How stubborn are you (technique-wise)?

[steve]

Stick with live eels and you'll have a much better better shot at bigger fish on a consistent basis. Artificials for large stripers are WAY OVERRRATED.

[Canalman]

Originally Posted by steve

Stick with live eels and you'll have a much better better shot at bigger fish on a consistent basis. Artificials for large stripers are WAY OVERRRATED.

agreed.

hey steve you spelled Stall wrong in your signature it's Van Staal...

[Flaptail]

Originally Posted by steve

Stick with live eels and you'll have a much better better shot at bigger fish on a consistent basis. Artificials for large stripers are WAY OVERRRATED.

Not nescesarily, first off eels, in my humble opinion, and please don't take this the wrong way, are one of the very easiest ways to take big bass, they are suckers for live eels as they are for large bunker. The challenge of getting a fish to take a big plug is, I think the optimum in bass fishing challenges.

That being said I have experienced many nights, and I could name quite a few from this year alone and give the names of the people who were with me, where a large needle or swimming plug took more and bigger bass than thier eels, one particular night on a Truro beach, fishing with a friend who is an accomplished and noted bass man, who has taken three fifty's in one night, went virtually fishless with eels, while the plug took it's toll of nice fish, fishing side by side.

If you want to challenge yourself rather than just put up big numbers a plug, in the hands of someone who really knows how to make the thing talk, is much more satisfying, again in my humble opinion.

The biggest fish I ever caught were caught on eels, and one on a sand eel bait but the plug fish hold a more special place in my memory, especially those nights when the eels went begging.

Of course there is the feeling that this was the last season for eels as a legal bait, the under current rumblings have been getting stronger from both private and my govt contacts. Could be a big surprise come next May.

[BigFish]

An "eel guy" knockin' the "plug guys"! I will take my large jointed eels over the real deal any time......they are more fun to catch fish on, I made them, and the fish won't leave them alone! Its all how you enjoy fishing....I have fished my share of eels but I get more enjoyment, as Flaptail says, out of tricking a nice bass into taking an artificial as opposed to the real eel! Much more satisfying for me personally and more challenging too I think!

More eels for you Steve!

[steve]

Originally Posted by Flaptail

Not nescesarily, first off eels, in my humble opinion, and please don't take this the wrong way, are one of the very easiest ways to take big bass, they are suckers for live eels as they are for large bunker. The challenge of getting a fish to take a big plug is, I think the optimum in bass fishing challenges.

That being said I have experienced many nights, and I could name quite a few from this year alone and give the names of the people who were with me, where a large needle or swimming plug took more and bigger bass than thier eels, one particular night on a Truro beach, fishing with a friend who is an accomplished and noted bass man, who has taken three fifty's in one night, went virtually fishless with eels, while the plug took it's toll of nice fish, fishing side by side.



If you want to challenge yourself rather than just put up big numbers a plug, in the hands of someone who really knows how to make the thing talk, is much more satisfying, again in my humble opinion.

The biggest fish I ever caught were caught on eels, and one on a sand eel bait but the plug fish hold a more special place in my memory, especially those nights when the eels went begging.

Of course there is the feeling that this was the last season for eels as a legal bait, the under current rumblings have been getting stronger from both private and my govt contacts. Could be a big surprise come next May.

Well try that technique in Rhode Island....and you wont have a fish over 30 inches all year long..........They just dont work well no matter how skilled you are..Overated...yes they are very much so...

[Ake G]

Again,I'm thinking big fish.Oceanfront situations.So I'm confident that between one of my 3 spooks and the 3 needlefish in my bag, I know how to use those plugs better than any other artificial or live bait that I can choose to throw at any given minute in nearly every oceanfront location/situation I choose to seek out large fish.

Guess ultimately it is confidence and personal preference. Interesting to see, hypothetically how many of us JUST toss plugs,just chunk or liveline,just eel or just toss sluggos when we're doing serious "Large" fishing.

[keeperreaper]

Eels have and will continue to out fish plugs. You might have one or two nights where plugs outfish eels but over the course of a season the eel reigns supreme. More large fish fall to eels every year than to plugs. Not knocking plugs because I love to throw them but when the chips are on the table a wise fisherman will throw an eel over a plug anyday.

