Nightcrawler Fishing Tips

Baiting

Baiting your hooks correctly can make the difference between just drowning a few worms and actually catching fish. Hook the nightcrawler through the hook but do not thread the whole length of the worm along the hook. Threading the crawlers along the entire hook looks unnatural underwater and it will not fool the fish. Larger nightcrawlers should be cut in half or in thirds. Since some nightcrawlers can approach a foot in length, cutting them into segments prevents fish from nibbling your bait while avoiding the hook.

Equipment

Decide what your target fish are before choosing your line. If you are trying to catch two pound fish, dont bother using heavy duty fishing line. 6 pound test line is enough for nightcrawler fishing. Heavier lines, even 8 pound test, will lower your success rate. In clear, shallow water consider your hooks carefully. Choose hooks that match the color of the water or the surrounding area. You do not want the hooks to stand out, so black or bronze hooks work well with crawlers, especially in shallow water.

Storage

Storing your nightcrawlers properly will keep them alive longer. Fresh, live nightcrawlers catch more fish than dead worms. Make your nightcrawlers a cozy home by blending up newspaper, mixing it with distilled, chlorine-free water, and pouring the mash into Styrofoam containers. Squeeze excess water out of the mash to make sure that it is damp but not soaking wet and place your nightcrawlers on top of this mash. Refrigerate the container and use nightcrawlers that burrow down into the mash mixture.

Trolling

Use your trolling motor to move your boat slowly, about 1 to 2 miles per hour. Check that your nightcrawlers and hook move through the water smoothly since bait that is spinning or corkscrewing will not look natural and can keep fish from biting. If you are having trouble getting bites and are using a trailing hook, try removing it. If you are using a crawler harness, try removing the trailer hook on that as well since this can help the worms look more natural in the water.