Using Sand Eels

[Bluesbro]

Hi Guys

I am off Fishing down the warren at folkstone tomorrow and in my bait bag i have two packets of sand eels, one large and one small.

I have read many ways to hook these on and thought i would ask you guys what your best ways are?

I have been told to cut the head of just behind the gills to make them bloody and then feed them on to the hook like a worm and tie with cotton.

I have been told to leave the head on and feed up a bait needle and put that on like a worm but not using bait cotton

I have now just read about passing the hook thru the lip of the eel and then once thru the hard part of the body near the gills so that the body and tail is hanging off the hooks and the hook is laying flat against the eel using a few turns of cotton to hold all tight.

I have only used eels a few times before so want to use these properly as when i was walking along the beach i saw loads of them washing up on the beach. I know about not spliting the belly and leaving them in a flask so they stay semi frozen to make baiting up easy but i have not really had much luck with them as i get so fed up with them flying of the hooks ( even with bait clips) or having to sit there each cast untangling a huge ball of cotton of my hook barbs.

Any ideas guys?


Tight Lines

Joe

[Spahill]

Hi Joe
I haven't had a lot of fish on them yet either, but am not giving up.
I use a baiting needle (my fingers all turn to thumbs when doing delicate work) to thread them onto a 3/0 the top hook of the pennel is smaller 1/0 & I try to get that through something solid in the head. Then I use as little bait elastic as possible.
It's then clipped pulley style & hurled as far a possible for a ray.
Guess I'm just waiting for a stupid fish as I am never happy with the way it looks.
Haven't used them with light gear in close for a bass, but would proibably go down the

I have now just read about passing the hook thru the lip of the eel and then once thru the hard part of the body near the gills so that the body and tail is hanging off the hooks and the hook is laying flat against the eel using a few turns of cotton to hold all tight.

Am sure this is NOT of much use - - - - - but you are not alone.

[FATFISH]

Live eel's are far better lads a lot more work but worth it.If you can find a supplier you will need a small pump and a biggish bucket and a few small ice packs to keep the water cool they will out fish dead eel ever time just nick the live eel through the top lip and fish them under a float first thing in the morning on a rising tide.

[Bluesbro]

Originally Posted by FATFISH

Live eel's are far better lads a lot more work but worth it.If you can find a supplier you will need a small pump and a biggish bucket and a few small ice packs to keep the water cool they will out fish dead eel ever time just nick the live eel through the top lip and fish them under a float first thing in the morning on a rising tide.

How would you cast these out without kiling the eel? I saw a bloke digging them once at low tide on a big spring and he got hundreds so this would be possible for me to try!! They must have only been half a foot or less in the sand at low tide mark

[KKK]

If fishing in an area for ray or dofish the best way to fish frrozen sandeel up this way is to cut off the tail (which stops it spinning in the tide) and thread the eel tail first on the hook like a worm, if the area holds small eye ray then wrap the eel in a piece of squid and use bait elastic to keep it all on the hook when you cast, if it is bass you are after then the float fished live eel is better, dont bother trying to cast a live eel to the horizen. If you get a load of eel freeze them down flat not all together in packs of about 10. With frozen eel try to keep them frozen as long as possible with use of a wide neck flask or simillar.