Deep hooked eels

[Tigger]

I've actually kept a deep hooked eel in an aireated bucket over night to see if it would be ok.

The eel wasn't hooked right down in it's stomach but was very alkward to get at. Anyway in the morning the eel had managed to get the hook out (god only knows how ) or it just came loose and it spat it out. The eel was dead with the hook next to it. I think the hook was a drennan barbel hook about size 10 or 12s. I think a very big percentage of eels/fish especially if very deeply hooked are gonna pop their cloggs, even a lot hooked in their throat. Lets face it the hook is bound to cause infection or allow if it does rot it's most likely gonna cause blood poisoning or similar.

I've very very rarely ever lost a fish due to using a disgorger, if you use them correctly and take your time the majority of hooks can be removed and the fish can swim away for another day.

[Anderoo]

Totally agree Tigger.

[Dick Dastardly]

The eel boys always say this about eels being able to shed hooks.They always seem to forget though that Im an "eel boy" too! Ive retained eels in sacks and nets and NEVER seen cut off hook lengths/hooks got rid of! I think its just a "conscience easer" for anglers!

 

I have tried a few different set ups to avoid deep hooking when targeting eels (I just accept that this can happen when targeting other species and live with it,in fact these are the only eels I will take for bait) and many help, "Anchor" rigs and bolt rigs (believe it or not!) help but take a look at either of the eel club sites for good advice.

 

Both Anderoo's and Tigger's comments though are spot on.

[Anderoo]

As a kid in Norfolk (when there were lots of eels) I just used to knock deep-hooked ones on the head and either freeze them for pike/zander bait, or give them to my nan who'd jelly them up. Can't really do that these days. Luckily, the only place I now catch eels I am generally using a bolt rig + hair rig, which either avoids them or lip-hooks them.

 

Perch can be tricky though. I had a few on lobs from the Thames at the weekend, some were very lightly hooked, others had the hook right down at the very back of the throat. Careful use of small forceps unhooked them all though.

 

Incidentally, if I was fishing specifically for eels, I would now definitely start off using short bolt rigs. It goes against all the recieved wisdom, but they are foolproof lip-hookers, and the eels don't seem to mind the resistance.

[carp-catcha]

Interesting point for barbed hooks and perch. I've had to cut the the line with eels previosuly, sometimes theres no option as they really can chung the hook down. Just have to hope that the hook erodes eventually, to be honest though it is the fish species I care least for!

[Dales]

Incidentally, if I was fishing specifically for eels, I would now definitely start off using short bolt rigs. It goes against all the recieved wisdom, but they are foolproof lip-hookers, and the eels don't seem to mind the resistance.

 

Very good point, as you know I have been doing a bit of eel bothering this year and from advice on AN have been using Amnesia braid and long shanked hooks and have been playing around with various methods from running rigs to bolt rigs and have ended up using a short hook length on a bolt rig as a high percentage are hooked in the lip making hook extraction very easy. It also seems to work well for Perch and avoids deep hooking.

Edited September 27, 2010 by Dales

[Anderoo]

Very good point, as you know I have been doing a bit of eel bothering this year and from advice on AN have been using Amnesia braid and long shanked hooks and have been playing around with various methods from running rigs to bolt rigs and have ended up using a short hook length on a bolt rig as a high percentage are hooked in the lip making hook extraction very easy. It also seems to work well for Perch and avoids deep hooking.

 

Interesting about the perch Dales - are these big ones or small ones? Is the catch rate the same as with running rigs? I have to say I've never tried bolt rigs for perch before, and I've only ever had 1 unintentionally on a bolt rig meant for tench (2.12 on fake caster ).

[Dales]

Interesting about the perch Dales - are these big ones or small ones? Is the catch rate the same as with running rigs? I have to say I've never tried bolt rigs for perch before, and I've only ever had 1 unintentionally on a bolt rig meant for tench (2.12 on fake caster ).

 

All my 3 pounders (six), plenty of two's and the four were on them and all intentional, although the four was a snap decision as the fish were getting out of easy feeder range and I just happened to be tying eel rigs and so grabbed a rig stuck a lob on and chucked it out on a rod that was already set up with a helicopter bolt rig set up from the night before.

 

I know it goes against conventional wisdom but it does work well, I tend to use a very stiiff flurocarbon line that holds the bait away from the lead, so as soon as the fish picks the bait up and moves away its nailed.

 

The other week when you had your Bream, I was catching Perch by the hundreds on two running feeder rods. I also had an extra rod out with a stiff hook length and bolt rig set up and this rod produced plenty of biggish fish and I had a couple of twos on this one. My assumptions are that smaller Perch that might pull and peck at the bait do not get hooked as often as they feel the resistance but big fish just open that big old mouth and suck the lot in and any slight movement will result in the hook finding purchase. It's only my theory and don't know how true it is, but I do alot of fishing for Perch in the one pound to just over two bracket and this stamp of fish seem to fall for this method. I don't use this method exclusively and am still a fan of running ledger or float for Perch, but when I have multiple rods out for Perch at least one will be a bolt rig.

 

I would say it's more a big fish method as odd as that might seem.

[Anderoo]

That is interesting... I must keep more of an open mind with perch it seems. As you say, it could be a way to target the bigger fish. Have you tried it anywhere that has a lot of fishing pressure?

[Dales]

That is interesting... I must keep more of an open mind with perch it seems. As you say, it could be a way to target the bigger fish. Have you tried it anywhere that has a lot of fishing pressure?

 

 

Yeah, it seems to work at a number of places. I gave it ago at a local carp commercial last year that gets some hardcore Perch anglers move on to it come the winter. The "lake" has produced a five 2 seasons ago and has had a few fours over the last 2 years. These fish are very pressured with 2 matches been held each week and everyone has a crack at them in the summer all dreaming of getting the five and rumoured six that it holds

 

The reality of this water is that the bigger Perch 2 pound plus come to the match men or kids with light gear, but a number of magazine anglers turn up in the winter and struggle to catch fish even of this size, but my presentation catchs a good number of 2's when I can see the face from the mag blanking (Well not blanking, but not catching the Perch they are after) in the swim next to or across from me. All these anglers are much better then me, I just think that I have found a rig that works.

 

I am giving serious thought to cutting down on my Winter Piking this year to do some extra Perch/Carp fishing on this venue.