Jump to: Fresh Water  Salt Water  -  Downloads (pdf): Techniques  | Species

Fresh Water 

Largemouth Bass: The 7" and 10" Texas-rigged Hogys have been proven to be deadly on largemouth bass. Don't be afraid to "fish big" for these aggressive fish. I have done very well in the kettle ponds on Cape Cod when the herring are in. (Bone's my favorite color!) Later on in the season when the lily pads are in, the Hogys are great for hopping over the pads. Their pronounced weight and size create a lot of attention. Start fishing them as a jerk bait once they're off the pads and hang on!

Largemouth bass is one of the most fished for species in the world and available all over. Consequently, methods and color selections will vary in different geographic regions. Fish Hogys anywhere you find big bass that like big baits such as trout, herring, shiners and snakes.

Our original series Hogys are the most popular baits with bass anglers.  Our hand poured plastic offers incredible action. Try our 10" Hogys on 11/0 offset worm Hooks

New!! 8" Hogy Paddle Jerk Swim Bait: This hefty swim-bait throws quite a wake when fished on top. Try short rod twitches to make this bait "pop."

Popular Products

• 7" Original Hogy
• 10" Original Hogy
• 14" Original Hogy
• 8" Hogy Paddle Jerk Swim Bait
• 7/0 Offset Worm Hooks
• Hogy Eye Rattles
• Hogy Fresh Flavors

Smallmouth Bass: Although a little bigger than most baits for smallies our 7" Series is most popular with Trophy smallmouth bass anglers. Amber is our biggest seller.  Keep an eye out for our new "mini" series. It will feature the same popular plastic as in our original series.

The 7" Texas rigged Hogy is our strong recommendation. Amber is the hot (hot, hot) color for the smallies.

Popular Products

• 7" Original Hogy
• 7/0 Offset Worm Hooks
• Hogy Eye Rattles
• Hogy Fresh Flavors

Musky: The 10" and the 14" are the proven sizes for these toothy critters. I use a short 130-pound test fluorocarbon leader when fishing for muskies. I use a Texas-rigged 10" Hogy in weedy situations and the tandem rigged 14" Hogy in open water to draw more attention. Hogy Insert Rattles drives them crazy!

New!! 8" Hogy Paddle Jerk Swim Bait: This hefty swim-bait throws quite a wake when fished on top. Try short rod twitches to make this bait "pop."

Recommended Hogys

• 10" Original Hogy
• 14" Original Hogy
• 11/0 Offset Worm Hooks
• Hogy Eye Rattles
• Hogy Fresh Flavors

Pike: See above.

Salt Water

Bluefish: Though bluefish chop up soft baits, they love 'em. I'll use Hogys on finicky bluefish (which is often the case when I try to catch one on short notice for dinner!).

Recommended Hogys

• 10" Original Hogy
• Hogy Fresh Flavors

Striped Bass: Hogys were designed and field-tested when fishing for striped bass. I'll use 7" Hogys for schoolies or when larger fish are feeding on very small baits. I routinely cast, drift and troll Hogys for striped bass. Don't forget drop-shotting them as a pinpoint strategy for finicky fish holding in deeper water.  

Recommended Hogys

• Hogys of All Sizes
• Eye Rattles
• Hogy Fresh Flavors

Bonito and False Albacore: The 7" Hogy is deadly on false albacore and bonito. I will go so far as to say it is the best albie lure I have ever used! Fish it hard and fast. With the tip of the rod pointed at the water, reel as fast as you can. The Hogy will literally quiver-looking just like a wounded baitfish fleeing for it's life. Albies and Bonito will rise like bluefish chasing a plug.

Recommended Hogys

• 7" Hogy
• 7/0 Worm Hook
• Weighted Grip Hook

Giant Sea Bass: I just started using Hogys on these aggressive fish. I'll fish the 7" Hogy either on a drop shot rig or on a jig head on the parameter of a wreck holding sea bass. While I won't say it's necessary. A drop of calamari fresh flavors will go a long way.

Recommended Hogys

• 7" Hogy
• 7/0 Worm Hook
• Hogy Fresh Flavors

Calico Bass:  Hogys have really proven themselves on Calicos in the kelp beds of the west coast. We prefer to fish them "Weedless" and cast the bait up onto the beads and work them out, using a "walk the dog" technique.

Recommended Hogys

• 7" Hogy
• 10" Original Hogy

Big Grouper: Anglers vertically jig for grouper with buck tails. A Soft bait big enough to fit on a very large Jig Head is very effective, especially with a stinger hook. Anglers looking for huge grouper and Cubera Snappers will fish our Hogy Lobster on big jigs.

We also like fishing the Hogys near structure as a top water bait for grouper. In shore, the 7” and 10” Hogys have been the most effective baits for us. Check out our quick video

Recommended Hogys

• 10" Jiggn Hogy
• 10" Double Wide
• Hogy Fresh Flavors
• Hogy Lobster

Giant Fluke: Although we prefer that fluke anglers buy our soft baits, we've learned that our Hogy Tandem Quick-rigs have a cult following with fluke fans who prefer to use larger baits and like our high quality tandem rigged Laser Sharp Hooks because they line up well with oversized squid, tinker mackerel and long strips of fluke bellys.

A method we're bigger fans of (for obvious reasons of course) entails a double rig consisting of a dropper loop with a Texas rigged Hogy. (see hogy concepts link for instructions on making the rig) If bait stealers get your bait, you'll still have the slinky, sinuous action of the soft-bait to attract door mat fluke. Although most anglers prefer the 7" Hogy in this case, don't be afraid to use our 10" for the trophy!

