[615955]

My buddy and I have been having some trouble lately fishing with eels. The problem that we are having is that we can not hook the fish. The eels we are using are about 12-14" in length. The blues have been no problem but if we get a striper on the line they have been biting the eel mid section and taking off with out consuming the rest(including the hook). We've been hooking from underneath the mouth to out an eye socket. I had a good 45" striper clear the water last weekend with my eel hanging out of its mouth but I was unable to hook em. Any advise would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!!!

 

[wader]

If your eel is getting bitten in half - you don't have stripers on - what you're getting are blues. Bass don't have teeth that are capable of biting through an eel. They swallow the eel whole.

You have to wait for the bass to swallow the eel before setting the hook. Suggest holding off trying to set the hook for a few seconds after you feel the bass take the eel. Try counting to 3 before pulling back. Allow the bass to begin swiming away with it. If you pull too soon - you'll pull the eel out of the fish's mouth. On the other hand - you don't want to wait too long or you'll gut hook him. This pretty much dooms the fish if you have to release him. It's a matter of timing.

You're rigging the eel correctly - through the lower jaw & out an eye socket.

 

[surfeditor]

Here's what I do and it works extremely well for me. When I feel the hit, I drop the rod tip and set the hook HARD when the line tightens. There's no more than 3 seconds between the hit and the hookset. The hooks are important. I use a 7/0 Gamakatsu Octopus hook.

 

[614782]

Try using circle hooks, you won't gut hook the fish. When the fish picks up the eel let him move until the line tightens then engage the reel, don't try to set the hook. Circle hooks do the work for you and 90% of the hook-ups are in the corner of the mouth, which saves alot of fish. It takes alittle time to fight the temptation to set the hook but when you see how it works it becomes alot easier. I use large hooks, when you catch a fish don't through out the eel use it again and again there is something about certian eels that bass like. Good Luck, LouYour Name

fishon

 

[jdf]

listen to lou and surfeditor,they are both on course jimmy tight lines

jdf