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Striper Fishing with eels

44K views 52 replies 33 participants last post by  Miss Loretta Fishing 
#1 ·
#2 ·
Eels are one of the most versatile baits for striped bass.

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 octopus 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 necessary most of the time.

I combine trolling and plugging, when fishing the river 20lb 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 60lb power pro with a 6' 40lb shocker leader and a 18" 25lb floro leader,a #30 lb barrel swivel connects the rig to the leader and a 4/0 Gami is at the business 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,15lb 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 similar,I troll the edges of sandbars and plug the eel into the surf-line,on beach-front 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.

Handling 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, handle 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 squirmier from balling up,on the other hand 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

There is much more to it than what I've put in here,I'm sure others will chime in,and I'll add some more latter...tight lines.
 
#7 ·
Eels are the biggest pain in the a## to deal with, however they are the best bait when it comes to longevity and production for me. I fish in the bay bay/river part of south jersey and do alot of small rod fishing while deadsticking a eel for stripers and the eels are tremendously thick back where I fish hence the reason stripers lurk back there. I always fish points on the marsh with deep drops (25-50ft of water of the bank). I anchor right to the marsh and throw them out. The ice trick is an absolute must if you don't deal with them well it will save you alot of heartache. I have found it is extremely important to keep alot of pressure on the eel to keep him from his knot tying habit . It is always easiest to take the eel off the rig if he tangles and then tend to your rig. I fish 3-5oz of weight with no fish finder and a Penn live liner reel or just keep your drag loose. The other beauty about eels are it will reduce the amount of junk fish you deal with dramatically. I also found that in the 18in. range works the best for me. To much to write on this good luck
 
#9 ·
I troll eels at night on the kayak and they dont here me coming.

I use a similar method as everyone else. Big Gama hooks sixe 6-7, 5-6ft mono leader 50lb, 1/4oz egg weight and troll over structure. I let out as much line as possible without grounding out. I like watching the take as the bass inhale it and take me for a ride. If they miss on the first try they always come back for more. You know you have the right presentation when the bass hit like a freight train. :twisted:
 
#12 ·
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!
 
#49 ·
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!
What he said, love eels they cast well stay on the hook like no other,:10187:
 
#13 ·
I guess I should weigh in on this one as EELS do it for me. Next time your out tube and worming, maybe try a live eel not a worm. Night time on the beach is where eels are deadlyest. I like to break the tail on them, my buddy doesn't. Probably doesn't matter. Eelicide is no fun when fish are around. We don't use weight, and fish them as slow as possible. When we feel a hit, the line comes off the line roller for a 5 count,then we set the hook. As for the nyut part, everyone knows to use an eel rag. Boy that rag sure does look like it's taken a few, well....uh..... you know, by the next time you go to use it lol. I have been using the same bait shop for 7 years and it's worth the extra quarter an eel to pick out your own. That way you get the eels you think will work on any given night. And the bait shop owner becomes your friend. Good luck and tight lines. :)
 
#14 ·
The Trick for fishing eels

We use eels 12 to 18 inches in the rivers in SC. One of my tricks for handling them is to have an extra cooler with ice, water and rock salt. We keep the eels in a basket hanging off the side of the boat ( a crappie basket) . When time to bait up, just dump an eel out of the basket into the cold water in the cooler. This will stun them motionless. Hook them on and cast them out and they'll come to as soon as they hit warm water. I really hate them wrapping oround my hands and arms. This really works.
 
#17 ·
tight lines....good fishin'

sea sea, I first heard that phrase aboard the Starstream II out of sheeps head bay, (or maybe it was the Rocket) with Capt. Rocky who was a genuine ole' sea salt. I was 10 or 11 at the time, now I'm pushin 53.

Each time we would come to a new drift he would set the boat, blow the horn and say "tight lines good fishin'". Out of all the boats I fished on along the entire East Coast, up until now, he was the only one I heard use that expression. I started fishing on head boats in Montauk and Greenport at the age of 5 with my dad.
 
#21 ·
no fish on eels

I have spent alot of time with eels on my line . Why the heck do they not work for me ? I fish from shore could that have anything to do with my not having caught fish on them.I am talking hundreds of eels and two runs, one came back in half. Im sure that was a hungy lil blue. what size
eels r u guys using. Iv used all sizes and caught a holelot of nothing.
oh a brown shark once. The only thing that keeps me hooking them on my line is that the imige in my head has always been big girls
must love these sqirmie lil basterds. But always came up dry. I can't say its a lack of big fish in the erea. iv'e been draging in posidins sled dogs.
half pogies work awsome :wall: with eels.Hey if your out there and forgot your rag try natures answer half dried sea weed gives you a grip on things.maybe even better than rag.... I would love some input on what im doing wrong.1
 
#23 ·
re: weed colecters

iv'e been hitting the deep spot in buzzards bay and sandwich bay.i keep bying them and they keep getting set free come sun light. i have tried what i think to be everthing. a rubber cor,fish finder no wiehgt. Its
kinda funny to me that i continue to buy them . I have never landed a striper with one.i will check it out . thanks goz
 
#26 ·
I will definitly check it out goz. I just got back in, early night for me.
still kicking myself in the ass over the one i lost. I did get a couple in the high thirtys". I peeled through 10 pogies in 2 hours. lost a cow and packed it up. I hooked my pogie wrong went to deep and got under the back bone . She must have swollowed it because i faught her for two min
with my new and improved wench, I picked up a penn Ld from red top
filled with 85 braid (300 yards+backer). I gave a good yank and she started her run.I personally like leting them peel for a bit.my drag set is around 16lbs on the hook sett position, and obout 30 at full on,. loving my LD. so anyway
I got a good look at her bellie as she regurgated my hook and chunk of spine from my miss hooked pogie . Just another fish storie .... aww man.

It kills me im always so carefull .... I love it when she gives a good bellie
shot ...
P.S thanx for the eel spots guys. i still don't get it ?
 
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