Hellgramites

[Ken Lyons]

The Delaware has lots of them but not the Raritan or am I wrong about that. If i’M not wrong does anyone know why?

[thmyorke1]

Im also interested. Havent seen any myself although I havent been out looking for them.

[Fluken-Around]

I don't fish the Raritan river but I live 10 min from Delaware river and I fish it on a regular basis. Hellgramites need well oxygenated and unpolluted water to survive. You will not find them in slow moving streams or rivers. Not sure if Raritan is either of these. They make an incredible bait and if you know the right spots you can catch a bunch real quick. We destroy fish on Big D, small mouth among all other species can resist them. It's to the point i don't even like heading out unless I have a coffee can full...Im not sure about all of the Big D but we can't harvest hellgramites in part of Big D I fish so we catch them else were and bring them with. But the Delaware River is loaded with them.

[saltfisherman]

As a kid, yes that’s quite some time ago, my dad took me to Ken Lockwood to get them. Now this is going back many years. It’s not something I did even as early as 30 years ago.


We would use a minnow seine, two people holding it and a garden rake.

[EJS]

Ken, yes and no. I was catching them this summer on the upper South Branch in Clinton and in the Neshanic area as well. Find a free stone bottom section on the Raritan, you will find them. As far as pollution, one of the best indicators of stream health is the Stone fly.

[AndyS]

The most hellgramites I ever found were on the North Branch of the Raritan river. I started turning over mid sized rocks about 3 feet from the waters edge and sure enough there were very big hellgramites under them. I thought they lived mostly in the water. Best way to find out is get a seine net and a few people and walk while kicking up the rocky bottom.

[RWole]

Hellgramites are the best bait for the Delaware, especially late spring
and summer. Problem is trying to get them, not many bait shops
have them. If anyone knows of shops that normally have them please
let me know.

[AndyS]

I think the river bottom itself is very different between the two rivers. From what I have seen the Raritan has a very hard flat shale bottom where the Delaware seems to be more rocks. I think Wag's is closed, they always had them.

[icebadger]

i grew up near the rockaway river in boonton twsp. the section in the gorge in boonton has alot of them. turning rocks over there will yeld a bunch of them however you have to be careful holding them they can bite the hell out of you if you are not careful. they are deadly for smallmouth. leaches are also good bait you might encounter them as well when you are looking for hellgramites. also you will find crayfish they are great bait as well, the only problem with them is you have to keep them moving they tend to get you hung up on the bottom.

[Ken Lyons]

Makes sense. There’s a lot more of them in the Delaware because the Delaware has so much more suitable habitat. That is fast moving, highly oxygenated water. They need lots of O2 or so I have read.

[nsell]

Hi-Way Sports Shop on route 31 has hellgramites at times, mostly during the summer months. They can be expensive though.

[RWole]

Yes, I get them there during June and July when in sock. at $12 a
dozen a bit expensive but worth it. Keith runs a well stocked shop
and provides great information if needed. I was just looking for
another place if his supply is limited. Sometimes I buy 12- 15 dozen
at a time, usually deplete his stock.

[Dave B.]

I think the river bottom itself is very different between the two rivers. From what I have seen the Raritan has a very hard flat shale bottom where the Delaware seems to be more rocks. I think Wag's is closed, they always had them.

WAG's has been closed for a looonng time, like over 15 years. Walt finally decided to retire and sold both the sports shop and his engineering firm.

In addiditon to the 'D' the Paulinskill has a fairly abundant population of Dobsonfly larvae, AKA hellgrammite's. As others have stated find a riffs/rapids stream section with rocks from baseball to watermelon sized, place a net directly downstream and start rock rolling, taking the time to swirl your hand around in the hollow below the rocks as you roll them.

[Mark B.]

AKA: “The Tingler”,.............they can get pretty big:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrp004kprl8

[Dave B.]

AKA: “The Tingler”,.............they can get pretty big:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrp004kprl8

Nice! Hell, that one could be striper or musky bait! Must'a come from the Susquehanna below Three Mile Island!