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