Soft plastics are perhaps my favorite type of lure to throw for bass. The variety of types on the market, along with the sheer versatility in techniques you can use with each one really allows soft plastics to do some real damage on the water. When you find a plastic bait that’s well-made and molded realistically, you can pull fish to the boat with each cast. Today, we’ll take a closer look at one such plastic that Bass Pro Shops recently released, the hellgrammite.
A common phrase among anglers is, “match the hatch.” This, of course, means choosing a lure or bait that imitates the current insect prey items for the season in a given region. Hellgrammites are popular aquatic larvae that bass, and other species, love, so throwing a plastic bait that imitates them is a smart idea.
Bass Pro’s hellgrammite plastics are 3 ¼” beauties that possess a molded body, complete with legs and pincers. They come in four realistic color patterns—green pumpkin, watermelon red flake, green pumpkin candy, and black red flake—that offer a subtle, realistic presentation. The baits are also infused with Bass Pro’s patented scent, as well as salt, to add further appeal.
The hellgrammite can be rigged a number of ways, depending on the situation, but popular tactics include a jighead and the Texas rig. With a jighead, you can work the bait along the bottom slowly and add subtle twitches here and there. The Texas rigged hellgrammite will enable you to work magic with the bait among weeds and around timber, where insects are naturally sure to seek safety from roaming predators. The weighted rigs are also ideal for river conditions where hellgrammite are commonly found, especially for smallmouth and trout.
A 15-count pack of BPS hellgrammites will cost you only $4.49, which is a great price, considering the size and quality construction of the bait. Whether you’re fishing the shoreline or working rocks and timber in the river, soft plastic hellgrammites are a surefire way to a solid hookset this season. If you’re looking for a new way to “match the hatch,” this bait is definitely the way to go!
