Fishing With Worms

[OzarksRiverman]

I'm a creek freak in the summertime. I float, I wade the smaller creeks looking for Brownies and Goggle-eye. I use the old stand-by's: Tubes, Cranks, Spinners... I was talking to one of my uncles the other day and he was talking about using worms at the creek.

Anybody have any thoughts on using worms for creek fishing. How do you fish them? Bobbers? Anybody had any luck with them catching creek bass?

[Smalliebigs]

Worms will catch just about any freshwater fish that swims. The biggest problem with fishing creeks with worms is the fish will swallow the worm so fast it can be hard to set the hook before the worm and hook are in the fishes gullet, thus killing the fish, if you are C & R....this sucks. The Goggle eye will practiclly walk on land to get a worm.

I don't fish with worms or minnows on creeks or rivers anymore but, I use to and I think most will agree that they are going to be the best way to get a fish on the end of your line.

When I was usings worms, we would drive a stake in the ground near are garden where the soil was much more nutrient rich.somehow make your stake vibrate and up come some Missouri Night Crawlwers, we would wacky rig them with a slpit shot.they tend to come of the hook very easily that way so you want make sure there are bass holding where you're fishing, so you don't waste so many worms on the bait stealers.you will have so many bass so fast, you will have your limit in minutes.

[mic]

I'm a creek freak in the summertime. I float, I wade the smaller creeks looking for Brownies and Goggle-eye. I use the old stand-by's: Tubes, Cranks, Spinners... I was talking to one of my uncles the other day and he was talking about using worms at the creek.

Anybody have any thoughts on using worms for creek fishing. How do you fish them? Bobbers? Anybody had any luck with them catching creek bass?

On creeks I use a system for catching trout that works awesome and almost always keeps from gut hooking them. Middle hook the worm and put weight on the line 12 to 15 inches above the hook. The tough part is finding just enough weight to bounce it along the bottom. Then make a 1/4 upstream cast. Drop the rod low and reel in the line until it is just tight. Then follow the hook with the rod while raising the rod as it comes to you and dropping it as it goes away from you keeping the same tension throughout the pass. After the line pulls tight you can reel it in or swing it across current. By keeping the line tight you can feel and see the slightest hit. It is sort of like tight lining for catfish but with a moving line. The dead drift of the worm wriggling down the current kills on the trout, and I assume it would work just as good for bass. I might gut hook one out of 30/40 fish. I will either keep that one or cut the line. The best set up I have found for this set up is to put high vis line on the reel and then tie on six to eight feet of fluorocarbon.

I have always wanted to try to a small clear water creek for bass. Drop me a PM if you ever have room for someone to tag along?

[OzarksRiverman]

Thanks for the replies, I think I'm going to give it a go this summer (just to change things up a bit) and try taking some worms at least on one trip.

What size of hook would you recommend using?

mic: if you want to come on a wade trip this summer come on down, I see you're in Illinois though so it'd be a long trip to Douglas or Christian County MO.

[mic]

Thanks for the replies, I think I'm going to give it a go this summer (just to change things up a bit) and try taking some worms at least on one trip.

What size of hook would you recommend using?

mic: if you want to come on a wade trip this summer come on down, I see you're in Illinois though so it'd be a long trip to Douglas or Christian County MO.

If gas doesn't go to 5 bucks a gallon this summer, I just might.

[Stoneroller]

if you find yourself fishing with worms, stop by walgreens and by a deworming kit. don't need those nasty buggers crawling around in your colon.

[FishinCricket]

On creeks I use a system for catching trout that works awesome and almost always keeps from gut hooking them. Middle hook the worm and put weight on the line 12 to 15 inches above the hook. The tough part is finding just enough weight to bounce it along the bottom. Then make a 1/4 upstream cast. Drop the rod low and reel in the line until it is just tight. Then follow the hook with the rod while raising the rod as it comes to you and dropping it as it goes away from you keeping the same tension throughout the pass. After the line pulls tight you can reel it in or swing it across current. By keeping the line tight you can feel and see the slightest hit. It is sort of like tight lining for catfish but with a moving line. The dead drift of the worm wriggling down the current kills on the trout, and I assume it would work just as good for bass. I might gut hook one out of 30/40 fish. I will either keep that one or cut the line. The best set up I have found for this set up is to put high vis line on the reel and then tie on six to eight feet of fluorocarbon.

I have always wanted to try to a small clear water creek for bass. Drop me a PM if you ever have room for someone to tag along?

This exact method is what I use when bait fishing the Niangua.. Honestly I can catch as many fish with marshmallows or bread balls as I can with minnows or worms...

When small creek fishing for big smallies I like to use a live minnow and a circle hook.... More like sight fishing, really.. Here's what you end up with:

[ozark trout fisher]

I'm a creek freak in the summertime. I float, I wade the smaller creeks looking for Brownies and Goggle-eye. I use the old stand-by's: Tubes, Cranks, Spinners... I was talking to one of my uncles the other day and he was talking about using worms at the creek.

Anybody have any thoughts on using worms for creek fishing. How do you fish them? Bobbers? Anybody had any luck with them catching creek bass?

I have used them extensively in the past. There is no more effective way for catching smallmouth bass than bouncing a nightcrawler along the bottom of a deep hole-or for goggle-eye, bluegill, catfish, drum, or anything else for that matter.

I kinda gave that up a little bit ago though.

[bsteele02]

Worms are my trump card. I always bring em and I only use them if all else fails because they seem to produce the bites.

[Buzz]

This exact method is what I use when bait fishing the Niangua.. Honestly I can catch as many fish with marshmallows or bread balls as I can with minnows or worms...

When small creek fishing for big smallies I like to use a live minnow and a circle hook.... More like sight fishing, really.. Here's what you end up with:

I think Cricket hit the nail on the head with the circle hooks. If you are going to fish with live bait you want to be able release at least a few fsh.

Worms will catch anything that swims and because of that I only use worms when starting a kid out fishing,that's how I started and how I started each of my kids and grandkids, just to get them hooked. (pun intended) But after you have them interested they are open and ready to try fishing with in-line spinners and beetle spins and on from there.

This is just my opinion and I really don't have a problem with people fishing with live bait. It's just that I've seen too many irresponsible people rip the hooks out and leave fish floating down the creek.