Conger traces lengths?

Hi
Fishing off rocks in Dalkey for Conger tonight,
Will be making pulleys but curious on exact lengths I should be using? Been into congers here before and lost them, too long and you miss bites and too short and your weight gets you snagged, will be using rotten bottoms too.

Thanks

oh and just add Ill swap every item of fishing gear I own for a Hill ticket for Sunday

I wouldn't be too bothered about length of snood to be honest. Given that a good size eel will be 5 foot or longer they can take a bait thats sitting well off the bottom without even leaving their hole, so just use a long rotten bottom link. About 3 foot will keep your hook and bait clear of snags. Saying that you'd probly be better off using a single hook paternoster. But to answer your original question, in general i'd use a snood about 12 to 18 inches. Also if the area is very snaggy and your loosing alot of weights through the rotten bottom, find a friendly mechanic and ask him to keep old spark plugs for your and use them instead of leads. Also great for wrasse fishing.

did you have any luck out in Dalkey with the conger?

Intersted in seeing what others are doing here, if fishing close in which is normal for conger on most of my local rock/pier marks I dont bother a weight and just lob out a mackeral flapper on a heavy 150/200lb nylon flowing trace I find this snags less, also a 5ft long trace gives you something to grab on occasion if need be although if its still daylight with gulls about I feel a right idiot shouting at them to keep them from grabbing the bait as it slowly sinks.

I use a running paternoster with the tail of the paternoster made from a weaker mono.Wire trace of about a foot long for conger works for me. you can see an easy running paternoster herehttp://baitdigger.wordpress.com/2010/04/04/353/

I use a running paternoster with the tail of the paternoster made from a weaker mono.Wire trace of about a foot long for conger works for me. you can see an easy running paternoster herehttp://baitdigger.wordpress.com/2010/04/04/353/

Wire traces make bits of congers mouths if they twist the wrong way when hooked. Heavy mono of about 200lb breaking strain and some silicone tubing slipped on over the eye of the hook and covering a few inches of the mono trace is a much better way of doing it and there's no way an eel will bite through it.

I use a running paternoster with the tail of the paternoster made from a weaker mono.Wire trace of about a foot long for conger works for me. you can see an easy running paternoster herehttp://baitdigger.wordpress.com/2010/04/04/353/

Wire traces make bits of congers mouths if they twist the wrong way when hooked. Heavy mono of about 200lb breaking strain and some silicone tubing slipped on over the eye of the hook and covering a few inches of the mono trace is a much better way of doing it and there's no way an eel will bite through it.

Haven't notice this in the past as most wire now is nylon coated and doesn't 'saw' on the fish but if I were so worried I wouldn't go sticking 8/0 hooks in their mouth either. All the damage I have seen comes from hooks. Not having a go just my opinion.

I use a running paternoster with the tail of the paternoster made from a weaker mono.Wire trace of about a foot long for conger works for me. you can see an easy running paternoster herehttp://baitdigger.wordpress.com/2010/04/04/353/

Wire traces make bits of congers mouths if they twist the wrong way when hooked. Heavy mono of about 200lb breaking strain and some silicone tubing slipped on over the eye of the hook and covering a few inches of the mono trace is a much better way of doing it and there's no way an eel will bite through it.

Haven't notice this in the past as most wire now is nylon coated and doesn't 'saw' on the fish but if I were so worried I wouldn't go sticking 8/0 hooks in their mouth either. All the damage I have seen comes from hooks. Not having a go just my opinion.

The nylon coated stuff isn't bad but i have seen damage done by the un coated wire. I know what your saying, but i'd rather hook a fish and not cut their mouths to pieces. Not havin a go at you either for usin wire but just said i'd add a comment for anyone that would like to know. I've never used the wire traces as i've never had traces bitten through when the mono rig is set up right. And also seen and heard of the wire doing damage a few times.

The nylon coated stuff isn't bad but i have seen damage done by the un coated wire. I know what your saying, but i'd rather hook a fish and not cut their mouths to pieces. Not havin a go at you either for usin wire but just said i'd add a comment for anyone that would like to know. I've never used the wire traces as i've never had traces bitten through when the mono rig is set up right. And also seen and heard of the wire doing damage a few times.

Each to there own method. I have never used really heavy mono but have been bitten off on 100lb but it was probably a tope and not an eel. I think the teeth of an eel are like those of big huss in that they are more rasping than incising.
Using the running paternoster method on most occasions you need to set the hook as the fish can take the bait and pull on the mainline without moving the lead. This can mean that the hook does not get set by the weight of the resistance of the lead, but any bites are shown instantly on the end of the rod.

my biggest conger was on a 60 lb greased weasel leader, only cuaght 5 congers to 20 lb so far but there is noo need for a wire trace !