Hellgramites have a magic profile that smallies want. Like senkos, they just get bit.

They can be rigged in every way I think.

On 7/15/2022 at 8:11 AM, Bluebasser86 said:

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

The Fish Lab nymph with it’s swimming wings works good on a drop shot or as a finesse jig trailer👍

Tom

Ok . . . going to give this bait away.  No one has mentioned it on here.  Go to "River Rock Custom Baits" they have a bait called a "helgripede" that is a cross between a hellgrammite and centipede.  This little bait is smallmouth candy.  I've used this bait for well over 10 years.  I have never seen them in a store.  I found them by accident.  A local tackle shop had some of their tubes in the store.  They were out of the color I wanted, so I got online looking for the tubes and found the "helgripede".  Bought them instead of the tubes and have caught way too many smallies to count.  Caught one just over 5lbs last year in Canada along with many other small 3lbers on a day when the temp fell from 73 degrees to about 40.  I rigged them up with 1/0 gama, and a bullet wt pegged 16-18" above.  These are my go to baits.  I rig them up ned style, and also with the pegged bullet.      

17 minutes ago, Shadow1 said:

Ok . . . going to give this bait away.  No one has mentioned it on here.  Go to "River Rock Custom Baits" they have a bait called a "helgripede" that is a cross between a hellgrammite and centipede.  .      

 

I see he has many interesting colors like "Electric Lime". I never fished anything like that but I wonder how the fish would react.

 

Is there a color you recommend?

I know you didn’t ask me but black or obsidian 

Dogface, I really like the Dark Special.  I've seen live hellgrammites look black, dark brown, and some a dark olive color.  The River Rock baits are very soft, and you'll go through a bunch but they are fantastic.  So much so, that every spring I order 4 25ct bags of them.  I get them all in Dark Special.  The creek/river smallies eat them up around here, and the big boys in Canada do as well.  Don't let the secret bait out!!   

Oh, I almost forgot, in fairly clear water . . . Oxblood w/black or Light Special.

Thanks guys!

 

Most of the hellermites I trap here are dark olive, brown or black. I was just curious if some of those bright colors would work. 

The helgipede comes in 2 sizes, are you using the 3”?

Lots of colors!

Tom

I use the 3.5". They have a great color selection. Funny thing about color. I was in western Maryland fishing smallies in a river. We did terrible one day. Got back to our cabin, and started talking to some other people around camp. A guy walked over, and tosses us 2 packs of Zoom grubs in "cotton candy" smiles, and said "hold on tomorrow." Well, the next day we crushed the smallies on those grubs on 1/8oz ball head jigs. Go figure. 😞

I use BPS hellgrammite in black. When the river current is slow, or when fishing in a back-flowing eddy current, I use a pretty primitive rig. I hook the bait thru the tail end on a small hook. I put one or two small splitshot about 2 feet up the line from the hook. I then use a small or medium bobber fastened on the line just far enough up so the bait is close to, but not touching the bottom, or at least not touching the bottom all the time. I use a quartering cast upstream, and allow the bobber to drift with the current slowly, and/or curl around into the eddy behind a rock, wingdam, or whatever....

21 hours ago, Shadow1 said:

Dogface, I really like the Dark Special.  I've seen live hellgrammites look black, dark brown, and some a dark olive color.  The River Rock baits are very soft, and you'll go through a bunch but they are fantastic.  So much so, that every spring I order 4 25ct bags of them.  I get them all in Dark Special.  The creek/river smallies eat them up around here, and the big boys in Canada do as well.  Don't let the secret bait out!!   

Oh, I almost forgot, in fairly clear water . . . Oxblood w/black or Light Special.

The River Rock Hellgripedes absolutely crush smallmouth in the summer on the Potomac.

On 2/1/2024 at 10:09 AM, TnRiver46 said:

I know you didn’t ask me but black or obsidian 

 

I agree. Most of the fake hellgermites I have are black or dark brown. 

The Mister Twister "TwisterMite" -- I got a whole bunch of these in a "grab bag special" of random stuff around 20 years ago. I always forget I have them.  Still available on the MT website, although I've never seen them in a store:

 

I always fished plastic hellgrammites just like I fish the real ones.  Just hook them and let them drift downstream.  I will add a split shot if I need to cast further.

On 2/7/2024 at 9:27 PM, wvhunt said:

I always fished plastic hellgrammites just like I fish the real ones.  Just hook them and let them drift downstream.  I will add a split shot if I need to cast further.

Thats the best way I've found. Weightless is the ticket for summer

On 2/1/2024 at 9:15 AM, Shadow1 said:

Dogface, I really like the Dark Special.  I've seen live hellgrammites look black, dark brown, and some a dark olive color.  The River Rock baits are very soft, and you'll go through a bunch but they are fantastic.  So much so, that every spring I order 4 25ct bags of them.  I get them all in Dark Special.  The creek/river smallies eat them up around here, and the big boys in Canada do as well.  Don't let the secret bait out!!   

Oh, I almost forgot, in fairly clear water . . . Oxblood w/black or Light Special.

Just placed an order! I like the suggestions of drifting the bait in slow current. That's the way I like to fish, slow, easy, and unhurried.

I'm gonna try the River Rock helgripede. Thanks for sharing.

 

I have used the Arkie Salty Crawlin' Fry. They are 4.25"

I use them full size, pinch an inch off, and cut them in half. They have produced well for me.

^i don’t even wanna touch that

 

Just got my order, on the Helgipedes. Can't wait to drift the river with these. 

thanks

On 2/19/2024 at 1:44 PM, Blue Raider Bob said:

Just got my order, on the Helgipedes. Can't wait to drift the river with these. 

thanks

These are the fishiest looking soft baits ever. My problem now is all my rivers are high and muddy. Looks like I'll be waiting awhile to try them. I'm sure they will get bit on lakes as well. I can just see all  little BG's pecking these all the way to the boat!

Tribs are clearing nicely @Blue Raider Bob

I have tried a plastic hellgrammite numerous times and have never gotten a bite. Maybe it's me. A real one won't last a minute in the water.

They do chomp the real ones, I swear we got like 10-12 different species one day with them 

On 2/1/2024 at 10:15 AM, Shadow1 said:

Dogface, I really like the Dark Special. 

 

That is a great color for tubes as well around here.

 

Allen

 

 

On 2/19/2024 at 2:44 PM, Blue Raider Bob said:

Just got my order, on the Helgipedes. Can't wait to drift the river with these. 

thanks

Not sure what size you got, but I like to drift them weightless down current seams in the summer. The 3.5" rigged weightless on a #2 EWG is the ticket for me. Good luck