# Artificial Hellgrammites



## co-angler (Jan 3, 2010)

Hey guys (oh, and gal), I bought some artificial hellgrammites over the winter from Case Plastics. These things look great but I have still not tied one on as I am not comfy with them while fishing for smallies. Anyone ever tried artificial helly's?
If so, could you please give me some pointers on how to rig, and the best way to fish them?
I am thinking that I would let them drift through the riffles or swifter moving water.
I dunno.......


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## LMRsmallmouth (Jan 10, 2006)

kinda hard to fish one wrong as these critters are like candy to a smallie. Personally, I would thread it on an 1/8 oz standup jig head and fish it anywhere you would a tube or craw. Second option is to texas rig it and shove some weight in it (like a nail) to make it sink slowly. Heck, you could nose hook it with a drop shot setup as well!


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## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

LMRsmallmouth said:


> kinda hard to fish one wrong as these critters are like candy to a smallie. Personally, I would thread it on an 1/8 oz standup jig head and fish it anywhere you would a tube or craw. Second option is to texas rig it and shove some weight in it (like a nail) to make it sink slowly. Heck, you could nose hook it with a drop shot setup as well!



Hit the nail on the head. Fish the floor of the seams. I've used these & they seem to be one of the baits of choice in West Virginia along the Greenbrier & New river system for the pig smallies. These & a rubber Mad Tom are very productive smallmouth options.


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## bsmith (Mar 26, 2010)

My father told me about hellgrammites many years ago. If I fish for smallmouth with live bait I prefer them over anything else. I've never fished artificial ones but I'm sure they'd work similar. We used to hook them just behind the head and fish them on a carolina rig, casting into a riffle and slowly working them upstream through the rocks. Be prepared, when a smallmouth hits them, they hit with a ferocity that's sure to surprise you, even if you're expecting it.


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## Yankee Sticker (Apr 14, 2010)

I fish these quite often, usually a small split shot a 8-12 inches from the hook and let them drift in the rapids. They are like candy to smallmouth. If snags are a problem I sometimes even use some type of float to keep it off the bottom or throw weightless with a heavier hook. Really can't go wrong with them.


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## co-angler (Jan 3, 2010)

Good stuff you guy's. It's appreciated. I have a concern of mortality though because they are such a small bait and they are being hit as hard or fiercely as described. This is the main reason I limit how often I fish tubes.

Yankee Sticker, how do you hook yours?


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## Yankee Sticker (Apr 14, 2010)

Usually a small circle hook helps me from hooking them too deep. Hook them straight through the neck area and let them dangle. I do lose a few lures this way but I carry a ton of them with me at all times so it is no big loss. I have tried other ways of rigging, such as texas rigging on a small hook or threading them on a straight shank and even jig heads but I have had the best luck with a circle hook, split shot, hooked through the neck. The most productive colors for me have been Red Shad and Natural in the 4" size. Good luck, just watch your line and hold on.


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## dtigers1984 (Jul 24, 2007)

Berkley Power Sandworm (if you can find 'em) in black or pumpkinseed, texas rigged, with a split shot or a bullet weight in front of it is my preference.


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## Yankee Sticker (Apr 14, 2010)

Was inspired to get out and fish these last night since it had been a while. Nothing of any size but several in the 8-12" range. All in deep pool eddies right next to swift current. Always fun to see your line drift then start running upstream against the current.


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