Plastic Hellgrammites

[zelmo]

There are several companies making hellgrammites now.  For those that use them when fishing for smallies in rivers and streams how are you rigging them?  Do you use enough weight so they stay in place or are you having them move with the current?

[Blue Raider Bob]

When I use them in current, I Ned rig them the same way I use other soft Plastics. I toss towards shore and gently drag them back while controlling my drift with my trolling motor. I do not use enough weight to keep them in place for two reasons.....the first is I want a natural drift that the Bass expect, and the second reason is the rivers I fish (Tennessee, Cumberland, and the Duck) and the spots I have the most confidence in have rocky bottoms. The exposed hook on my Ned Rigs will hang everytime if they make constant contact with the bottom. I understand your question about keeping in place because in a natural setting, a Hellgramite is going to cling to structure instead of drifting. However I believe you will have more success with a moving bait.

[zelmo]

Thanks. I hardly ever add enough weight to keep baits in place for the same reason as you.  
 

I can think of several ways to rig them, from ned weights to football jigs to slider heads.  I was thinking that a 1/16 slider head might work best but that will move along pretty good in current.  
 

Another rig that I might try is a worm hook and small bullet weight.  

[Bluebasser86]

I just fish them on a jighead, just like a Ned rig. A bigger one could be used on a light T rig though. 

[TnRiver46]

Small hook rigged weedless, split shot up the line a bit 

[SWVABass]

Same as @TnRiver46 I fish them on a spinning set up, roboworm rebar hook, and just enough split shot to allow them to bounce down the bottom with out having to drag it.

 

I try to get it where my bait is floating ahead of my weight.

[PaulVE64]

Weightless on a worm hook.  Let it dead drift from upstream and i add a split shot for downstream drifts.

 

Mine are a BPS instore brand about 3" lg.

[Dogface]

On 5/16/2022 at 1:48 PM, TnRiver46 said:

Small hook rigged weedless, split shot up the line a bit 

 

I've been fishing them on a NED head but I like your rig. I'll try it next time I'm out. 

[newapti5]

I like the Nikko one the best, durable and realistic. On summer days, it's like irresistible candy to smallies.  I use a 3/32oz VMC finesse weedless jighead to rig it, fishing the rocky bottom of the shallow river and creeks. 

[zelmo]

15 hours ago, newapti5 said:

I like the Nikko one the best, durable and realistic. On summer days, it's like irresistible candy to smallies.  I use a 3/32oz VMC finesse weedless jighead to rig it, fishing the rocky bottom of the shallow river and creeks. 

 

Do you alter the amount of weight as flow increases or falls?

[ATA]

I drop shot nose hook(in lake), Also on jighead (in river).

[WRB]

Different underwater large nymphs are called hellgramites but only 1 the Dobson Fly is a hellgramite. 

I never found a hellgramite in California and used live Dragon Darner Fly nymphs for bait as a kid for bass and trout.

Tom

[Ohioguy25]

On 5/16/2022 at 11:53 AM, zelmo said:

There are several companies making hellgrammites now.  For those that use them when fishing for smallies in rivers and streams how are you rigging them?  Do you use enough weight so they stay in place or are you having them move with the current?

I use a Nikko Hellgrammite in natural on a 1/0 EWG Owner Ned Head.  

[newapti5]

16 hours ago, zelmo said:

 

Do you alter the amount of weight as flow increases or falls?

 

Sometimes, but I mostly use it on summer time, when the water level and flow are both low, especially during those bright blue-bird days,  so not many occasions that I need to adjust the weight. 

 

During the spring time when the river/creek level is up and the flow is fast, I usually find other lures more effective. If I do use it in spring, I would cast it to eddies and calmer waters, and use a 1/8oz jighead if needed. 

 

As you know, susquehanna's bottom is big boulders and small rocks, but I found a 3/32~1/8oz jighead with weed guard could keep the Nikko Hellgrammite closer to the bottom but much less prone to snags, so I can fish it slow, instead of only drifting it in front of a fish for a reaction bite. 

[Dinger0306]

I bought some BPS Hellgrammites to try them out, and have had a bit of success with them. I've been fishing them on 1/20-to-1/15oz Ned heads. Light enough to where if they are hitting the bottom I can't feel it. 

I have MUCH better luck with just a regular ole Finesse TRD but I'm gonna keep fishing them. May try the Nikko's out and see if I have any better results.

[newapti5]

7 hours ago, Dinger0306 said:

I bought some BPS Hellgrammites to try them out, and have had a bit of success with them. I've been fishing them on 1/20-to-1/15oz Ned heads. Light enough to where if they are hitting the bottom I can't feel it. 

I have MUCH better luck with just a regular ole Finesse TRD but I'm gonna keep fishing them. May try the Nikko's out and see if I have any better results.

 

I've also tried BPS's version, and for uncertain reasons, they're less effective than Nikko's. 

[soflabasser]

On 5/17/2022 at 11:00 PM, PaulVE64 said:

Weightless on a worm hook.  Let it dead drift from upstream and i add a split shot for downstream drifts.

 

Mine are a BPS instore brand about 3" lg.

BPS makes good soft plastic lures that are not overpriced like other companies. The fish do not care how much you spend, they care how you work the lure.

[PotatoLake]

I'm going to try out the Tackle HD Ned Mites here in a few days. I'll ned rig them and mojo rig them. I'll report back on how I do with them.

[PaulVE64]

On 5/16/2022 at 1:48 PM, TnRiver46 said:

Small hook rigged weedless, split shot up the line a bit 

3" Pumkin green hellgrammite on a 1/0 EWG and a 1/8 oz split shot 8" to 12" up the line was on fire today.

(With a 17# mono leader)

[TnRiver46]

22 minutes ago, PaulVE64 said:

3" Pumkin green hellgrammite on a 1/0 EWG and a 1/8 oz split shot 8" to 12" up the line was on fire today.

(With a 17# mono leader)

Nice!

[Bluebasser86]

I think the smaller version of this new bait from FishLab will be a pretty good imitation. 

[PaulVE64]

I've had success with Hellgramites (hand pours) from  Anglers Choice.

I bought the first and last pack I saw.

They work well enough to call them a confidence bait.

And then I find out they stopped making them.

[Masaccio]

1/15.  

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Z-Man_Finesse_Bulletz_Weedless_Jig_Heads_3pk/descpage-ZMFB.html

Youtube:

 

[Munkin]

On 5/16/2022 at 1:48 PM, TnRiver46 said:

Small hook rigged weedless, split shot up the line a bit 

 

Throw them up stream in current and let them float down.

 

Allen

[Bazoo]

I appreciate this conversation. I just picked up a pack of the bps hellgrammites from Cabela’s to try. Not something you see (the lures)around where I’m from,  so I’m hoping they’ll work well for me.