Live lining eels?

[Hannibal]

Gunning for some stripers this weekend and was hopefully going to try out some live lining. Usually it's spot/perch, etc - but are eels an option? If so, how would you rig them? Or is it something typically only utilized with boats?

[Lip Ripper]

i have tried fishing eels every way i can think of, but they always seem to wrap around my leader. i have 2 ways that i fish them now. if you hook them in the tail and put them on a float they try to swim down, but because of the float they just sit there slithering around(and looking delicious). because they want to be on the bottom they stay out of your line.


now this is my favorite, 1-1.5oz jig head and hook them through the mouth. then just work them like a bucktail. it helps to use a smaller eel for this(14in) and you must "bow to the cow" to give him time to get the hook in his mouth.

[lil red jeep]

A boater I know swears by eels and his advice has always been to me to hook the eels through the mouth, and put the rod in the holder and leave it. Once the striper runs with it, pick the rod up and set the hook. His experience has been that if he holds the rod and feels the hit, he tries to set the hook and too often pulls the eels right out of the mouth of his prey. I'd like to try it myself someday!

[RuddeDogg]

That's just how we do it out in the rips.

[shark_bait]

Well I don't know that much about eels but live lining them would be a heck of a time. I might have to try that!

[Hannibal]

OK, so it seems like an option.

So, how would one rig it? Just hook it through the mouth or the tail and let her swim using a 7/0 - 9/0 circle?

[rgking03]

That its nothing really special about it.. I sometimes put a hook through the head and then run a another hook from the head hook to the tail and have two hooks going. Sometimes it helps when the fish doesn't want to swallow the whole thing.. But just hook it from the bottom jaw to through the top jaw.. I use them alot off the jetties around inlets..

[Hannibal]

I am thinking about trying them in the surf at Chincoteague this weekend. Something different. I am guessing their local shop (Steve's?) would have some good info.

[Fish Hunter]

Seabear showed me how a few years back. Use an 8/0 circle on a short 80lb leader with swivel , about 4 inches long. Tie to your shock and cast it up current. When you feel the take, bow your rod and hang on. We caught 40 to 50 in a short period of time at OI at Thanksgiving.

[bloodworm]

American eel? I swear they are illegal to use in the bay.
maybe its just a fishing lie.

[Rockfish1]

handle eels with a 1/2 sheet of news paper... cuts right through the slime... hold'em mid section and bash their little heads lightly on a hard surface and stun the little buggers... makes'em cooperate a lot better... they won't tangle up on your leader either, but still swim slowly behind a jig or on a live line rig...