Storing Eel Skins & Eel Skin Plugs
I use 2 very different methods for storing my eel skins and rigged eel skin plugs. Both methods are very easy, convenient, and neither method requires refrigeration.
Salt has long been used for the preservation of meats before the days of electricity and refrigeration. Salt draws the moisture out of meat and makes it very difficult for bacteria to grow.
I use kosher salt to make a brine solution for storing eel skins after I have skinned the eel.(I only store skins that have not been put on a plug in the brine solution.) I use a wide mouth glass jar (Tomato sauce jars are perfect) and fill it about 1/2 to 3/4 full. Now I add kosher salt until the salt will no longer dissolve in the solution. This jar took about 8-10 spoonfuls of salt to become saturated. (You will know you have it saturated when there is a little salt on the bottom that will not dissolve no matter how much you stir or shake it. You are now ready to fill the jar with eel skins. You should be able to fit quite a few skins in a jar this size. I then keep the jar in a cabinet in the garage.
This skin has been stored now for 3 years and still looks as good as the day it was skinned.
Storing the skin in a brine solution will toughen the skin as the moisture is drawn from the it. (I will not rig an eel skin plug until the skin has soaked in brine for at least one full day.
Once I put the skin on a wooden plug, I no longer want to store the plug in a liquid. (I wouldn't recommend storing any wooden object in a liquid for an extended period)
Instead I will store my plugs dry in a food storage container with a lid. I just cover the bottom of the bin with about 1/4 inch of kosher salt. When I get back from fishing, the plug is usually wet from saltwater and has no kosher salt left on it. I just drop it in the bin, put the cover on and shake the container to cover the plug with salt. (Once a skin is installed on a plug, I keep the skin on the plug and store it dry until it gets ripped off by fish.) I have skin plugs going on several years that have been great fish catchers. They are very durable and will probably be broken off or lost before you need to replace the skin.
That's all there is to it! I then store the container, out of direct sunlight, in a corner of my garage with my other gear. When I am ready to use thekin plug again, I just drop it into a Luretube, clip it to my belt and I'm ready to go. No more sneaking skin plugs in & out of the refrigerator!
This technique has worked for me now for a couple of years and my garage has reached 90 degrees during the summer months. I can tell you that there is absolutely no foul odor, or any animals trying to get in to eat these things! Give it a shot. You'll be glad you did!
