| Eel and eelskin lures are used mostly in | | | | 20 in. are used with heaviersurf outfits and |
| saltwater to catch suchfish as striped bass, | | | | for trolling for big fish. |
| bluefish, snook, and marlin. The | | | | |
| mostdifficult part about making eel and | | | | To rig an eel you will need a long needle |
| eelskin lures will often beobtaining the eels | | | | such as an upholsterer'sneedle. It should be |
| themselves. The eel usually used is the so- | | | | anywhere from 12 to 14 in. long. You can |
| called "common eel" found from Labrador to | | | | alsomake your own needle, using a brass or |
| Brazil along the Atlantic | | | | copper rod about 1/8 in. indiameter. One end |
| | | | should be filed to a point while the other |
| Coast. | | | | end isgiven an eye or a slot to which a line |
| | | | can be tied. |
| The females reach a large size and live in | | | | |
| freshwater rivers,streams, and lakes. The | | | | You also need some 6/0, 7/0, 8/0 or 9/0 |
| males are much smaller and live in | | | | hooks, again depending onthe size of the eel. |
| saltwaterbays, sounds, and tidal creeks. | | | | The larger the eel, the larger the |
| These are the ones usually used forbait. Live | | | | hooksrequired. Light tackle and lines need |
| eels are caught with eel pots baited with | | | | smaller hooks than heavierfishing tackle. The |
| dead fish,small baitfish, crushed clams, or | | | | sizes of hooks range from 10 (tiny) down to 1 |
| crabs. | | | | |
| | | | (small) and then back up from 1/0, 2/0 |
| These pots, which are similar to minnow | | | | (medium) through 8/0 (large)and all the way |
| traps, are wire cages withfunnel entrances on | | | | up to 24/0 (great white shark size). |
| both ends. The eels enter through thefunnel | | | | |
| holes, but once inside have trouble finding | | | | Steel is usually the base metal from which |
| their way out. | | | | hooks are made but thereare also other types |
| | | | of steel including high carbon, blued, |
| Live or frozen eels can also be purchased | | | | black,bronzed, cadmium, nickel-plated, |
| from many fish markets,bait dealers, and | | | | stainless, etc. The O'Shaughnessypattern of |
| fishing tackle stores. The size will depend | | | | hook is usually used for rigging eels, but |
| on thefishing tackle you use and the fish you | | | | some anglersprefer the Siwash or salmon |
| want to catch. Small eelsfrom 8 to 12 in. | | | | pattern and still others use Eagle Clawhooks. |
| long are best with light tackle such as | | | | Whichever type of hook you use, it should |
| spinningoutfits; the larger eels from 12 to | | | | have a ringed eye. |