[Flaptail]

Originally Posted by steve

Well try that technique in Rhode Island....and you wont have a fish over 30 inches all year long..........They just dont work well no matter how skilled you are..Overated...yes they are very much so...

Are Rhode Island fish lazy and spoiled? I don't know, don't fish RI anymore, but Fisher's Island fish love big plugs still, at least the last couple trips down there this year.

Eels are easy maybe you guys need to learn how to fish plugs again, maybe you forgot how! Just kidding Steve, I like plugs is all but I will vehemently argue that eels make heroes out of ordinary fisherman as did Herring on the canal and live lining bunker does from a boat.
A live wiggling bait is just murder on big fish looking for a an easy meal.

[riverrat2]

I disagree, fishing an eel is an art. You can't just cast it out blindly reel it in and expect to catch fish. You have to work the water column, change the speed of your retrieve to keep the eel out of the rocks, and make sure you have constant contact with your eel. Most nights the bass want the eel as slow as possible but some nights I have seen the bass want the eels almost skimming across the surface. YOu have to adapt your eel for the water conditions. Wind strong in your face cut the eel in half or stuff a egg weight down its throat. How much weight do you use? What hook will present the eel in the most natural way? I think that claiming fishing eels is idiot fishing is completely false. Many nights I have been standing next to redlite, both fishing eels, and he is completely out fishing me.

[eelman]

You dont want to use eels, Then dont. Who really cares? Just fish the way you feel like fishing. All fish caught are good regardless of if they came on a plug or not, Makes no difference.Who ever caught a good fish still put in his or her time and thats what its all about. I will say this that its never easy to land or hook a good fish. It all takes knowledge. However this board IMO is definatly skewed towards the plug crowd .Its like a republican in a room full of democrats!! From the top brass on down this board is definatly a Plug fishing forum more than anything else with all the promotions,advertisements, plug fests etc...its all plug stuff, because all other methods that include some form of bait are laughed at or called not sporting. Its Bull%$%$%$%$....

It should be called "Striped-Bass-plugs.Com" If anyone comes here seeking advice on fishing live bait they will most certainly be met with hostility bordering that of the stupid "spot burning" stuff. So thats why I say around here you either plug or you "cheat" "dont play fair" and "have it to easy". I.I would certainly rather put my $25 faith in a dozen snakes rather than a pretty hunk of wood, while its may be an artform, that part is also overated.

I see a Plug builders forum but I certainly dont see a live bait forum...Think it or not...There are tactics in that type of fishing also.......
have a good winter......

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&

From the top brass on down this board is definatly a Plug fishing forum more than anything else ...

Isn't your brother-in-law a certified intertidal anguilologist?

Slipknot and I fish jigs

[Sluggoslinger]

Originally Posted by #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&

You dont want to use eels, Then dont. Who really cares? Just fish the way you feel like fishing. All fish caught are good regardless of if they came on a plug or not, Makes no difference.Who ever caught a good fish still put in his or her time and thats what its all about. I will say this that its never easy to land or hook a good fish. It all takes knowledge. However this board IMO is definatly skewed towards the plug crowd .Its like a republican in a room full of democrats!! From the top brass on down this board is definatly a Plug fishing forum more than anything else with all the promotions,advertisements, plug fests etc...its all plug stuff, because all other methods that include some form of bait are laughed at or called not sporting. Its Bull%$%$%$%$....

It should be called "Striped-Bass-plugs.Com" If anyone comes here seeking advice on fishing live bait they will most certainly be met with hostility bordering that of the stupid "spot burning" stuff. So thats why I say around here you either plug or you "cheat" "dont play fair" and "have it to easy".

I see a Plug builders forum but I certainly dont see a live bait forum...Think it or not...There are tactics in that type of fishing also.......
have a good winter......

I hardly ever fish plugs and my go to bait is fresh sand eels. If it ain't fresh, i don't want it. Yet I never feel alienated by the die hard plug fisherman. I know there is a time for both and the way I fish, plugs are a 1 in 10 occasion.

So lets have a bait forum and you can tell us all how you yo-yo... I just think that with bait, people have more secrets that they might not want shared with anyone who has a computer. I love S-B for what it is