The Lowly Worm

This post will go along quite well with my previous one on hooks. My tip to you today is not to underestimate the power of live bait (specifically in regards to bass fishing). There is a good reason that it is illegal in bass tournaments. Sure most people use live bait for bluegill fishing, and it is probably all our grand parents had. Now the amateur fisherman, such as myself, can walk into a Wal-mart or, even more daunting, a Bass Pro Shop and see isles filled with shinny crankbaits and packages of all sorts of realistic and unrealistic rubber creatures. Oh don't get me wrong, most of these lures will catch fish, and most of the time they narrow your catch to a target species. But sometimes the good ol' nightcrawler will do just as well or better.

I do recommend nightcrawlers as opposed to redworms. Not because of size appeal, but because of the ease with which little fish seem to be able to pull off redworms. The bigger worms are tougher and give them a little more trouble. Thats not to say that you can't just go out into the garden and grub up some worms. By all means, there is nothing wrong with saving a little money by using home grown worms, especially if you can find some big juicy ones!

The size of the worm doesn't matter (at least not always). Smaller pieces do not necessarily mean smaller fish. A couple of years ago, I caught a 13'' largemouth on a whole night crawler, but just this year I have caught a 13''er and 15''er (a week ago) on a half-inch segment of worm. The only problem is that bluegill are usually found were bass are and also will love your worms. They will tackle any size worm if they are in the mood. A large nightcrawler can easily be whitled down in a few minutes to a bare hook. But if you use small hooks, and cast where you suspect there are bass roaming about, you can have fun with some sunfish in between the bass. Half the fun of live bait is never knowing what you will get. In a big lake at the same spot, I have seen bluegill, green sunfish, yellow bass, catfish, and largemouth all taken on pinched pieces of nightcrawlers. Worms are easy to use, easy to find, great for beginners, and most importantly almost all fish love them, including our beloved largemouth bass! So grab a box and get fishin'.