I purchased everything for the Hell/Pet combo @ Academy this weekend but don't know how to remove the treble hooks on the Hellbender.

Any tips would be appreciated.

Paul

small screwdriver and pry the eye where the hook is open, then slide weight on it...you need to back out the screw eye first....You do know that they carry the hellbender without hooks, right?

I've had trouble doing it the suggested way. I tried cutting the hooks but they're tough. This method works best for me. I lock the tip of a pair of visegrips on the hook's loop and use a pair of channellock(angled and adjustable) pliers also on the loop to bend it back and forth until it breaks.

After removing the hook, I use a split ring to attach the weight to the hellbender ring. I feel there is also less risk of treble hooking myself this way.

If you're going to destroy the hooks just get a pair of side cutters and make 2 snips in the hook eye to free it. Hanging the weight with a split ring will work, too.

Steve,Who carries Hellbenders without hooks?

Academy, just picked some up Friday.

Only trouble with the "generic" hellbenders at Academy, they are very poorly made, and half of the ones I have used won't dive properly, even tweaking the dive lip doesn't help. Sent away for some Heddons, all of them work, every time, almost same price.

I just snip the hooks off and use split rings. Sometimes I leave the back hook in place, but have never caught a fish on it.

Wife and I got into some heavy hybrid action this weekend on Belton, using the HellPet with # 13, white feather, yanked in 18 hybrids in two hours. What a blast! Today, wife's shoulders and arms were tired from all the cranking in! That's a first!

Soffy, forgot to add, I usually take all eyes out and re-insert them using superglue, as they tend to work themselves out from the vibration.

They all so carry the actual hellbender made by heddon without hooks....look below the ones with hooks, they usually have a couple of pegs of them....if not, it will be in topstock or in a basket underneath.


First time I rigged them, i but them in vise and cut hooks with cutters,,i have such a very small blade screwdriver that i can pry and the pinch back, can have the whole thing rigged in minutes if it has hooks on it.....

Get a swiss army knife and use the awl that is on the back of the knife. Fit it with the sharp edge into the opening of the eye screw and then pry it out, put 3/4 ounce sinker on it and screw it back in once seated with the metal cap in place it wont come off. Easier as steve says to buy without hooks, the name will say downrigger but its a hellbender without hooks.

I realize that the hellbender is just to get the spoon down deep, but has anyone ever caught anything on the hellbender if you leave the hooks on? I can't help but think "what if" when I use a hell/pet. You know...What if a big hybrid or some big fish hits the hellbender and I don't have any hooks on it? Anyone else wonder the same thing? I've caught some nice hybrids out of Benbrook using 4"-6" shad, so why wouldn't a hybrid hit the hellbender? Any thoughts?

Do a search I think some one has said they leave hooks on the hellbender and catch fish.

Dont leave the hooks on it. It gets tangled up. The pet spoon will do just fine.

Can somebody please sent me picture of a hell/pet set up. I went to academy and asked a guy about the hell/pet, he looked at me like i was real stupid and said he did know what i was talking about. I know it involves a hellbender and some kind of spoon and that is all i know. A picture would sure help and i want have to bother the experts at academy.

Steve and Tommy are correct, you can buy the Hellbenders without the hooks. Got mine at Academy.