwater]

Have you had luck with eels in the daytime Roccus?

[Toe44]

Roccus,

Curious about this line from your post above.

"From a sandy beach, wade out and cast parallel to the beach, work the eel slowly along the beach shore or bar.."

I fish in and around Seagull Beach in West Yarmouth. Reading the surf it looks like sandy-mung-sandy-mung-sandy parallel going out. So when I toss the eel out from the beach I rear back and throw it out as far as I can and then let it sit because I'm afraid to do the slow retrieve and pull the eel in covered with mung. By what you posted you recommend wading in a bit and reeling it parallel to the beach maybe 8' - 10' off shore? Do the fish cruise that close consistently?

Thanks,

Toe

[Roccus]

I rarely fish during the day, yes, I have had very good sucess with eels during the day.. but the game is different...

Obviously, if the shore is loaded with mung, you cant fish the most productive area.... yes, when I'm in the boat, I fish the last curl of the wave... many a night, I have sneaked under lines of sleeping fisherman and taken fish inside the area they are covering...

On one particular night, two surfcasters had waded out to an outside bar at low tide, the cut behind them was about two feet deep, Imagine their surprise when they heard my drag scream BEHIND them....

[xp600]

Oooooo - the Roc Stunner. That's a good one. Gonna have to try that on my next trip. And I'm just gonna have to man up and forget the rag, it only gets in the way.

[ht42]

why not circle hooks on the eels? would they work as well

[Roccus]

Originally Posted by ht42

why not circle hooks on the eels? would they work as well

Circle hooks do work with eels,but not well IMHO, because of the nature of the hook, they have a nasty tendancy to end up back in the eel.... eels are the only bait I still use "J" hooks on, everything else I use circles..

Most of my fish are hooked in the roof of the mouth or in the jaw, I do not allow the fish to run with the bait, when I feel the hit I drop my rod tip, wait for the line to tighten and put the tongs to 'em....

In a few deep water ( over 60') rock piles, where in the heat of the summer I fish bass during the day when they are on large bait( and I have NO other choice), I will 3 way eels over the rips, in these instances, I do use a 6/0 circle hook, mainly because that deep, by the time you feel the fish they have the bait swallowed, even then a pecentage of those fish are dropped as in the process of turning the bait the eel finds some way to wrap itself around the hook and imbed it into itself...

I

[MasterBaiter]

I've read your posts on eels in the past Roccus but learned something new (well I learned something new every time I read the others as well) in this one. Normally I use a 7/0 circle for eels, but reading here you are going with a 4/0, which seems small to me. I might pick up a pack though and see how I like that size. I think I'll still stick with the circles because I am used to them now and never really have a problem with the eels turning back on the hook, and when I do I can deal. But just goes to show you learn something new every day, and that is an understatement when learning to striper fish.

[MasterBaiter]

I also learned that the 36" leader's I've been making that eat all my floro are unnecessary, 18" it is from now on, thanks Roc .

[undapar77]

Whats the best way to fish eels from shore?
1. live line em?
2 fish with a float and let tthem swin 2-3 feet below the surface?
3. fish on the bottom with a bait runner leader?
thanks,
matt

[JakeF]

Matt,
Read some of the other posts in this thread, I think you'll find your questions have already been answered in detail. Also, do a search for "Live Eels" and you'll find MANY threads where this has been discussed many times.

[Striperjim]

Matt theres some good stuff in the stripers101 forum and the stickies.
Plenty of info on slinging eels from the shore like Jocob said.
Read post # 17 above. [insert 'for crying out loud' smilie here ]
Keep it simple. Tie on hook to your leader. Stun eel or take one off the ice, hook eel through the jaw and out an eye. Toss eel out towards an outflow or creek mouth with eel grass. Count 4 mississippi. reel it in very very slowly. Dont let it stop.

[MasterBaiter]

Ane keep in mind all size fish love eels. was catchin fish barely bigger than my eels this weekend. That's like me eating a 5 foot sub....

[McT]

eels might not be that smart, but they do know to run and hide. easier to use them with good current rather than slow or still water because they will hide in rocks or anything they can find down below. thus increasing the chance of your line getting snagged on something and that is a headache... eels are great live bait if you drift them into waiting bass.