Fishing Information

Eel And Eelskin Lures


Eel and eelskin lures are used mostly in saltwater to catch such fish as striped bass, bluefish, snook, and marlin. The most difficult part about making eel and eelskin lures will often be obtaining the eels themselves. The eel usually used is the so-called "common eel" found from Labrador to Brazil along the Atlantic Coast.

The females reach a large size and live in freshwater rivers, streams, and lakes. The males are much smaller and live in saltwater bays, sounds, and tidal creeks. These are the ones usually used for bait. Live eels are caught with eel pots baited with dead fish, small baitfish, crushed clams, or crabs.

These pots, which are similar to minnow traps, are wire cages with funnel entrances on both ends. The eels enter through the funnel holes, but once inside have trouble finding their way out.

Live or frozen eels can also be purchased from many fish markets, bait dealers, and fishing tackle stores. The size will depend on the fishing tackle you use and the fish you want to catch. Small eels from 8 to 12 in. long are best with light tackle such as spinning outfits; the larger eels from 12 to 20 in. are used with heavier surf outfits and for trolling for big fish.

To rig an eel you will need a long needle such as an upholsterer's needle. It should be anywhere from 12 to 14 in. long. You can also make your own needle, using a brass or copper rod about 1/8 in. in diameter. One end should be filed to a point while the other end is given an eye or a slot to which a line can be tied.

You also need some 6/0, 7/0, 8/0 or 9/0 hooks, again depending on the size of the eel. The larger the eel, the larger the hooks required. Light tackle and lines need smaller hooks than heavier fishing tackle. The sizes of hooks range from 10 (tiny) down to 1 (small) and then back up from 1/0, 2/0 (medium) through 8/0 (large) and all the way up to 24/0 (great white shark size).

Steel is usually the base metal from which hooks are made but there are also other types of steel including high carbon, blued, black, bronzed, cadmium, nickel-plated, stainless, etc. The O'Shaughnessy pattern of hook is usually used for rigging eels, but some anglers prefer the Siwash or salmon pattern and still others use Eagle Claw hooks. Whichever type of hook you use, it should have a ringed eye.

Finally, you need some linen or nylon fishing line testing from 45 to 60 pounds. But more importantly, you should pay more attention to your fishing leader which is potentially the weakest link. More information on making fishing leaders can be found at my website.

Keith Lee is a practical, do-it-yourself angler and owns Make-Your-Own-Fishing-Lures.com, an info-packed website on making fishing lures. Learn how to make fishing lures and use this website as your trusted guide on home made fishing lures.

Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your newsletter or on your website so long as you leave all active links in place, do not modify the content and include our resource box as listed here.


MORE RESOURCES:

Providence Journal

Fishing boat sinks off Atlantic City, 1 missing
Newsday, NY - 18 hours ago
ATLANTIC CITY, NJ - Coast Guard aircraft and boats are searching the waters off Atlantic City for the captain of a fishing boat that sank. ...
Fishing boat sinks off Atlantic City, 1 missing New York Daily News
Coast Guard searches for missing fishing The Star-Ledger - NJ.com
Ruhle praised as fisherman who fought for his industry Providence Journal
Cherry Hill Courier Post - NBC 10.com
all 24 news articles


Fishing | Puget Sound chinook fishing off to slow start
Seattle Times, United States - 23 hours ago
The summer hatchery chinook fishery in northern and Central Puget Sound is not hot like last year, except the Port Townsend area where fishing has been ...
Outdoors Report: Line on chinook season blurred Seattle Post Intelligencer
all 2 news articles


ERIC SHARP Trout fishing picks up
Detroit Free Press, United States - 23 hours ago
But wherever you are on this river, you probably can count on good fly fishing right through the dog days of summer.


Fishing report for July 25, 2008
Memphis Commercial Appeal, TN - 1 hour ago
Below the dam, striper fishing has been excellent. During the early-morning hours, anglers are catching a few on the Strike King King Shad and Wild Shiner ...
Fishing report Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Area fishing report Grand Forks Herald
Weekly Fishing Report Inside NoVA
Pittsburgh Post Gazette - Contra Costa Times
all 18 news articles


Canada.com

Captain riding out storm on fishing boat
CNN International - Jul 23, 2008
SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas (CNN) -- As his fishing boat, Murphy's Law, was tossed about Wednesday in the path of Hurricane Dolly, Steven Murphy hoped to ...
Video: Dolly Drenches South Texas CBS
Dolly's wrath brings heavy rain, flooded streets CNN
In photos: 'USA Hurricane Dolly' Monsters and Critics.com
WZZM - The Associated Press
all 7,483 news articles


Fishing picks up in saltwater areas
Enterprise News, MA - 5 hours ago
By Randy Julius Last week’s full-moon tides kicked off some great saltwater fishing in many areas. Unsettled weather for most of the week helped, too. ...
Anglers hope bait will switch Boston Herald
Anglers need to work around the thunderstorms The Salem News
all 4 news articles


Fishing Sturgeon anglers get reprieve
The Oregonian - OregonLive.com, OR - 2 hours ago
Fishing has been so good, anglers will have caught more than their quota by the end of Saturday's fishing. Catch-and-release fishing will be allowed in the ...


Fishing Report: Tuning up for derby with big catch
San Luis Obispo Tribune, CA - 13 hours ago
The retired marine warden with the Department of Fish and Game cranked up a 39.9-pound halibut while fishing in 55 feet of water off the Port San Luis ...
Incredible bass fishing on tap in our own 'backyard' Bakersfield Californian (subscription)
all 2 news articles


Oil City Derrick

Pulaski Club fishing derby set Saturday
Oil City Derrick, PA - 4 hours ago
The annual Oil Heritage Festival fishing derby sponsored by the Oil City Pulaski Club will be held Saturday at the Izaak Walton pond off Deep Hollow Road. ...


Fluke fishing remains the only game in town
East Brunswick Sentinel,  USA - 7 hours ago
With Raritan Bay temps reaching 70 degrees, the fishing has turned on and the fish are hitting everything from squid-killie combos to peanut bunkers. ...
Weathermen telling fish stories The Star-Ledger - NJ.com
all 4 news articles

Fishing - Google News

home | site map
© 2006