I've found myself on the boat with some real small eels and I use conventional gear exclusively. Casting some of them has been a real challenge. It got my thinking about putting a small lure out in front of it to add some weight to the catch.
I've used egg sinkers but in the area I am now fishing, that usually results in a hang-up on the boulders I am fishing with.
I also drift an eel out the back of the boat and started to think a small swimmer in front of the eel may help get it down under the surface.
Here's the prototype I've been testing. I can take the hardware off and use it as a casting egg, put the shoelace eel on the hook or leave the hook add a drop leader and have the eel follow a foot or so behind. It might even add a little life to a dead eel.
Tests in the pond have it swimming real nice with a dead eel out back on the dropper. Can't wait to see what it does with fish around.
I popped some of those glow eyes in there too. If it works, I'll put something together that doesn't look so rough....