Hooks for eels

[Sad Boy]

I would be interested to know what hook/size people are using for deadbaiting for eels

The reason I ask is because I miss so many its not acceptable

Tar Warrick

[Warren]

GLT



I use Terrys Continental Carp and Catfish Penetrators.......super strong and mega sharp, never had an issue with them.....brilliant hook for Eels.

[Gavin P]

I use Kamasan Animals in a size that best suits the bait

[Warren]

For big Eels??????????????????????????????????

[dannytaylor]

my thoughts exactly!

used korda curve shanks in a size 4 this summer. Nice sharp strong hook. Used them with small deadbait sections no probs

[Sad Boy]

Thanks chaps the hooks ive been using are size 4 Korda wide gaps barbless for deads may try the curve shanks love them for carp.

I keep telling my self its only small eels im missing!

[Dave Smith]

Nothing wrong with the wide gapes... you could also try ESP T6's.



a lot can depend on where you ar hooking the bait, it may pay to thread the bait rather than hooking it.

[Sad Boy]

Nothing wrong with the wide gapes... you could also try ESP T6's.



a lot can depend on where you ar hooking the bait, it may pay to thread the bait rather than hooking it.

I think you maybe right... I always used to thread the baits but got paranoid about deep hooking (more to do with sleeping/beer maybe) have even been thinking of a kebab type hair rigs.

[Simon Farrow PAC]

Nothing wrong with the wide gapes... you could also try ESP T6's.



a lot can depend on where you ar hooking the bait, it may pay to thread the bait rather than hooking it.

I think you maybe right... I always used to thread the baits but got paranoid about deep hooking (more to do with sleeping/beer maybe) have even been thinking of a kebab type hair rigs.

Have any of you guys who fish for Eels ever used true 'circle hooks' no deep hooking would occur as I use them in larger sizes for Tope and as yet to see a deep hooked Tope despite them swallowing the bait and hook into their stomachs the hook is simply pulled from their gut and finds the scissor every time.

[Dave Smith]

I haven't, but the general concensous among the NAC guys is that they don't work well for eels, the few that have tried them have all gone back to "standard" hooks.

[Dave Smith]

Nothing wrong with the wide gapes... you could also try ESP T6's.



a lot can depend on where you ar hooking the bait, it may pay to thread the bait rather than hooking it.

I think you maybe right... I always used to thread the baits but got paranoid about deep hooking (more to do with sleeping/beer maybe) have even been thinking of a kebab type hair rigs.

Know what you mean which is one of the reasons I stoped threading for a while, but I nolonger unhook Eels unless they are lip hooked. I just unclip the trace sack the Eel and let it shed the hook itself - they do a damn better job than us without the risk of damaging the vital organs.

[Charlie Skynyard]

Nothing wrong with the wide gapes... you could also try ESP T6's.



a lot can depend on where you ar hooking the bait, it may pay to thread the bait rather than hooking it.

I think you maybe right... I always used to thread the baits but got paranoid about deep hooking (more to do with sleeping/beer maybe) have even been thinking of a kebab type hair rigs.

Have any of you guys who fish for Eels ever used true 'circle hooks' no deep hooking would occur as I use them in larger sizes for Tope and as yet to see a deep hooked Tope despite them swallowing the bait and hook into their stomachs the hook is simply pulled from their gut and finds the scissor every time.

I have. Missed 95% of runs, for example one day i landed 2 eels and missed 29 runs...... But, the ones i did hook, were nicely lip hooked. I think the general consensus is that circles are more intended for wide mouthed species, but with narrow mouthed fish the hook doesn't really get the chance to do what it is meant to do.

[dannytaylor]

As others have said i think the problem of missed runs is down to "bootlaces" and when big eels come along it is not so much of a problem. During the summer i fished a canal which has good numbers of small eels all night long i would be getting takes but i would only hit a small percentage. I was told that small eels hunt and feed in groups and that when they come across food they tend to snatch at it quick and bolt away from the others. In this scenario i think the small eels are just grabbing the bait and not taking it properly. This gives you the screaming runs where nothing is there on the strike.

When i began to target waters with big eels there would often be no small ones present. Runs would be few and far between but when they came they would be nice steady, confident takes which would result in the majority being hooked cleanly in the scissors/lip, on the venue where i caught my big eels i only missed one run. To me this illustrates the point that if you want to target big eels then look for venues with no history of producing eels, if you are getting lots of runs from small fish then the chances of large eels being present COULD be poor. Im not saying they wont be there as with eels nothing is "sett in stone" but from my limited experience i would now avoid these types of venue and concentrate on less prolific ones. To me venue choice is the most important aspect of eel fishing.

