How you put a worm on your hook directly affects how successful your casts get. You want to ensure the worm is secure and does not wiggle with every attempt to cast. Again, it is a critical step when setting up for fishing, and how you do it is significant.
If you are a beginner and only getting conversant with the fishing world, you may be wondering how to put a worm on a hook. There are plenty of options to explore to secure the worm on the hook, but some might not apply to beginners.
Below, you will find two simple ways to put a worm on a hook, ensure it stays in place and gets you that bite you are looking for.
Key Takeaways
How you put a worm on a hook determines how successful your cast will be.
The standard baiting method is simple; however, beginners might find it challenging, especially using slimy worms.
Sock baiting is pretty straightforward, but you have to be careful not to split the worm or hurt your fingers.
What You Need To Put A Worm On A Hook
The first step to ensuring you have the worm right on the hook is putting together all your supplies. Below is a list of the things you need to do this successfully.
- Worms or nightcrawlers
- Fishing Line, rod, or reel
- Appropriate hook for your target fish
- Lead- fit for the type of fish
- Optional: split shot weight or Bobber float.
With these things in place, you can now go ahead and put the worm on a hook. Below are ways you can do that.
How To Put a Worm on a Hook
There are two simple ways to put a worm on a hook. Whichever you choose depends on your preference, really as well as how comfortable and experienced you are.
Standard Baiting
This is the simplest and the most economical method. You can get your worms from your garden and store them in a container, ideally Tupperware with cool dirt in it. Only get the worms when you are ready to use them [1].
Below are steps to follow when putting the worm on the hook.
Step 1: Secure The Hook To Your Fishing
Ensure the hook is secure on the fishing line and set aside your can of worms. Select the worm that you intend to hook and hold it from the end, not the head.
Step 2: Hooking
Use the barbed end of the hook and prick into the end of the worm. Ensure it passes through for security. Be careful when hooking to prevent pricking your hand.
Pro Tip: When choosing where to prick the worm, choose about ¼ to ½ an inch from the tip. If you hook too close to the head, the worm may wiggle away easily. Too close to the end may not be secure either, and the worm will end up falling off.
Step 3: Secure The Worm
Once you have the hook all through the end of the worm, push the worm farther to the top of the hook. Slide the worm up the hook, similar to how you would slide a bracelet up the arm. Secure the worm such that it’s below the hook’s knot.
This can be enough to keep the worm hooked, but if you want additional security, you can tie the end of the speared worm to the fishing line. This kind of knot is called the half hitch, which is usually looping the fishing line around the worm and passing the line through the loop.
Step 4: Additional Hooking
As secure as the first hooking is, it is necessary to pass the hook into the hook again. This adds to the security of the worm on the hook and minimizes the chances of it wiggling off.
Select a spot along the long end of the spreared worm and pass the hook again. The idea is to choose a site farther down the spreared place to leave enough room for the worm to move a little.
You can repeat this a few more times but limit that to 3 to 5 times. Again, this is dependent on the size of the worm.
Step 5: Pull The Worm Down
Move the worm down to the curve of the hook. Remember, you want the fish to bite the barbed end of the hook. If the fish does not contact the barb, it could easily slide the worm through and not get caught.
Step 6: Cast
Once the worm is secure, cast away and repeat the process as needed. It may take you some time to master hooking as a beginner, but practicing will go a long way. It can be challenging hooking slimy worms at the beginning, but you can hack that with practice.
Sock Baiting
Sock baiting is similar to the standard method; however, you start on the head side of the worm, and you do not prick the worm all the way through [2].
This method is a bit complex, and fish could easily take the worm without biting the hook; however, it is much more attractive to fish, thanks to the natural look of the worm.
Here is a step-by-step process of sock baiting.
Step 1: Hooking The Worm Behind The Head
Prick behind the head and ensure the hook does not go all the way through. It should be inside the worm’s body and not showing on the other side of the prick.
Step 2: Push The Hook Through The Worm’s Body
Slowly push the hook inside the worm’s body just like you would push a sock up your leg. Be careful not to split the worm as you push the hook inside.
Step 3: Secure The Worm
Once the length of the hook is all inside the worm’s body, stop and pierce the point of the hook to stick the worm to its side. Leave the end of the worm to dangle below the hook for a natural appearance that fish will get attracted to.
Step 4: Cast Away
Your worm is now secure on the hook, and you can now cast away. You should note; however, you will need a lot of worms using this method as you will go through them quickly. It can be a challenge to fix the hook without splitting the worm, but it’s doable.
Related: How to Cast a Fishing Rod
The Bottom Line
Putting a worm on a hook is not obvious for everyone, especially if you are a mere beginner. But, with the two simple methods described above, you can successfully secure the worm on a hook, cast away, and get that fruitful bite in the end.
