Fishing with live eels tips & tactics

[mr. bones]

I think it goes beyond thAt- too much time at those stagnated water holes in the marsh.
Maybe HE should be tested for EEE.

[Scout]

I'm not going to give up on them. I fished them pretty hard saturday with no results. I started chunking and chuming just out side the mouth. Finally hooked on to a 27" and lost another. Both came to chunk mackeral. I casted those dam eels all day. My wife is beginning to think I'm crazy for using them. I told her you guys swear buy them. I going up one night this week and drift them in the river.

[Coalman]

I have been catching sub legal fish on live eels at anytime of day in the Great Bay. If you are fishing eels in the ocean you should be targeting structure in shallow water. That is where they work the best.
Large bass can be caught in the daytime with eels but come darkness in water 5' to 20' deep live eels can't be beat.

[Merrillizer™]

Yesah, I have a feeling he may be using them in open water. Coalman is right, shallows + structure = good times. Shallows on flats also = good times. Creek mouths and outlets also = good times. Big bass can come from water 1 ft. to 5 ft. Dont think that big bass cruise in water barely high enough to cover their backs? Check the forum gallery. For instance I have caught large bass with Roc while the skeg was in the mud. We fished em right down to about the last second of the outgoing and there was just enough water left to leave. 2-to-4' is sweet

[scottm4300]

I've been using clams at Plaice Cove all summer and have nothing to show for it save a few schoolies. Everyone keeps talking about using live sand eels at night on the incoming tide. So that's the plan for this weekend (he said hopefully). Everything I do is surfcasting, and if I'm understanding this thread, I'll be best off not using a weight and working the eel like I would a crankbait. Sound about right??

[Roccus]

Use no weight, cast at structure and retrieve slowly, pausing on occasion, when you feel the "tick" drop the rod tip, when the line comes tight... rip some lip....Treat every hit like it's a 40 lber... sometime those big gals like to sip instead of guzzel!

[Merrillizer™]

Originally Posted by scottm4300

I've been using clams at Plaice Cove all summer and have nothing to show for it save a few schoolies. Everyone keeps talking about using live sand eels at night on the incoming tide. So that's the plan for this weekend (he said hopefully). Everything I do is surfcasting, and if I'm understanding this thread, I'll be best off not using a weight and working the eel like I would a crankbait. Sound about right??

Welcome to the forum.

Dont give up on Plaice Cove. You would be surprised what can come off that rockbed and ride the beach on a dropping tide. I beached my largest bass there. And 100 pound tuna have been landed on that beach too. Fish will ride the rockbed line, where it meets beach. There's really not much of a shoal, its sand, then rocks. Try plugging big wood plugs, or drifting whole or half mackeral. Herring and pogies too. I fish mostly at night, between 6 pm and 8am, so I cant help with daytime fiascos lol, but I can help ya with the darkness!

[Merrillizer™]

I resurrected this thread, and made it a Sticky.

Please feel free to add more content. At some point I will go over thing with Roc, and we will compile info from this thread into a "How-To" and added to http://howto.marshmarauders.org

[Merrillizer™]

Almost eelin' time!

One thing I learned from Roc, one of the many things, but probably one of the most important, is the use of SMALL hooks. Most people brush it off of rubbish, but I was shown the way, and it works.

I will let Roc himself elaborate more on this when he returns next week.

[marcus220]

yea,a lot of big bass are caught in shallow water{especially at night}but theres a lot of huge fish layin on the bottom near structure in deep water.i use the 3 way rig with a short leader 24"-36"of 15-20lb.leader{lighter than your main line,so the weight will break off before the rig does}attach 24"of 50lb.to a 4/0-6/0 hook,attach live or dead eel.fish it in or around bridge pilings,inlets,dropoffs.structure.in my opinion,big fish are allways near the bottom,{ less there in the surf} .nighttime is when there most likely to be nearer the surface.they get spooked easily,unlike smaller fish.chummin also works well,its effective just offshore,where the current is less.a lobsterman will tell you how well it works,dumpin those bait bags,shorts.