Carp Fishing with Canadian Nightcrawlers

There are many different kinds of worms, most of which are suitable for fishing.  However, there is a certain group of worms that get fish's attention like a steak gets mine.  They're known as nightcrawlers.

I prefer Canadian nightcrawlers.  They're available almost any place where bait is sold.  I usually purchase mine at Walmart or Academy.  See below.

How you put your nightcrawler on the hook depends entirely on what  you're fishing for.  In this case, we're talking about carp.  We need to get the worm far enough into the fish to give the hook a chance to pierce the fish's lip.

At least half or even more than half of the worm should be off of the hook.  This will allow the carp to ingest most of the worm before feeling the hook and trying to eject it.  A carp that's not spooked is a carp that's hooked!  Here's what I'm talking about.

Notice only the top portion of the worm is hooked.  Most of it is hanging free.  Now I know what you're thinking.  What's to keep the carp from eating the portion that's not on the hook and leaving the rest?

It all has to do with how the carp eats.  They don't bite.  They inhale.  A carp will inhale that worm like we inhale a spaghetti noodle.  At the tail end of that worm is a hook that the fish is not expecting, and suddenly it's not so easy for the carp to eject because most of the worm is already have way down its gullet.

There is one other very important reason to leave a large portion of the nightcrawler dangling free:  presentation. Worms are incredibly resilient.  They will stay alive for as much as a couple of hours after being placed on the hook.  During that time, the worm is moving all over the place to get free of the hook.  On a lake bed of otherwise inanimate objects, this sticks out to a fish like a neon sign does to us.  See below.

Check out those photos again.  You're looking through the water at the worm resting on the lake bottom.  See how it stands out?  In the second photo especially, you can see how the worm stretches out to move.

All of that screams to a fish, "Eat me!"  But don't take my word for it.  Ask today's catch, a 4.08 lbs common carp.

The shot below gives you an idea on length.

With regard to the hook, I used an Eagle Claw baitholder size 4.

Tight lines!