Ok, I have seen a lot of people ask what is the hell pet.....
The first was writing by Redfin and explains the set up very well, the second was by me.... Hope this helps. By the way. The Hellpet, allthough not invented by Billy Seaman, brought it to the TFF and is the MASTER.

http://www.rdlwebs.com/texasfishingmagazine/august2004equipmentarticleshellpet.htm


�Hell-Pet�

by John Varner

The hell-pet is an effective and deadly combination on just about any lake in the summer time for sandies. This method of fishing was shown to me by Steve Bradbury. Steve was taught by the great Billy Seaman. This method of trolling is not like deep sea fishing or down-rigging, you are not trying to catch a fish here and their. You are going for the mother load. You do not just put it out and troll the lake, there is a method to this madness. The main thing you look for is water temperature, 75 and above is when to break this baby out. The thermocline is the ticket. The water warms , thermocline sets in and the fish will move shallow. You want to locate fish on humps, points, and flats. When you mark fish, their usually isn't any arches. The fish are bundled so close they look like a blob on your graph. You start in deeper water, 20ft , and move up. Depending on water temp these fish can be anywhere from 17ft to 10ft. I throw a marker buoy out on the other side of the fish that I have found. If on a hump, I turn my boat around let out the hell-pet. You want to count the lure out for the proper depth going anywhere from 2.5 to 3.2 mph . I use the 1 Mississippi method. Usually for 15ft water I count about to 16 Mississippi . If you start dragging bottom count a few seconds shorter, different reels and speeds will determine your actual depth. Once you catch fish, stop the boat and reel them in, you do not need to go back to the original starting point. I seldom move more than 75 yards back and forth. Points and flats are almost the same. Sometimes you have to move across the point and flat not getting to shallow.

Some people hold their rods, and some put them in rod holders. If you are in fish really thick you should hold the rod to feel the fish. I put mine in rod holders because my arms get tired. When in the rod holder you can usually tell if a fish is on by the position of the tip of the rod. Buy real hellbenders and pet spoons, do not buy the knock offs. The hooks on the knock off pet spoons have been know to come off. The hellbender comes in a verity of colors and patterns with or without hooks. If you can, buy the ones without hooks. On the front eyelet remove the hook and use a 3/4 oz bell weight. You need to remove the eyelet before doing this. Use a pair of pliers and a small screw driver to spread the eye apart. On the back, you need to also remove the hook, and take the back spinner off leaving the swivel. Tie a 4ft leader to the back swivel and then the pet spoon to the other end. I use gold pet spoons on cloudy days and silver on sunny. The pet spoon comes in many sizes, my favorite is the #12 and #13 for sandies. Some days they like the #12 a lot better. They also come with different feathers, chartreuse and white are the favorites. I have not noticed any difference in feather color, we catch fish when the feather has come off. I like to use 7ft to 71/2ft rods with a large capacity reel. My reel of choice is the Abu Garcia 5600 C4, it should be spooled with minimum 15lb test line. Be sure to set your drag, if you hang up on bottom or hook a nice hybrid then you do not want your rod to break. People do things different, this is not the only way to use the hell-pet. This is just the way that I have used it.

John...right on!

That is excellent John, I'm sure that will be printed off many times. Sharon

I would like to add my greenhorn 2 cents worth.

Once your have your swivel on the back of your hellbender, put superglue on it to make it stick. The same for the bell weight up front. I have had both come out. Sometimes the screw gets stripped and so it won't screw back in very well. I put a drop or two of superglue on and THEN screw in the eye screw. The superglue goes down the hole with the screw and really cements it in.

Sharpen your hooks after each days fishing. They will be dull.

This lure pulls super, super hard on your pole. Your pole will be bent alot at the tip end. You can't mistake a bite IF you are holding the pole. You are trolling along and suddenly feel a 'whomp'. You'll know it when you get bit.

Also, I have noticed three things.

1. Most sand bass come up to the top of the water behind the boat when I reel them in.

2. Big sand bass, sometimes stay down a little longer.

3. Hybrids, don't come up at all, they slug it out with you down deep. You feel these tremendous, throbs that just pull your rod over the edge of the boat. You pray it stops or you'll fear you are going over.

If you think you had a bite and begin to reel in but it is very, very hard and the bait doesn't throb and STAYS down, you didn't get a fish. You'll realize how this feels after you reel in 20-30 times.

ALSO, if you count down and feel a 'tic, tic, tic' that seems to be pretty rhythmic....you are ticking the bottom.

Boat speed, reels, etc. will all affect how deep you go as you count "one Mississippi,....etc."

It is SO MUCH FUN!!!!

I am fanatically hooked on this deep method of fishing.

Andrew Seigrist

Take it from a master, Mr. Varner, and dont cut corners! Im trying it out on Brownwood this weekend and I have the utmost confidence in this presentation this time of year.

I wish the slab was a hot item this time of year as I dont like the wear and tear on my engine.

Great job on the pic John you answered alot of people's questions.

John,
Thank you for the detailed info, and thanks to Jim (Redfin) Wetzel, this is truly what this forum is all about, people helping people....I'm so glad I found the forum as I have made and continue making friends every day and every fishing trip... Thanks again to you both, very informative.....
Matthew

where do you buy the pet spoons?

Academy or Bass Pro. Wal-Mart may carry them?

Thank you very much. I appreciate the information.I tried Tawakoni this evening using the Hellpet rig. I had only one hellbender and hung on a tree after a short time trolling.
I could not locate any fish on humps or points. It was a very frustrating evening.

Seigrist, are you buying the REAL HellBenders...if you are you should not have to use super glue, never have had one come apart like you are saying.But I guess it wouldnt hurt either. If you want to put fish in the box, this is the best summertime methode on certain lakes. Cedar Creek is the best for this. Hubbard is also good for it but I can usually catch them without it, but sometimes you have to pull it out when it really gets hot. Lewisville, I wouldnt even consider it....I have fished with Don and that lake is a year around slab lake. Tawokoni I use it also, but I do like to troll deep on that lake...Guys I didnt come up with any of this, I was taught by the best, Billy Seaman and Steve Bradbury. All I did was a little write up for www.magnumsandbass.com for Hal.

You need to go fishing, or you will be writing books next! This is one awesome description, partner!

I would add to Johns post that I would not even mess with this at RC...I have never ever had to do it there as fish were always found with slabs......do it to find a school of them and then slab, but CC in the summer, don't leave home without it!

Varner.......I will call you tomorrow.

I am fishing tomm.

Great explanation John, also the pet spoon is carried at the Walmart in Canton bought some more last night.

Good read John. Thanks!