For more than 20 years I’ve been an avid worm fisherman, and was taught to worm fish by a man I consider to have been the greatest worm angler I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. Oh, and I’m not referring to fishing with twenty pound test and some brightly colored piece of rubber either. I’m referring to fishing with live worms, mostly in the flowing waters of either a river or stream. The 3 essential worm fishing tips discussed in this article are what I view as “the top 3″ when it comes to worm fishing. These three essential tips will help you out tremendously as far as fishing with live worms is concerned.
Many anglers believe that grabbing a container of worms, threading one of those worms onto a hook, and chunking it out into the water is “worm fishing”. I believe that this is far from worm fishing, and the man I was referring to earlier (That taught me these tips) is rolling over in his grave at this thought. What most anglers consider to be “worm fishing”, I think should be reserved for children and people who don’t know how to fish. These 3 essential worm fishing tips will help you become a much better worm angler.
Unnatural Scents – I think the most overlooked aspect of worm fishing is the fact that scents transfer from your hands to whatever bait you may be using. This is especially true when using live bait, such as worms. You want your live worm to smell like a live worm, not a live worm who has been sucking down a cigarette, for example. And what about if you just filled your vehicle with gas and have the scent of gasoline on your hands? These scents will transfer to your bait and cost you bites. Small fish don’t care, but large and experienced fish most certainly do. A great tip is to grab a handful of dirt or grass and rub it in your hands before baiting up. This will help to eliminate any unnatural odors on your hands. Be Fishing At The Proper Times – There is no more overlooked aspect to fishing than when you actually go fishing. You want to be fishing when the fish are the most active. This is why educating yourself as to How The Weather & Moon Effect Fishing is such a key. Natural Presentation – When fishing with live worms, having your bait look as natural as possible is key. This is why simply “threading” a worm onto a single hooks is so ineffective. A set of gang hooks should be employed. Gang hooks are simply two small hooks tied in tandem, thus enabling a live worm to be presented outstretched and naturally, the way God intended. A set of pre-tied gang hooks will out-fish any other method 3 to 1. Whenever live worms are used as bait, gang hooks should be used as well.
The bottom line is that these 3 essential worm fishing tips will help you catch more fish. How do I know this? Because I use, and have been using, all of them for the last 20 years and I know they work. Never forget what Steven Wright said of us anglers, “There’s a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore looking like an idiot.” I don’t know if any truer words have ever been spoken, and can vouch for the fact that said line is razor thin!