Parsons Lures 1.5" "Little Helgi" Hellgrammite Soft Plastic Bait

When/Where: Clear water, cold fronts, high pressure, or any time fish are hovering but won’t commit—rocks, riprap, bluff walls, edges of current, and vertical cover.

How: Nose-hook it on a small drop-shot hook and keep the tag end short when you want it tight to bottom (rock seams), longer when you want it to “hang” (suspended panfish/trout). Shake slack, not the bait.

Why it works: The appendages do the talking with almost no input—exactly what you want when fish are watching more than chasing.

Tuning: If you’re missing bites, downsize hook/wire and slow your cadence; if fish are nipping, shorten the leader so it stays in the strike zone longer.

When/Where: Rocky bottoms, gravel flats, current breaks, and “in-between” water where fish feed on aquatic insects. Also excellent for stillwater when you can keep it near bottom.

How: Thread it onto a small mushroom or round head and fish it like a tiny bottom creature—short hops, tiny drags, and long pauses. In current, let the flow animate it while you just maintain contact.

Why it works: It looks like real forage people forget to imitate—small, natural, and available all the time.

Tuning: If it’s snaggy, lift more than you drag. If the bite is timid, pause longer than feels reasonable.

When/Where: Rivers, creeks, and rocky-bottom lakes where you want a simple, controlled bottom-bounce—especially for trout, panfish, and smallmouth that are pinned to the substrate.

How: Rig straight, then drift-and-tick: cast slightly upstream, follow it down, and let it tap rock every few feet. In stillwater, slow-drag and stop it like a live bug trying to hide.

Why it works: A ball head keeps the profile compact and “honest,” and the Little Helgi’s legs/segments keep moving even when you’re barely moving.

Tuning: Heavier head for fast current; lighter head when fish want a slower fall and longer hang time.

When/Where: Ultra-shallow edges, calm pools, docks, and dead-sticking scenarios where you want maximum natural drift and minimum hardware.

How: Light-wire hook, short pitches, then let it sit. Add tiny twitches only when you need to show life—most strikes happen during the pause.

Why it works: The bait reads “real” in the water—small, subtle, and unbothered—so fish commit without needing a chase trigger.

Tuning: If it sinks too slowly in moving water, swap to a slightly larger hook for a touch more weight without changing the profile much.