As for threading baits a lot of eel lads advocate this but i prefer to side hook deadbaits. My thinking is that i want the hook to transfer quickly and cleanly from bait to fish, i feel that this can be impeded with a threaded bait. Again just my thoughts there are no hard and fast rules with eel fishing but to me thats the beauty of this branch of angling

[ChristopherH]

I use whatever I've got in the box tbh, but the Drennan Super Specialist in appropriate sizes seem to do the job well enough. A great all round hook IMO. I would never use any kind of dedicated barbless hook by choice. I always squash the barbs myself.

I remember a carp trip where the fishery dictated barbless only. we caught carp to just under forty pounds at over a hundred yards range, having to give them serious welly to get them clear of snags quickly and the damage to their mouths had to be seen to be believed!

[BillCollins]

I think you're spot on there with a few points Chris.
I'm one of the very few irish anglers who have ever specifically fished for eels, i have'nt done so for years, and anyway its technically illegal in ireland now for an angler to target eels. Still, i managed a pb of 5-9 which i'm unlikely to beat now, unless by accident.
I always used Super Specialists, usually around size 4 and could'nt find any reason to change.
As regards barbless hooks, i think they do more harm than good when used for big hard fighting fish and they're use would be better confined to small fish or for speed fishing in matches etc

[ChristopherH]

5-9 Is some eel Bill!

I can imagine the Emerald Isle being something of an unknown quantity for big eels. There seemed to be water everywhere and barely any of it looked regularly fished.

[BillCollins]

Was that down south Chris.?

[ChristopherH]

No on the West coast Bill. Lots of cracking looking little lakes and of course all the tarns and loughs. Must be some untouched potential there no? Or is that the province of the infamous Western Fisheries Board I always seem to be reading about in piking circles?

[BillCollins]

No on the West coast Bill. Lots of cracking looking little lakes and of course all the tarns and loughs. Must be some untouched potential there no? Or is that the province of the infamous Western Fisheries Board I always seem to be reading about in piking circles?

I f you were around Galway/Mayo then, yes, Western Fishery Board BASTA$$DS. Officially gone, but certainly not forgotten.
Most of those waters out around the coast would not be hectic in coarse terms anyway, being poor enough in foodchain terms with mostly some trout etc. Where i live, about 2 hours drive east of there, the waters are much richer being situated on a Irelands huge central limestone plateau. I live in Strokestown and the amount of top class water around here is ridiculous. Within a 5 mile radius of home there are over 50 lakes ranging from small ponds to over 500 acres, and the further you go the number and sizes just keeps increasing. And just a scattering of anglers around. Sometimes i just don't know what to do next...

[ChristopherH]

I was thinking more of the roads between Kenmare and Killarney Bill. I based myself on the Dingle peninsular. I appreciate the lack of life in the tarns etc, I think it is the same situation on any of the Oligotrophic waters of mountains and hills, but there were any number of smaller lakes and ponds hidden in the more secretive rural roads. Must be some decent fishing in some of them surely?

[BillCollins]

Who knows Chris.?
This is the thing with irish waters. In spite of all the tourism over the years, most of irelands waters are unexplored to any serious degree, many have NEVER seen an angler of any description.
As an example, earlier this summer i tackled a lake just a few miles from home with poor access, a nice sized water about 25 acres or so. The only access to leave a small boat was down through a farm so i asked the farmer if it would be ok to drive up and down with the jeep etc. He said no problem, the usual answer. I asked him if anyone had been fishing there and his answer was ''NOT IN MY LIFETIME ANYWAY'', and he is 53...
And his answer is actually commonplace...

[ChristopherH]

Who knows Chris.?
This is the thing with irish waters. In spite of all the tourism over the years, most of irelands waters are unexplored to any serious degree, many have NEVER seen an angler of any description.
As an example, earlier this summer i tackled a lake just a few miles from home with poor access, a nice sized water about 25 acres or so. The only access to leave a small boat was down through a farm so i asked the farmer if it would be ok to drive up and down with the jeep etc. He said no problem, the usual answer. I asked him if anyone had been fishing there and his answer was ''NOT IN MY LIFETIME ANYWAY'', and he is 53...
And his answer is actually commonplace...

That's Utopia Bill!

[BillCollins]

I suppose it is, but sometimes it can work against you, not being able to decide where to go or what to do.
But if you like the element of the unknown in your fishing, then this is the place to be....