More on the Slender Eel...

This suspending lure is most effective when worked with lots of pauses which means fish will eyeball it closely before striking, so it better look good! The face shows astonishing detail and the diving lip is unobtrusive; almost anatomically correct. The angled shape of head, neck and body help to achieve the balance and create the actions of the Slender Eel.

The unique flattened tail of the Slender Eel gives it a planning surface so it swings widely side to side with little water resistance as it quickly and easily pivots on its centre of balance, making its movements truly irresistible to predators. It can pivot as much as 180° when you jerk it. The flat tail is also the easiest shape for a fish to engulf, so fish get hooked securely, and few fish are lost.

One of the most reliable ways to use the Slender Eel is to cast out, wait a spell, twitch it 3 or 4 times, and reel it in 10-12 feet. Let it stop, jerk it 3 or 4 times again. The Slender Eel will dart and shoot out suddenly to one side or the other when you jerk or twitch it. Depending how you do that, it may either act like a slow-moving, disoriented prey or like a panicked baitfish bolting. Wait a spell and then reel it in 10-12 more feet. Just keep repeating those simple steps. For some reason, the fish mostly hit in the intervals it is paused and suspends motionless. They hit less often during the time it is being reeled in.

Beyond that simple explanation, there are infinite variations that make fishing the Slender Eel a true art.

There's no right or wrong way to use it. Generally speaking, with more active fish, you can jerk harder and work faster with shorter pauses. Slower speeds, much longer pauses and softer rod movements usually coincide with less active fish or colder water temperatures. In any case, the correct dart or jerk sequence needs to be discovered and done just right, but remember that is only the attraction. The hit is almost always gotten on the pause. It's a masterful angler who's able to use the Slender Eel's built-in wiggle and the sudden darting jerk of the rod tip to excite and attract, then using the perfectly suspended pause that gets the strike!