Recommended Hogys

• 7" Hogy
• 10" Hogy
• Hogy Quick Rigs
• Fresh Flavors: Calimari

Halibut: The Jiggn' Hogy is the most appropriate soft bait for halibut as it will fit on just about any size jig head, allowing you to achieve greater depths. Amber and chartreuse are  most the commonly used colors.

Recommended Hogys

• 10" Jiggn' Hogy
• Hogy Quick Rigs
• Fresh Flavors: Calimari

Weakfish: Bubble gum seems to be the favorite weakfish color. The 10" Bubble Gum Hogy is a NJ favorite for big tide runners.

Recommended Hogys

• 7" Hogy
• 10" Hogy

Snook: Don't be afraid of the size of the Hogy. Snook aren't!! We Recommend the 7" Hogys rigged texas style for Snook. Go 10" if you're looking for a "slob" The size and shape of the 7" Hogy makes a great mullet imitation. Fish them faster than you normally would. You'll be amazed by how far a snook will follow the baits away from structure to hit the 7" Hogy. My Favorite Hogys for snook are: Black, Bone and Amber (which many anglers refer to as lite root beer)

Recommended Hogys

• 7" Hogy
• 7/0 Worm Hook
• 10" Hogy
• 11/0 Worm Hook

Red Fish: Big red fish love Hogys. We've done the best with Amber and Chartuese on the flats with a slow "walk-the-dog" retrieve. We've had great louck with the 7" Bone Hogy on bucktails in deeper water.

Recommended Hogys

• 7" Hogy
• 7/0 Worm Hook
• Hogy Eye Rattles

Amberjacks and GT: We like to fish the Jiggn' Hogy Swim bait "Poppin'" style over reefs. Last May in the Outer Banks, we did very well on 'Jacks up topping 40lbs. The key here is to fish them hard and fast, making that Hogy pop and crash accross on the surface. Remember get that fish off the wreck as soon as possible! Use the same Hogy on a large jig head if they're holding deep.

Recommended Hogys

• 10" Jiggn' Hogy
• Hogy Jig Head
• 11/0 Worm Hooks

Cobia: The 14 and 18" Hogys make fantastic eel imitations for Cobia trophy hunting Black, Black Pearl, Amber and Chartreuse are by far our biggest sellers with Cobia anglers.  We recommend tandem rigging our larger baits while site fishing for cobia. But if Cobia are hanging deep, the Jiggn' Hogy is the way to go. Our biggest Cobia, that we know of is a 50 lb fish taken in Cape Canaveral.

Recommended Hogys

• 10" Hogy
• 14" Hogy
• 18" Hogy
• Hogy Jig Head
• 11/0 Worm Hooks

Big Tarpon love Hogys. Inshore, the 7" Hogy rigged texas style on a large offset worm hook  is deadly on baby tarpon. On larger fish, we prefer 10" and 14" Original Hogys at night. Black, bone and Amber are our favorites! If your fishing for big Tarpon in the surf, try our 10" Double Double Wide Hogy, it weighs nearly 3oz so it can be cast with heavy gear.

Recommended Hogys

• 7" Hogy
• 10" Hogy
• 14" Hogy
• 10" Hogy Double Wide
• Fresh Flavors: Calimari

Cod and Haddock: I use the 10" tandem rigged Hogy as a dropper for whales. Other times, I'll add two dropper loops above my sinker and fish with nothing but Hogys. I like the 14" on the bottom and a 10" on top. Haddock LOVE bubble gum colored Hogys.  

Recommended Hogys

• 10" Hogy
• 8" Paddle Jerk
• Hogy Jig Head
• 11/0 Worm Hooks

School Sized Tuna: Hogys make great cast baits to breaking school tuna. Last year, off Chatham, Massachusetts, the 10" Texas Rigged 10" Double Wide Hogy was HOT. In Gloucester, the light tackle fleet trolled the tandem rigged bone Hogy with great success. When the bluefin tuna were on sand eels or very small squid, daisy chains and spreader bars rigged with Hogys were the ticket. You'll be amazed by how well they simulate a bait ball.  

Recommended Hogys

• 10" Hogy
• 10" Hogy Double Wide
• Hogy Jig Head
• 11/0 Worm Hooks

Giant Tuna: A commercial angler friend of mine swears by the 14" black or purple Hogy attached to his stinger. It was his theory that the darker colors simulated a shot of ink from a frightened squid. I took his tip and upped my score on bluefins up to 100 pounds on my squid bars.

Recommended Hogys

• 14" Hogy
• 18" Hogy

All Pelagic Species: Tuna, Wahoo, Marlin and Mahis

Trolling:

Hogy Teasers: When high-speed trolling, I always tip my Green Machines and jet  heads with 10" bubble gum Hogys. Their erratic quivering drives fish crazy.

High Speed Hogy: As a ballyhoo alternative, I did not notice any difference between the 10" Hogy and a real ballyhoo rigged behind my Ilander™ heads. Just slide the head over a tandem rigged Hogy and you're in business. A real time saver!  

Recommended Hogys

• 10" Hogy
• 14" Hogy
• Hogy Hook Stopper

Casting:    

I always have two spinning rods rigged and ready when heading offshore: One with a 7" Texas rigged bubble gum Hogy to target mahis schooling under debris or high flyers, and another with a 14" bone colored Hogy as a cast bait for white marlin. I was told by a guide in Key West that he raised a 200-pound plus swordfish on his. I'm still not sure what he would have done if he hooked it on the 30-pound test spinning gear he was using!  

Recommended Hogys

• 7" Hogy
• 10" Hogy
• 14" Hogy
• Hogy Hook Stopper