Saturday, January 7th, was a good day. The sun shone brightly, the breeze was just right. It was cool, the way I like it. After some toast and cup of tea, I took our old couch and love seat to the recycling center. I said goodbye as they fed the crusher, ending many years of service. With that job done, I headed on to the lake... time to go test some lures.
I wanted to wring out the Hellbender,
test one my refurbished Flatfish, and see how my homemade spoon would
perform.
The Hellbender
This lure is another oldie, but definitely a goodie.
It is, in fact, a copycat version of an earlier 1940's design, the, "Bomber." The Hellbender began with J. Fred Eder, who simply wanted to cash in on The Bomber Company's success.
Mr. Eder started making lures under the "Whopper Stopper" name, in Sherman, TX, in the latter 1940's. The Hellbender began appearing in anglers' tackle boxes in the 1950s. Then, in 1979, Whopper Stopper was purchased by Heddon, and the Hellbender is STILL offered under the Heddon banner.
Hellbenders have held many freshwater records, because they dive down deep where the big fish live.
But oddly enough, the Hellbender is a floating lure at rest. But, this ain't no popper, or dog walker. It floats, yes, but it is weighted to hang near vertical, and the unique heart-shaped diving lip and pivoting link means it only has one way to go – DOWN!
It is not unusual to reach depths of 15-20 feet, and 35 feet might be achieved
on a long-line, motor troll. And that's with nothing more than a
low-drag/low-stretch line. Add two Hellbenders in tandem, one 20 feet behind the first, and tie them to a lead core line... and you might reach 75 feet with this "poor mans downrigger."
The Hellbender It is also a wide wobbling bait, with
lots of fish-attracting vibration.
But it has another trick up
its sleeve - the lip, together with the pivot link allows the
Hellbender to flip up and over obstructions. Hit a rock or log and.... ZING!... over it goes! It is an amazing thing to see.
But the big deal is
its deep deep diving qualities, perfect for fishing structure like
steep banks, drop-offs, and channels. It
looks like something gaudy
from grand-dad's day, because it is. But it is a serious
digger that has stood the test of time.
Hellbenders
The heart-shaped lip and pivot link are obvious in these pics.
You'll also notice the cute little spinner blade on the tail! (1)
Hellbenders, the similar Water Dog (Bomber) and an S3 Flatfish (from my collection)
This is one of my refurbished lures, a U-20 model. The "U" means , "underwater," and it, too, is a diving lure with its own characteristic throbbing wobble action. This video gives you a taste of that....
This is one of those experimental things you tinker with from time to time.
I've done this before, but for some reason, I wanted to give it another go. To be honest, I feel the spoon is a bit too wide and would probably wobble better if it was longer. Think Eppinger's famous "Daredevle" for what I mean.
Spoon below, Penny Snakes, on top.
The rear end of the spoon handle.
These are destined to become jiggin' spoons.
If you saw the post from a week ago, Last Day of 2022 (< - - click link)... I showed the water level of the lake at its lowest point of the winter drawdown. Well, it is now turning around and coming back up...
High and Dry
Water Coming Back
For The Tackle Tarts
On this trip I brought my trusty old, 7' Mitchell “Outback" / Mitchell 300, rod and reel combo...
No fish were seen, this day, but the older I get - the less I care.
Some honking big mussels were around, though....and that is a nice end to a nice day.
Would you like to add the catching pattern(s) seen here to your own fly or tackle box? Do you have questions, gripes, or suggestions?
If so, email me at...dahutist@gmail.com
Thanks so much for reading, and...
Tight Lines,
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