Red Worms - My Secret Weapon!

I am a typical American. My youth was continually reinforced with “bigger is better”. And when I went fishing? I still followed that philosophy. My bait and tackle was always supersized to catch bigger fish and more of them.

That was a difficult vice to overcome.

After 50-some years of fishing, I now realize that bigger can hurt your fishing in many situations. I was in a marina bait shop yesterday when one of their customers asked for red worms. The owner said, “Don’t have any. I have night crawlers. They all work the same.”

How wrong he was!

I now bait my hooks with small red worms more often than snake-sized night crawlers. I will usually catch more fish. Often they’ll be much larger fish as well.

The most obvious reason for using red worms is many fish have small mouths. Examples are trout under 14”, panfish of all sizes, and suckers (yes, even the two-footers). In this article, when I say a small mouth, I’m referring to fish that have trouble handling a night crawler.

The next time you catch a large sucker, bluegill or trout, look closely at the size of it’s mouth and gullet. Envision that alongside a night crawler. You’ll begin to see how these fish have to struggle to get the hook in their mouth.

A trout or other fish’s eyes may sparkle when they see the water conveyor drifting a juicy night crawler toward them. They may nail the night crawler with gusto. You set the hook against that awesome strike.

Nothing!

The hook is bare and no fish is hooked. It can take a long time for a fish to completely engulf a night crawler so you are certain that the hook is in its mouth or deeper.

Use a red worm for those same fish. A flick of the wrist when you have a hit will almost always sink the point into the fish’s mouth. That is a major reason for using red worms. And the fish won’t be as likely to be deeply hooked if you set the hook quickly. You’ll have more of an option of releasing the fish if that is your desire.

Another reason I opt for red worms in many situations is their scent. Red worms are NOT small night crawlers. They are a completely different species, called stinkies in some areas.

A red worm smells rank. The best way to describe it is like a very strong choke cherry odor. Handle the worms and it’ll cling to them.

I can’t imagine anyone wanting that smell or taste in their mouth. But, I am thoroughly convinced that smell is part of the effectiveness of these little wigglers.

One of my biggest surprises is that I catch more channel cats with red worms than with night crawlers. The size of the cats hitting these stinkies can be considerable. Many nights I’ll use red worms as my only bait when fishing for channel cats.

When you hook a red worm, a creamy substance oozes out of its head. This may be a defense mechanism that carries the odor.

Use small hooks for red worms. I like #12 bait holders, #10 or smaller salmon egg hooks, or #14 dry fly hooks. Hook them once near the head and then with another stab below that. I don’t bury the point, but expose it up to the barb. The fish don’t mind. I believe it allows the point to penetrate into the fish’s mouth a tiny bit quicker.

When fishing, forget super-sizing. Think smaller and opt for red worms instead of crawlers. You will be surprised!